Celia Ludwinski's Reviews > Skincare Decoded: The Practical Guide to Beautiful Skin

I worked in the cosmetics industry for several years and yet I'm still in the dark about skincare and what's necessary and how it all actually works. In the same way someone in IT doesn't actually know much of anything about hacking, I never really learned enough about it to make informed decisions about my own skin. If I cared enough to become a full cosmetic chemist, I would be reading articles from Dermatology or Cosmetic Chemists journals. But I'm not reading those. Because as a typical millennial I am somewhat of a narcissist. I really don't care about everyone's skin — I only care about my own.

This book is the stepping stone — a beginners manual to help define problem areas and then guide me to make the best decisions for me. And it will work that way for almost everyone. Think of it as a helping hand in applying the scientific method to creating the most beautiful you, but in an accessible way. Unfortunately, what this book won't tell you is which products to buy as quick fix solution. It is setting you up for success, but in order to truly succeed you need to do the work yourself to use this knowledge as an intro to skincare expert and figure out what works for you. I actually find that more respectful and authentic than if they were offering an easy solution that sounded too good to be true.

It's educational. The education bit to teach me to play mad scientist with my moisturizer. Mixing and matching the amount of humectants, emollients, and occlusives for my personalized skincare needs is a throwback to the days when I played mad scientist with the lotions and soaps from my mom's cupboards and even flower petals from her garden to create my own concoction. But this time I don't feel like I'm mixing totally blind. I'm a slightly informed mad scientist.

People think ultranatural means ultrasafe and free from scary chemicals. The reality is that plants are complex. In its raw form, shea butter can be irritating. We recommend sticking to refined shea; you'll have a range of options for texture.

It's accessible.In addition to offering all this knowledge, it's accessible to everyday readers. The authors acknowledge the esoteric terms that the skincare industry couches all their claims in and then break it down for you with casual language. They define scientific terms in ways anyone can understand. And they even use modern references in their metaphors. It's a bible of skincare, but it's a modern bible which unveils the absurd and mysterious.

Ridiculous claims are everywhere in skincare, but we find them most eye-roll-worthy in cleansers. Assuming for a second that they did infuse their cleanser with a Fountain of Youth distillate, cleansers are just not really a good way to deliver all that anti-aging goodness into your skin. Remember, a cleanser's job is to take things off, not to add on. Regular priced cleansers with normal ingredients will do the job just fine.

It's persuasive. Perhaps the most important point — my routine has changed because of what I've read. I've been convinced to make actual changes to things that I've always known I should do but have been a bit to lazy to do super consistently (*ahem* like wash my face at least once per day and wear sunscreen whenever I'm outside). It did have a real impact on my life.

Applying product to an unwashed face can potentially trap dirt and unwanted microbes underneath. In addition to causing breakouts, this can make it harder for your products to penetrate and go to work on your skin. Overall, skipping the cleansing step is pretty counterproductive if you're wanting to build a good routine, so let's start off with a clean slate!

I even feel that if I pick it up in a few years, I will be able to get more out of it. I will learn even more and re-adjust my routine to address my evolved skincare concerns, whether they're due to yet another move to another country, hormone shifts, or just getting older.