skin types Archives -

*Special Guest Blog New York based Beauty Blogger from Alexandra Mann* Thanks Alexandra!

Most of You Are Buying the Wrong Products for Your Skin and Dr. Leslie Baumann Wants to Change That

It’s been five years since women all over

America

who had been wearing the wrong bra size – 80% of them evidently – cast their old bras aside at Oprah Winfrey’s urging, and got properly fitted for new bras, thus enhancing their self confidence and style. Now it’s time for 80% of women – hopefully not the same 80% – to turn their attention to their skin.

Enter Dr. Leslie Baumann, who has dedicated her practice and research to ensuring that her patients are properly educated on the actual type of skin they have (not the type they think they have), for only then can they treat it properly and protect it, nurture it and make it look its best. Dr. Baumann was in New York today to promote her book, The Skin Type Solution, her new PBS special airing this month (check your local listings) and her website, skintypesolutions.com.

Dr. Baumann’s 16 skin types are based on being either Oily or Dry; Resistant or Sensitive (i.e., having acne, rosacea, burning, etc.); Pigmented or Non-Pigmented (this is not related to ethnicity but rather to unwanted brown spots); and Wrinkled or Tight. “Eighty percent of women think they know their skin type and they’re wrong,” Dr. Baumann said. “Oily people think they’re dry and wrinkled people think they’re less wrinkled…”

You get the idea.

Dr. Baumann’s system evolved from 400 questions and her work with thousands of patients’ skin. The result is a questionnaire that literally anyone can fill out online. Based on the type of skin one has, Dr. Baumann and her team then recommend a full complement of skin care products from a range of brands that are best for you (“I’m not affiliated with particular brands,” she says).

Once you go through the process of getting properly typed – which I did today – it makes you wonder why we are all so willing to spend our hard-earned money on products that promise the world but might be totally wrong for us. Vanity? I think it’s safe to say that’s certainly a component of caring for our skin, but if that’s the case then wouldn’t we want to do it right? I can’t recall a department store cosmetics salesperson asking me if I ever smoked cigarettes (I did but don’t anymore), how much cumulative time I’ve spent in the sun (quite a bit ages ago but never now), or if I am usually able to use hotel soaps on my face without incident (I am). But Dr. Baumann did ask me, and she will ask you, too… I won’t tell you my type, but I will tell you I’m now in the 20%.

If you want to find out your type:

http://www.skintypesolutions.com

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