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Friday, March 20, 2015

An Introduction to Skin Care A to Z

When I told my family and friends I was writing another book, the almost unanimous response was, “What is this one about?” It’s as though writing one book about skin care was enough! Each time I heard that question, I chuckled and answered, “It’s a skin care book.” Then, the inevitable question that followed was, “Is there really that much more information to write about skin care?” Another chuckle emanated from deep down in my belly.

Yes, believe it or not, there is still more information to write about in regard to skin care! Halfway through writing my first book, Timeless Skin, I realized that I was either going to write a gargantuan book, or I was going to contain it and keep it to a certain size. I just had to stop somewhere, knowing I could always write another book some day.

Well, that day did come and this second book is what I consider to be a follow-up to my first effort. More than a follow-up, Skin Care A to Z is a continuation of Timeless Skin. The two books truly are siblings.

Skin Care A to Z doesn’t spend much time on trends and fads in the skin care world. I don’t believe that the latest and greatest anti-aging product or procedure is really going to get you where you want to be in terms of healthy, clear skin. What I am providing in this book is the kind of interactive conversations I have with my clients. You will find many emails from readers and clients along with my responses and recommendations. You will also find several case studies from clients who were gracious enough to allow me to use their stories to illustrate different points about skin care. All of the stories and emails are used with written permission from each subject. In a few cases where I couldn’t locate a client or for whatever reason could not get permission, I may have blended stories, questions, and situations together in order to make a point about a specific problem or concern.

Some of you may recognize a few things in Skin Care A to Z that are reminiscent of information found in Timeless Skin. I tried very hard to not duplicate any parts of these two books, but there were a few instances where it was necessary for clarity and because not everyone reading this book will be familiar with my first work.

The most notable instances where I have taken information directly from Timeless Skin are The Basics 1-2-3 and The Extras. Without going into a brief description of what these programs are, new readers would be at a loss. And although I did not completely repeat myself, I did go into a description in these sections, which is similar to information found in the first book.

In Skin Care A to Z I refer to aestheticians (people who give facials) in the feminine. This is not to exclude the men who are in this industry, but percentage-wise there is a predominance of women compared to men who are licensed aestheticians.

Next, I want to clarify something. In my writing and in my salon practice, I am not advocating eliminating makeup altogether. I am talking about curtailing the use of foundation since it is not the best thing for your skin. Eye makeup, lips, lashes—go for it! But if your skin is clear and reflecting health (inside and out), then why cover it up? Wear as much makeup as you want to, but try not to cover up your skin with foundation.

Last but not least is the issue of product recommendations. I can almost guarantee many of you will turn to that section first to see what brand name skin care products I think you should buy. I explain the following at the beginning of that section, but it is so important I will repeat it here: I do not recommend specific product brand names in this book. In my writing I am trying to give you information about how to care for your skin and what to do and what not to do—regardless of what you are using—as well as giving you guidelines on what to look for in products.

There is no one product that is going to be right for every single person. I want to arm you with useful knowledge so you can go out into the market and select products that will work for your skin. This is very important to me, and it is the whole point of my writing. I am trying to decipher the often times confusing information that is so pervasive in the skin care world. If you can discern right from wrong, truth from hype, I believe you can use many different products with success.

I wish you well in your search for healthy, clear, and perhaps younger-looking skin. And I certainly hope that the information in this book helps you get there. I write about what I see and experience as the truth—according to me. I hope that these truths and the conversations about skin care issues contained in this book help lead you down (or up) a path to health, happiness, and freedom from worrying about your skin.

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