18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Nothing New, 22 Jan 2010
By Askanesthetician - Published on Amazon.com
I was very excited when I discovered this book. Finally a book about skincare not written by a dermatologist or a plastic surgeon! Unfortunately by the end of reading the book I was just disappointed and slightly confused.
Understanding skincare product ingredients and product formulations can be a daunting task at time. I consider it a professional obligation to be up to date about ingredients and their effectiveness. New ingredients are hyped and promoted all the time in the cosmetic industry, but I always want to understand the science behind those ingredients. So when I found this book at my local library I thought it would be a guide for me to better understand the above mentioned concepts and ideas.
The overall theme of the book, which is the "new science" mentioned in the book's title, is the fact that scientists have found a way to reprogram and repair damaged DNA leading to "undoing intrinsic aging itself" in your skin - quite a promise! Of course, what products does Yarosh mainly recommend in order to undo damage to your DNA? His own line Remergent. I always find it suspect when an expert mainly recommends their own products for use. So this is the main selling point of this book, and the reason why you should read it instead of all the other books out there about skincare. Basically, the chapter about DNA repair is the only thing that sets this book apart. There are so many skincare books on the market that do a better job of explaining both the concepts of skincare and how to take care of your skin.
Chapter 2 titled "Cutting Through the Hype" does a great job of explaining how cosmetic companies formulate, market, hype, advertise, make ridiculous scientific claims about, and price their products. Yarosh does a very good job at explaining why you can't believe cosmetic advertising at all and how you can become an educated consumer by learning to understand cosmetic ingredients. BUT I don't agree with Yarosh's list of "overrated" ingredients since he puts antioxidants on that list.
Having said all of that there are a few other good parts to the book besides the discussion of cosmetic advertising and hype. Chapter 3 in the book deals with how to read a skincare product label and also discusses the "all natural ingredient" fallacy as well. It was also interesting to read in this book about the whole process of testing ingredients before they get into a skincare product.
Bottom Line: Skim this book. The chapter about DNA repair and the chapter about the future of skin care are pretty much the only things in this book that are new or different from all the other skincare books on the market. The confusing message about Vitamins C, A, and E in the book really bothered me.
Read my full review at [...]
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good book on skin care, but misses some topics and not entirely unbiased., 29 April 2009
By Two kids mom "scienceteachermom" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The New Science of Perfect Skin: Understanding Skin-Care Myths and Miracles for Radiant Skin at Any Age (Hardcover)
I normally would never read a book like this, but I picked it up at the library looking for some information on how to deal with the major allergies to sunscreen of my daughter.
The good:
More science to back up claims than most books on skin care.
Points out a lot of the hype in skin care products.
Specific recommendations by brand, and not all of them are costly products.
Best description of how sunscreen actually works and how to use it that I have seen.
Excellent outline of ingredients and what they actually do in products.
Good description of skin cancer.
The bad:
Need a chapter on eczema and how to deal with it. Acne is covered but eczema is not.
Need photos of things like skin cancers so that we can get a visual image.
The ugly:
Hypes his own products more than I like, almost every suggested list has a Remergent product listed.
17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Helpful information on skin care, 26 May 2008
By Kara D. Lane "Author, Wake Up to Powerful Living" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The New Science of Perfect Skin: Understanding Skin-Care Myths and Miracles for Radiant Skin at Any Age (Hardcover)
This book offers some good information on how to take care of your skin, from what you eat to what products to use.
I like that the author offers specific ingredients for which he believes there is scientific support for their effectiveness, and he also offers his thoughts on what ingredients are mere unproven hype.
I also like that he mentions specific products that he believes are effective, such as Neutrogena Make-Up Remover Cleansing Towlettes. Readers considering the book should also be aware that he has a brand of products he sells and those products are featured in the book as well.
There were some inconsistent comments in the book, like he starts one chapter by saying, "Cleansers and toners are the least glamorous products in the cosmetic cabinet but are the true workhorses of skin care." But then later in that same chapter, he says, "Whatever toners are called, and whatever their intended use, chances are very slim--unless you are using natural soaps and have hard water--that you need one." ???
Also, he notes at one point that you should steer clear of products that advertise they are "preservative free." I understand the point - those products can spoil more quickly - but if you're willing to pay attention to expiration dates, I think preservative-free products are still okay to use. It's really a matter of personal preference.
In any event, I thought the author offered some good advice on steps to take and products to use to achieve radiant skin.