Customer Reviews

The Skin Type Solution

5 star:		(84)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I purchased this book after reading a review about it in a magazine, and I'm extremely pleased with it!

Before buying the book, I was worried that the questionnaire that Dr. Baumann provides wouldn't be as easy as it was to follow since, in the past, I've often found that questionnaires sometimes don't reveal your categories as clearly as they could. In this case, however, her questionnaire was simple and accurate, and I learned a great deal about my skin.

What I also like is that Dr. Baumann provides you with information in case you fall into a borderline area in one of the four categories. For instance, I fall between the Wrinkled and Tight skintypes in one category, but the book suggested that if this is the case, that I follow the Wrinked guidelines to prevent the formation of future wrinkles. She offers similar suggestions throughout, so that you know when and how to use the products she recommends.

I also like how Dr. Baumann provides products in a variety of price ranges, many of which can be found at a local drugstore. The only downside is that some of the prices were a bit more expensive than her price rating system seems to suggest. For example, each of the products is rated from $-$$$ in terms of its cost. Two of my recommended eye creams were in the $$ price range, when one, in fact, costs $55 and the other $68. It seems like these should have been placed in the $$$ range, and these aren't the only examples of this nature.

Overall, though, it's been an excellent purchase! Considering how much many of us spend on beauty and facial products, the book is a very good investment. Personally, I know that it will help me avoid making costly mistakes in the future. Instead of continuing to spend money on products that don't work for my skin type, I now feel like I will be a more confident shopper.

In my teens and twenties I never paid much attention to my skin, partly because I didn't have any major problems and partly because I wasn't very interested in beauty, fashion magazines and the like. I'd wash my face in the shower and draw a couple lines under my eyes in the morning and that was the extent of my skin care and make-up routine. But, at 34 I noticed a lesion on my face that turned out to be skin cancer. It was nothing serious and was taken care very easily, but it made me start looking at my skin more closely, and, much to my dismay, I realized that I was beginning to show the signs of ageing; for the first time I noticed that I had crowsfeet, smile lines and age spots. I decided I probably should start taking a little better care of my skin, but I didn't really know "what" I should be doing. Since it's nearly impossible to get a dermatologist to spend any serious time with you, I decided to buy a book instead. I bought this one and I think it was a good choice.

The book helps you assess the type of skin you have and determine what products and procedures are best for you. It also impresses upon you the importance of sunscreen. For many skin types, like mine, Dr. Baumann suggests a Retinoid product that you have to get through a dermatologist. This seems to have been good advice as I have read several articles in other sources (NYTimes and Consumer Reports) that say that Retinoids are the ony products which have been scientifically proven to reduce the signs of ageing. So, for the recommendation of suncreen and retinoids, I'm very thankful to the author.

As far as some of the other product recommendations are concerned, I have taken them with a grain of salt. If I choose to use them, I buy the cheapest ones or look for another product that has the same active ingredient. Is she endorsing certain products for financial gain? Possibly. But, she does give you enough information so that you can seek out cheaper alternatives. One thing is for sure, this book did not save me any money. A tube of Avene (the Retinoid) alone is costing me $50/month and if you buy all the other "stuff" (special cleansers, eye cream, antioxidant moisterizers, etc.) you could "easily" find yourself spending over a $100/month on your face.

The author is also a big proponent of Botox. She herself has been using Botox since she was 29. I personally perfer to stay away from needles and injections. Not only is it extremely costly and something that you need to do on a regular basis, but for me it seems like it's taking the anti-ageing program a bit too far. We all are going to age, so a certain amount of acceptance (resignation?) seems in order. I want to keep my skin in the best condition possible, but I also want to be able to accept my ageing body and face (with it's smile lines and crows feet). While I can "totally" sympathize with women (and men) who have these procedures, it is my hope that I can acquire a healthy attitude about ageing and spend all the money I would have invested in Botox on something more fulfulling, like wonderful vacations. But, perhaps this is easy to say while I'm still in my thirties. Maybe I'll feel differently in my sixties.

At any rate, I think this is a very informative book and it has helped me make some well-informed, positive changes that hopefully are paying off.

I have had problem skin my entire life - acne, sensitivity. I have been sold every product under the sun wuth a promise it would help and never did. I finally took Accutane which cleared up my skin but made it even more confusing to buy products. I finally have the answer.
I read the book and took the quiz only to find out not only do I have sensitive skin but I have EXTREMELY sensitive skin. I threw out more than half my skin care products and bought several on Dr. Baumann's recommended list for my skin (dry, sensitive, wrinkled, non-pigmented). My skin has never been this clear - no spots, no itchiness, no flaking, nothing but clear soft skin. I even feel comfortable going without makeup now. Even after the Accutane my nose still had a lot of clogged pores and even they seem to be clearing up now.
Despite what others have said Dr. Baumann is very upfront that she tests for several companies - in fact she tests for so many that she is truly impartial - many of the products she would test would be from competing companies. Common sense tells you this. I also liked the dietary recommendations for my skin type - I have incorporated a few and have seen a difference.

This book is a must have for anyone - it demystifies the skin care industry and helps you figure out what to use and what not to use. It gives options and information you cna use for a lifetime.

Buying beauty products no longer has to be a guessing game-- where you try to sort through the hype and figure out what will work for you. In this book, Dr. Baumann takes all the guess work out of it. First she helps you evaluate and understand your skin's uniqueness. Then she shows exactly what products you need (and don't need to use) in day and night regimens customized to each skin type. Plus her advice is clear, credible and covers all the bases because she is not peddling her own skin care line, but has taken the time to evaluate and rate all the skin care products available.

Baumann is a true scientist, and I've never seen as comprehensive a skin care book as this one. And it's so valuable to finally know how to pick the right products and avoid the ones that will sit unused cluttering up my shelves.

I am only 23 years old, but I have had problem skin since puberty- redness, acne,large pores, hyperpigmentation from acnes, etc . I have tried all the new products gone to aestheticians, and nothing ever helped. I received this book as a birthday present and have been following Dr. Baumann's plan for OSPWs. Wow, what a difference. I am finally able to leave the house without makeup. The book was easy to navigate and despite what some have said does address falling in between categories. That's why you use number values to determine what category you are in. Anyways, I found this book invaluable and would highly reccommend it to anyone that feels hopeless about their skin.

Dr. Leslie Baumann has written an excellent resource for anyone with dermatology woes. As a young OSNT with rosacea I was very happy to see that she had included a good deal of information regarding my own skins needs in well thought out and researched articles.

The product recommedations, however, are a mixed bag. Some of the recommended products contain irritating ingredients and her work with Johnson & Johnson casts some doubt on the impartiality of Dr. Baumann's critiques. That being said there ARE some excellent, inexpensive products to be found in this book. The questionnaire is very easy to interpret and the medical procedure descriptions are very informative.

Dr. Baumann's message, I believe, is that skincare products are only a piece of the puzzle that is glowing, healthy skin. Good products, she argues, help to attain certain benefits for the skin, much like this book, which offers a good primer for anyone interested in holding off the hands of time. After all, at a certain age, you get the face you deserve.

After seeing the author interviewed on Good Morning America and reading about the good reviews here on Amazon, I decided to give The Skin Type Solution a try. The book's chapers are neatly organized, making it straight-forward and easy to read. After completing the questionnaire part, I went through the chapter on my skin type, which is ORPW, and have just bought a few non-prescription items recommanded. The products worked pretty well as you would expect after reading the book's claims in the introduction. I can't wait to see the difference the prodcuts will do for my skin 2 months from now!

The only complaint I can say about it is that I discovered that at least two of the products recommanded for me contain ingredients indicated as to be avoided. Because of this confusion, I picked other items recommanded to me instead.

although at sixty something, some might say that my skin's glory days are over I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The recommendations that Dr. Baumann made were very specific to my skin type and the results have been amazing. My friends swear that i've had something "done" I also like the fact that Dr. Baumann is a Professor at such a reputable University, which guarantees that recommendations are based solely on results and not on financial compensation. I only wish that i had this book and all the wonderful information 20 years ago.

I have always enjoyed reading Dr. Baumann's quotes in magazine articles for various reasons, the most important two being that her recommendations are affordable and easy to find, and that because she is a professor at the University of Miami she is not allowed to receive financial compensation from any of the companies that make the products she suggests. When I read an article saying that Dr. Baumann was writing a book I ran to my computer and pre-ordered it on amazon. I waited 4 weeks for Skin Type Solution, but in reality i waited my whole life. It was worth the wait. This book is by far the most informative and easy to read book on skin care that i have ever read (and i have read them all!!!) My skin has never looked so amazing. It is unbelievable that after years of seeing dermatologists and spending a small fortune on products only to have them sit on my bathroom shelf collecting dust, a $20.00 book is the answer to my skin care prayers. I wanted a book that was easy to read and cut through all that pretentious fluff that most self help books are filled with, just tell me what is wrong with my skin and and which products will fix it. Simple. Dr. Baumann's book did just that. I learned more from this book than in all my money down the drain visits to dermatologists and beauty counters. The fact that Dr. Baumann works at a University only makes me more confident that her recommendations are based in science and not for her personal financial gain. I recommend this book to every person who has ever been frustrated and thought "well I just don't have good skin" you will have great skin after reading this book. My only question for Dr. Baumann is "WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO WRITE A BOOK ON HAIR CARE?"...HELP!!!!

The Skin Type Solution is an excellent buy. It clearly outlines based on your skin type (which is determined by a simple user-friendly quiz)the specific products you should be using. As a price conscious consumer, I was especially pleased by the range of product choices that Dr. Baumann provided for each skin type.

Having previously spent many frustrating hours staring at shelves of products, I am thrilled to now have an expert guide me through the process of obtaining fabulous skin.