Can You Get Hooked On Lip Balm? Review
The book is broken down into four sections: hair, skin, makeup, and the beauty industry, and there is a contents section that lets you quicky scan for topics of interest. Can You Get Hooked On Lip Balm? is a relatively quick read, or you can flip to a section to instantly find the answers to crazy questions like: does the moon cause bad hair days? or: can perfume make you thinner? If you’re ever stumped for fun facts while making small talk at a party, this book has plenty of gems to offer.

I learned several useful things I didn’t know before:

-If you’re buying a salon brand like Paul Mitchell and you see the same exact product at Target or Wal-Mart, it really is the same thing, despite the warning that it’s “not authentic.”

-Coconut oil and olive oil are able to penetrate hair shafts to make hair appear stronger and healthier (but the oils won’t help with hair loss). I will definitely be doing a coconut/olive oil hair mask soon to see what happens - my hair is fried from continually dyeing it.

-Expect to lose approximately 0.1% of your hair each day. On average brunettes have 120,000 hairs and redheads have 90,000 hairs on their head. This supports my theory that since half of my hair has fallen out, I should now be shedding half as much each day (even though I’m still shedding the same amount – what gives?)

-Beauty gadgets that supposedly really do work include the HairMax LaserComb for hair growth & Zeno MD for reducing acne. I’ve been wanting to try both of these products – especially the hair laser.

Can You Get Hooked On Lip Balm? also mentions topics I’ve written about here on Savvy Skin. The Beauty Brains talk about doing an aspirin mask (their opinion is that just using a salicylic acid topical product is better) and the use of  derma rollers (it’s better to have derma rolling done professionally if you want to see real collagen-boosting results. oops). They also investigate the use of duct tape to cure warts, the effectiveness of baby shampoo on adults, and they tell you whether SLS-free shampoo is better than regular shampoo.

Further, the book answer popular heated questions like: are natural and organic products better?, what makes a cosmetic product organic?, and are parabens really that bad? The Beauty Brains tell you that expensive products don’t usually work better than cheaper ones - sometimes they are even worse, and a lot of companies make almost the same products and then sell them as different brands with different price points. They also answer my personal favorite question – how the heck does the beauty industry get away with their blatantly misleading and false claims? And finally, whether or not you believe it -  mineral oil and propylene glycol are safe to use! 

* Buy Can You Get Hooked On Lip Balm *

The bottom line
I don’t want my review to give away too many of the secrets of the book, but I agree with just about everything in it because the information is based on science and research. It’s a great book to read to gain fun, informative, and interesting beauty facts. Can You Get Hooked On Lip Balm tells you what you need to know about makeup, hair care, and skin care from a scientific perspective so that you can cut through the beauty industry hype. If you enjoy reading and have $10, definitely buy this book! Otherwise thebeautybrains.com website offers a lot of the same information from the book, and on their site you can do a search for topics you’re interested in.

ps. The book confirms that you can get hooked on lip balm by training your body to rely on it. Just try kicking the habit – it’s impossible! Are you addicted to lip balm? Have you read this book yet?

Related posts:

1. Tresemme Dry Shampoo
2. Don’t Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me 7th Edition
3. Shampoo Ingredients To Avoid

The Truth About Beauty
I’ve read a ton of skin care books, and they are mostly pretty similiar in how they approach skin care. The book “The Truth About Beauty” is quite different though, and offers a unique perspective on beauty. I read the original version in 2003 when it came out, and I just picked up the new fully-updated version, but haven’t read it yet. Since it’s been four years since I read the book, I forget all the details, which is why I’m excited to read the new version. It’s written by Kat James, who was a makeup artist in the late 1980s. She struggled with her weight and led an extremely unhealthy lifestyle that included binge eating. After a health scare, she started researching healthy eating and living, and was able to transform her body and her skin, and judging by her before and after pictures in the book, she completely turned back the clock fifteen years!

“The Truth About Beauty” takes a holistic and whole-body approach to achieving beautiful skin, and it’s similiar to my Anti-Aging Skin Care Checklist, although I’m sure Kat is anti-Botox! Kat does not recommend the usual ingredients to fight wrinkles and acne (hydroxy acids, benzoyl peroxide, and she’s against mineral oil as a moisturizing ingredients. I happen to use all of these ingredients). I follow the more traditional skin care approaches that Dr. Perricone, Dr. Murad, and Paula Begoun, for example, teach, but I also take what I can from Kat James, and her natural approach to beauty. She recommends installing a chlorine shower filter, for example, which I did end up doing.

Even though I may not personally follow or believe everything Kat says, I still highly recommend this book (based on the 2003 version), and hope that the 2008 version is just as good. I may not buy all the organic products Kat recommends, but this book is still valuable to read, not just to help you improve your skin, but to improve your body as a whole.

Read “The Truth About Beauty”

Related posts:

1. Beauty Junkies
2. Addicted To Lip Balm?
3. Don’t Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me 7th Edition

Since four years have lapsed between book versions, I didn’t have the luxury of referencing the book before I’d buy new products that hit the market after 2004. I still absolutely stand by every product I’ve mentioned I love here on my blog, even if Paula Begoun doesn’t necessarily agree.

Edit: Now the 8th edition of the book is out!
Get “Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me”

I always reference Paula’s book before I buy new products. However, on several occasions, I’ve received free samples of a product, and then ended up loving it. As long as the product is not harmful, I continue to use it, even if she doesn’t give it her approval.

My original post from September:
I was just reading on Paula Begoun’s Free Beauty Bulletin that she’s coming out with a 7th edition of her popular book “Don’t Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me”. I am surprised to learn this, because I remember she wrote, either in her book, or on her beauty bulletin, that the last version of the book was the last. Anyway, good news for me and her other fans – the book should be out in January 2008. The book is massive, so I don’t know how she compiles so many skin care and beauty product reviews. I know a lot of people find the book overwhelming, but I found it to be a great source when I was looking for products that would actually work for my acne and wrinkles. Before I had either of those afflictions, I could have cared less about beauty and skin care products, but now I’m obsessed!

Related posts:

1. Free Beauty Bulletin
2. Beautypedia
3. Do You Need A High SPF Sunscreen?

The Bad
The Murad Acne Complex is a three-step system, similar in concept to Proactiv, but the ingredients are different. On the acnecomplex.com website, they list the products and their ingredients. The first step is the cleanser, which contains Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, a very harsh and drying ingredient, and something that should be avoided by all skin types. It also contains Menthol, which is drying. Strike One! I would not use this cleanser, since more than one ingredient is on my do not use list. The last thing you want to do is unnecessarily dry your skin out when it’s already in a vulnerable state.

The second step of the system is the gel, which contains alcohol as the third ingredient! Strike two! No one needs to put Alcohol Denat on their face, and especially not people that already have problem skin that they’re trying to fix.

The third step of the system is the moisturizer, which appears okay at first glance. It’s supposed to hydrate and protect your skin, but it doesn’t contain any sunscreen, so that’s sort of ridiculous, considering this is the last step of the system. Plus some of the good ingredients in the products (Retinol, Glycolic Acid) will make your skin more sun-sensitive, so you definitely need sunscreen. I’ve actually used this moisturizer before (Skin Perfecting Lotion) and it didn’t do anything good for my skin, so I stopped using it after it ran out.

The Good
The concept behind the Murad Acne Complex is good – it contains Salicylic Acid, Glycolic Acid, and Retinol, which are all good ingredients to use to help acne. It’s just a shame that Dr. Murad had to mess everything up by adding a bunch of stuff that hurts your skin, and neglecting to put sunscreen in the protecting product. He also doesn’t list the percentage of Retinol or Glycolic Acid in the products, so you don’t know how potent they are, nor does he mention if the Salicylic Acid is at the proper pH level.

Currently in the Product Review section on Makeupalley.com, 33% of users would buy this system again. There are a few rave reviews about it, but there are a ton of people saying how horrible it was for their skin! Part of it could be that it will take a few weeks for your skin to get used to using Retinol, Glycolic Acid, and Salicylic Acid if you’ve never used them before and have sensitive skin, but the bad ingredients, and the fact that no sunscreen is included obviously contribute to the bad reviews.

The Irony
I learned a lot of great principles from Dr. Murad’s books, which in conjunction with the other 20 skin care books I’ve read, and years of research I’ve done, helped me to cure my own acne and create my guide to curing acne. I just would not recommend his Acne Complex! The Murad Method is a good book to read to get an overview about skin care, though. I used it as the picture of the post, since I wanted to include something positive! Just do a bit of research first, before you buy any of his products he recommends in his book.

Related posts:

1. Acne Treatments That Didn’t Work
2. Proactiv Solution For Acne
3. Neutrogena Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment

Read “The Cellulite Solution”

Dr. Murad purports that cellulite is caused, not by excessive fat, but water damage in our bodies, and weakened skin cells and connective tissue. His main theory about cellulite, skin care, and aging as a whole, is that it’s our cells inability to hold water as we get older that causes all of these visible aging problems. By repairing cell damage, connective tissue, and the stratum corneum, we can reverse the signs of aging, and reduce cellulite.

“The Cellulite Solution” plan includes taking specific vitamins and minerals (such as glucosamine, essential fatty acids, B vitamins, and antioxidants), and eating specific foods (such as eggs, soy, and fruits and vegetables). Dr. Murad suggests exfoliating your skin daily with alpha and beta hydroxy acids, and also using a dry skin brush, which is something I hadn’t heard of before. After showering, locking in moisture with a moisturizer that contains good hydrating ingredients (such as Sodium PCA, Glycerin, or Hyaluronic Acid), anti-inflammatories, and antioxidants, is key.

The book includes detailed information about the different supplements you can take, and it gives sample meal plans. Inclusive health is covered, and Dr. Murad emphasizes the importance of de-stressing, sleeping enough, not smoking, and of course exercising (but he says losing weight is not necessary to reduce cellulite).

My take on the book
After reading the book, I do believe if all the steps are followed, some reduction of cellulite is possible. I doubt all cellulite will go away, but hopefully a visible difference can be seen. Check with your doctor before starting on supplements, but there’s nothing in the book that is bad for you, and everything suggested can only help your body be healthier. Personally I’m already doing half the things mentioned in the book, but I definitely need to work on eating better, and there are some vitamins I’m not taking. I’m already taking about 8 vitamins for my hair loss, but I guess I can take even more! My biggest issue is that I don’t cook, and have an aversion to it, which is kind of a big problem I need to overcome. I exfoliate every day, but haven’t tried using alpha hydroxy acids on my legs, or using body moisturizers that specifically contain the ingredients Dr. Murad recommends. Similar to “The Cellulite Solution”, Dr. Murad’s “The Murad Method” is a good skin care book that also uses an inclusive plan to improve your skin and wrinkles by improving your body as a whole. While I’ve had good success curing myself of acne, and reducing my wrinkles, cellulite is the next battle I want to win!

Here’s where I need your help!
I read so many books (books on acne, anti-aging skin care, hair loss, the glycemic index, body inflammation, wrinkles, women’s hormones), and while a lot of the information says the same thing (eat better, exercise more), a lot of it contradicts the ideas in other books, and it gets confusing! I’m going to do my best to follow the tips in “The Cellulite Solution,” but here’s where I need your help… If you are interested in getting rid of cellulite, then read this book, follow the steps, and let me know if it works! The good thing is that the book will definitely improve your body as a whole, but I really want to know specifically about cellulite reduction. If you have successfully reduced cellulite, let me know!

Related posts:

1. Would You Like to Get Rid of Cellulite?
2. Murad Acne Complex
3. The Truth About Beauty

Fitzpatrick Classification Scale
In the Medical Spa I worked at, we would have our clients fill out a questionnaire to determine their skin tone, so that their laser treatments could be tailored more precisely to give optimal results. The Fitzpatrick Classification Scale is a standard scale used by many Medical Spas and Dermatologists to determine what skin tone-specific issues the person may have. For reference, I’m a Skin Type III, which means I am fair-complected, sometimes burn, but tan easily.

The Skin Type Solution
Leslie Baumann, M.D. (a Florida-based Dermatologist) has written an excellent book called “The Skin Type Solution,” which is based on the idea that there are 16 different common skin types. The book is fun to read because you get to pinpoint exactly what type of skin you have once and for all! She then makes product and treatment recommendations for your skin type, giving additional advice based on your skin’s specific issues. Also included are stories about Dr. Baumann’s clients, and skin typing of celebrities.

The book breaks down your skin types as either:
Oily vs Dry
Sensitive vs Resistant
Pigmented vs Non-Pigmented
Wrinkled vs Tight

From those choices, you are left with 16 different skin types. I read the whole book, because I wanted to make sure I picked the exact right skin type, but you can also just skip to your chapter after you take the quiz. I came out with the worst possible skin type – Dry, Sensitive, Pigmented, Wrinkled. But the good thing is that no matter how challenging your skin issues, there are ways to resolve them. Your skin type can also change as you get older, as the weather changes, or as you move to different climates. Before moving to the desert, I was Oily, Sensitive Pigmented, Wrinkled. Oh boy. Definitely check out this book if you are having issues with your skin! This book is for everyone that cares about their skin! Finally, I wrote a review of CeraVe vs Cetaphil, two popular face cleansers that are popular with all skin types.

Related posts:

1. Dangerous Skin Care
2. Ambi Skin Care Fade Cream
3. Skin Care Packaging

There are stories about people obsessed with cosmetic surgery and Botox (aka “pretty poison”), which I love reading about because I feel mild compared to these people! I’m scared of surgery, so until I start seeing major things going wrong on my face or body, I won’t consider surgery. The book contains lots of horror stories about procedures going wrong, so it’s crucial to find a skilled doctor that is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Alex touches on my personal pet peeve – society’s new obsession with a fake Pamela Anderson/pornstar symbol of beauty – breast implants, hair extensions, trout pout puffy lips, chicklet white teeth, and super tanned skin.

Spoiler alert
Alex and I do share a similarity in our outlook on beauty – we don’t deem ourselves obsessed with beauty – we just want to look good for our age, and this requires “maintenance.” However, towards the end of the book, Alex realizes that she is indeed obsessed with beauty, and she is a beauty junkie. She starts out by getting Botox, photo facials, microdermabrasion, Juvederm, and spends all of her money on these procedures. She takes her obsession a bit further when she gets liposuction and an eyelid lift. Finally, her obsession nears rock-bottom when she attends her friend’s funeral, but runs out halfway through so that she can keep her coveted appointment to try Restylane in her lips for the first time. An adverse reaction (which I’ve never seen at my Medical Spa) leaves her with grotesquely swollen lips, and she can’t speak for several days.

Since writing the book, Alex has sworn off Botox, Restylane, and cosmetic surgery. She found the whole beauty obsession to be distracting, while not producing the goals she sought – happiness and satisfaction. At this point I am still a fan of Botox and will not swear it off anytime soon. My ultimate goal is to be happy enough with my looks and the aging process so that I don’t feel the need to prevent wrinkles and prevent aging. I would like to not worry about my looks and just be happy with myself and my accomplishments. I’m not there yet…

Related posts:

1. New Beauty Magazine
2. Good Plastic Surgery
3. Cosmetic Surgery Confidential