What do you think?
Rate this book
The Skincare Bible: Your No-Nonsense Guide to Great Skin
'I now feel safe in the knowledge that I'm armed with the latest science-backed information about how to care for my skin' Chloe Brotheridge, author of The Anxiety Solution
We all know that taking good care of our skin is the key to any effective health and beauty regime. But with so much conflicting information out there, the path to healthy skin can seem far from clear.
Dr Anjali Mahto is one of the UK's leading consultant dermatologists. Equipped with years of expertise and the most up-to-date evidence, she sets out to cut through the noise and distinguish the nuggets from the nonsense. Chia seeds won't make your skin glow and lilac water is never going to reduce acne scarring. And, when it comes to the best products, high price doesn't necessarily mean high quality.
Tackling common complaints such as acne and dryness, rosacea and aging, The Skincare Bible is your definitive companion to your body's biggest organ. Clear, concise and packed full of tips on the best products and routines, it will help you discover what works for you and find confidence in your own skin. This is your expert guide to great skin - pure and simple.
'A refreshing, fad-free guide to glowing skin. A must read for anyone struggling with their skin health' Dr Megan Rossi
We all know that taking good care of our skin is the key to any effective health and beauty regime. But with so much conflicting information out there, the path to healthy skin can seem far from clear.
Dr Anjali Mahto is one of the UK's leading consultant dermatologists. Equipped with years of expertise and the most up-to-date evidence, she sets out to cut through the noise and distinguish the nuggets from the nonsense. Chia seeds won't make your skin glow and lilac water is never going to reduce acne scarring. And, when it comes to the best products, high price doesn't necessarily mean high quality.
Tackling common complaints such as acne and dryness, rosacea and aging, The Skincare Bible is your definitive companion to your body's biggest organ. Clear, concise and packed full of tips on the best products and routines, it will help you discover what works for you and find confidence in your own skin. This is your expert guide to great skin - pure and simple.
'A refreshing, fad-free guide to glowing skin. A must read for anyone struggling with their skin health' Dr Megan Rossi
304 pages, Paperback
First published April 5, 2018
627 people are currently reading
4065 people want to read
About the author
Anjali Mahto
4 books13 followersDr. Anjali Mahto is a UK-trained consultant dermatologist. Her medical training took place in South Wales, where she also obtained a degree in Pharmacology. She completed higher specialist training in dermatology in a competitive London rotation. During this time, she gained experience in some of the UK’s leading teaching hospitals including Imperial College Healthcare and the Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead.
Actively involved in medical education and training, Dr. Mahto has presented extensively at both national and international conferences. She has published original reports in scientific literature and is a peer-reviewer for medical journals.
Dr. Mahto has worked as a substantive consultant dermatologist in North West London Hospitals NHS Trust where she was also the lead for paediatric dermatology services. She is happy to consult both adults and children with skin, hair and nail disorders. Her areas of specialist interest include acne and scarring, rosacea, moles, and anti-ageing therapies including injectable and laser treatments.
Dr Mahto is a member of British Cosmetic Dermatology Group (BCDG), British Association of Dermatologists (BAD), Royal College of Physicians (RCP), and Royal Society of Medicine (RSM). She is a spokesperson for the British Skin Foundation and blogger for the Huffington Post. Dr Mahto’s work bridges the gap between traditional medical dermatology, beauty, and cosmetic medicine
Actively involved in medical education and training, Dr. Mahto has presented extensively at both national and international conferences. She has published original reports in scientific literature and is a peer-reviewer for medical journals.
Dr. Mahto has worked as a substantive consultant dermatologist in North West London Hospitals NHS Trust where she was also the lead for paediatric dermatology services. She is happy to consult both adults and children with skin, hair and nail disorders. Her areas of specialist interest include acne and scarring, rosacea, moles, and anti-ageing therapies including injectable and laser treatments.
Dr Mahto is a member of British Cosmetic Dermatology Group (BCDG), British Association of Dermatologists (BAD), Royal College of Physicians (RCP), and Royal Society of Medicine (RSM). She is a spokesperson for the British Skin Foundation and blogger for the Huffington Post. Dr Mahto’s work bridges the gap between traditional medical dermatology, beauty, and cosmetic medicine
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
April 11, 2018
As helpful as this book sounds before a few months ago this was not a book that would ever have appealed to me, but, oh, how I wish this came into my life sooner!
Before 2018 I felt like I lived an eternally hectic life. I was in a constant state of panic mode and consistently felt like there were basic things I should have been achieving with my day, that I simply felt unable to. Towards the end of 2017 I begun to create a morning routine for myself and in 2018 I continued to hone this.
Part of this routine was taking an hour to focus on my body. Instead of treating it as a machine that could continue to function after a lukewarm shot of caffeine and a splash of cold water to the face, in the morning, I instead decided there were certain rituals I was going to set myself to complete. Skincare was one of them.
I had already begun a routine, before reading this book, but still felt like there was something missing. I was enjoying this daily, mini pampering session but was also continuing to feel guilty about spending time out of a hectic day on something I was unsure of the exact benefits for. I could feel the benefits for my morning mediation and night-time journalling but was unsure about my prolonged skincare sessions.
The greatest thing this book has taught me is knowledge of my skin and what it needs. I have come to understand the science behind why skincare is so important and to accept that its place in my daily routine is absolutely vital. And by understanding all of this, instead of being sucked in my fancy packages or getting overwhelmed by beauty influencers who seem to have a 100 product regime I have not the time or energy to emulate, I feel I have a good understanding of my specific skin's needs. All of what I had been previously been doing was not what my skin specifically required, but this book broke down the steps needed to create a routine that was.
This book's focus on ingredients instead of brands gives the reader a complete breakdown of all the products on the market, their usefulness, and which skin type they would actually be beneficial for. This book felt almost like having a backstage pass to the beauty industry, providing insider secrets the average individual would have little hope of discerning for themselves.
Whilst this book also had areas specifically for those with particular skin ailments, I was surprised how much someone who has none of these could still get from this book. I found this an incredibly insightful and easily accessible read, and I now feel well armed with information to make my skincare routine as optimal as ever!
Before 2018 I felt like I lived an eternally hectic life. I was in a constant state of panic mode and consistently felt like there were basic things I should have been achieving with my day, that I simply felt unable to. Towards the end of 2017 I begun to create a morning routine for myself and in 2018 I continued to hone this.
Part of this routine was taking an hour to focus on my body. Instead of treating it as a machine that could continue to function after a lukewarm shot of caffeine and a splash of cold water to the face, in the morning, I instead decided there were certain rituals I was going to set myself to complete. Skincare was one of them.
I had already begun a routine, before reading this book, but still felt like there was something missing. I was enjoying this daily, mini pampering session but was also continuing to feel guilty about spending time out of a hectic day on something I was unsure of the exact benefits for. I could feel the benefits for my morning mediation and night-time journalling but was unsure about my prolonged skincare sessions.
The greatest thing this book has taught me is knowledge of my skin and what it needs. I have come to understand the science behind why skincare is so important and to accept that its place in my daily routine is absolutely vital. And by understanding all of this, instead of being sucked in my fancy packages or getting overwhelmed by beauty influencers who seem to have a 100 product regime I have not the time or energy to emulate, I feel I have a good understanding of my specific skin's needs. All of what I had been previously been doing was not what my skin specifically required, but this book broke down the steps needed to create a routine that was.
This book's focus on ingredients instead of brands gives the reader a complete breakdown of all the products on the market, their usefulness, and which skin type they would actually be beneficial for. This book felt almost like having a backstage pass to the beauty industry, providing insider secrets the average individual would have little hope of discerning for themselves.
Whilst this book also had areas specifically for those with particular skin ailments, I was surprised how much someone who has none of these could still get from this book. I found this an incredibly insightful and easily accessible read, and I now feel well armed with information to make my skincare routine as optimal as ever!
September 26, 2019
I feel like the title and synopsis of this book is misleading because it focused more on skin conditions and the dermatology aspect of things instead of skincare and its many steps/products.
I was looking for a light read on something of the latter variety. But instead, there was a lot about the many skin conditions e.g. acne, rosacea, pigmentation etc and I ended up skipping most of that chapter. It was a lot of droning on and skimming the surface of the issue rather than recommending what kind of products to use.
Basically the book's entire message revolved around seeing a dermatologist and getting treatment to solve any issues. But of course, since the author is guess what, a dermatologist!
The book also came across as poorly organised with a lot of repetition i.e. every other chapter is a portion dedicated to stressing the importance of sunscreen. Look, we get it, okay?
Not a useful book at all to be honest.
I was looking for a light read on something of the latter variety. But instead, there was a lot about the many skin conditions e.g. acne, rosacea, pigmentation etc and I ended up skipping most of that chapter. It was a lot of droning on and skimming the surface of the issue rather than recommending what kind of products to use.
Basically the book's entire message revolved around seeing a dermatologist and getting treatment to solve any issues. But of course, since the author is guess what, a dermatologist!
The book also came across as poorly organised with a lot of repetition i.e. every other chapter is a portion dedicated to stressing the importance of sunscreen. Look, we get it, okay?
Not a useful book at all to be honest.
June 22, 2018
It’s no secret that you can’t believe what you read online when it comes to your health. But it’s a completely different story when it comes to the beauty industry. As Anjali explains, the world of skincare is clouded by paid advertising and PR companies – even a simple personal blog could have been a paid endorsement by a makeup brand or skincare company. So, where do we get our information? Who isn’t biased? Is the truth anywhere? Answer: In this book.
Anjali Mahto’s Skincare Bible is exactly that. She backs every explanation of skin functions, ingredients and tips up with fact and explains the baffling nature behind each feature. We learnt a hell of a lot from this book. In all honesty, we’re tempted to keep it in our handbag at all times – especially when shopping. Not only are we armed with the knowledge of ingredients functions and what to look out for and avoid – we also understand how we work! Without further ado, here’s 3 things we learnt when reading!
SPF SPF SPF.
We will be the first to admit spf in the UK is completely ignored. The only time anyone wears sun protection is if they’re planning on actually sunbathing outside in the 5 days of summer we get. But UVA rays penetrate clouds and car windows – even though it’s cooler here, it’s still so important to wear SPF. We own many foundations that have added SPF so we figure… yeah, that’s fine – and we smile proudly wearing our IT cosmetics CC cream knowing it has that sun factor somewhere – aren’t we good! No, no no no. Anjali explains that in the winter, you may get away with it, but unless you’re wearing two thick layers of the ‘said’ foundation, it’s simply not good enough. Go for an SPF 20 or more for any months that are not in winter, get a separate moisture to wear under your makeup and let it dry for 3 minutes, and then, just then, will you be okay. The sun is the biggest culprit of premature aging, so rather than spending a ridiculous amount of money on collagen boosting peptides and retinols, just wear
SPF! Simple.
Wash not Wipe.
Okay, so… we sort of already knew this. We’re just lazy – we’ll say it now. Makeup wipes are a one swipe deal. They’re cheap, they can be thrown in a bag, your face appears to be clean – happy days! But no. You’re essentially smearing all the oil and dirt around your face. There are so many alternatives, there really is no excuse. Micellar water, cleansing balms, oils and foams. Anjali actually goes into great detail about which cleansing option is best for your skin type – ours is dry and sensitive, so we’re more suited to a cleansing milk/balm – but Micellar water is pretty good for all skin types, so they’re a good go-to, especially if no water is available. Skin care is important, so the lazy way of thinking is likely not the best way to go.
Don’t listen to the marketing tags, actually read the ingredients
We’re all clever beings, we are capable of reading. When shopping online or in store, just stop and read the ingredients. She cleverly splits up ingredients per what the item does. For moisturisers – Anjali explains the 3 different types, and ingredients features. We were actually pretty proud of ourselves in this case – as, completely by accident we happen to use what we should. As a suffer of dry skin, ingredients such as shea butter and coco butter or emollients are great for us. We’re also pointed out ingredients to look out for such as perfume – another aging product. We’re taught simple things such as the further down on the ingredient list the less of it there will be in the product.
This book based its advice on ingredients rather than brands – we all know the famous names of Clinique, Estee Lauder, Paula’s Choice and so on, but it’s what’s inside we should be looking at. In a nutshell, it breaks down the bull.
Overall this was a wonderful guide to skincare and skin types. It doesn’t leave anyone out, having sections about pregnancy, hormonal skin, acne, eczema, rosacea, menopausal skin and so many others. We will genuinely be leaving this book in our glove compartment in case we go to any beauty stores and need a handy guide.
This really is the skincare bible.
Update: 10 days after completing skincare bible we have since found a new daily serum, actually bought a SPF and thrown out all of our make-up wipes. At first without the daily exfoliation of face wipes our skin did take a while to get used to it, but soon repaired once it got used to the micellar water. Also we swapped out our old Elemis serum (which was around £100 – yes we know, we gagged at the price when we first got it too) and replaced it with a £2.99 one, our skin has been blooming, and we found out we were allergic to Argan oil in the expensive one. The cheap one had all the good ingredients – including hyaluronic acid which was recommended for our skin type. So we’ve already saved ourselves £97; Hurrah! If we haven’t said it enough, we’ll say it one more time. If you care about your skin, you need this book in your life, we have already noticed changes in our skin health, and its not even been two weeks.
Anjali Mahto’s Skincare Bible is exactly that. She backs every explanation of skin functions, ingredients and tips up with fact and explains the baffling nature behind each feature. We learnt a hell of a lot from this book. In all honesty, we’re tempted to keep it in our handbag at all times – especially when shopping. Not only are we armed with the knowledge of ingredients functions and what to look out for and avoid – we also understand how we work! Without further ado, here’s 3 things we learnt when reading!
SPF SPF SPF.
We will be the first to admit spf in the UK is completely ignored. The only time anyone wears sun protection is if they’re planning on actually sunbathing outside in the 5 days of summer we get. But UVA rays penetrate clouds and car windows – even though it’s cooler here, it’s still so important to wear SPF. We own many foundations that have added SPF so we figure… yeah, that’s fine – and we smile proudly wearing our IT cosmetics CC cream knowing it has that sun factor somewhere – aren’t we good! No, no no no. Anjali explains that in the winter, you may get away with it, but unless you’re wearing two thick layers of the ‘said’ foundation, it’s simply not good enough. Go for an SPF 20 or more for any months that are not in winter, get a separate moisture to wear under your makeup and let it dry for 3 minutes, and then, just then, will you be okay. The sun is the biggest culprit of premature aging, so rather than spending a ridiculous amount of money on collagen boosting peptides and retinols, just wear
SPF! Simple.
Wash not Wipe.
Okay, so… we sort of already knew this. We’re just lazy – we’ll say it now. Makeup wipes are a one swipe deal. They’re cheap, they can be thrown in a bag, your face appears to be clean – happy days! But no. You’re essentially smearing all the oil and dirt around your face. There are so many alternatives, there really is no excuse. Micellar water, cleansing balms, oils and foams. Anjali actually goes into great detail about which cleansing option is best for your skin type – ours is dry and sensitive, so we’re more suited to a cleansing milk/balm – but Micellar water is pretty good for all skin types, so they’re a good go-to, especially if no water is available. Skin care is important, so the lazy way of thinking is likely not the best way to go.
Don’t listen to the marketing tags, actually read the ingredients
We’re all clever beings, we are capable of reading. When shopping online or in store, just stop and read the ingredients. She cleverly splits up ingredients per what the item does. For moisturisers – Anjali explains the 3 different types, and ingredients features. We were actually pretty proud of ourselves in this case – as, completely by accident we happen to use what we should. As a suffer of dry skin, ingredients such as shea butter and coco butter or emollients are great for us. We’re also pointed out ingredients to look out for such as perfume – another aging product. We’re taught simple things such as the further down on the ingredient list the less of it there will be in the product.
This book based its advice on ingredients rather than brands – we all know the famous names of Clinique, Estee Lauder, Paula’s Choice and so on, but it’s what’s inside we should be looking at. In a nutshell, it breaks down the bull.
Overall this was a wonderful guide to skincare and skin types. It doesn’t leave anyone out, having sections about pregnancy, hormonal skin, acne, eczema, rosacea, menopausal skin and so many others. We will genuinely be leaving this book in our glove compartment in case we go to any beauty stores and need a handy guide.
This really is the skincare bible.
Update: 10 days after completing skincare bible we have since found a new daily serum, actually bought a SPF and thrown out all of our make-up wipes. At first without the daily exfoliation of face wipes our skin did take a while to get used to it, but soon repaired once it got used to the micellar water. Also we swapped out our old Elemis serum (which was around £100 – yes we know, we gagged at the price when we first got it too) and replaced it with a £2.99 one, our skin has been blooming, and we found out we were allergic to Argan oil in the expensive one. The cheap one had all the good ingredients – including hyaluronic acid which was recommended for our skin type. So we’ve already saved ourselves £97; Hurrah! If we haven’t said it enough, we’ll say it one more time. If you care about your skin, you need this book in your life, we have already noticed changes in our skin health, and its not even been two weeks.
June 21, 2019
Desde o ano passado que desenvolvi uma certa obsessão com skin-care. Para começar fui até a um dermatologista para ele recomendar os produtos mais indicados à minha pele, ninguém quer gastar dinheiro em produtos que não farão bem à nossa pele. Claro, logo aqui foi algum dinheiro, considerei um investimento em mim própria. Após algumas consultas lá estabelecemos uma rotina de cuidados, desde limpeza a máscara. Agora, e manter? Complicado! Principalmente no inverno. Aos poucos comecei a habituar-me a isto de acordar e ter de tratar de mim, assim como antes de dormir. É aqueles momentos que tiro para mim que fazem toda a diferença na forma como irá decorrer o meu dia.
Quando somos jovens pouco ou nada queremos saber de cuidar da pele. Teremos tempo quando formos mais velhos. Mentira. Precisámos de ter o máximo de cuidado com a nossa pele, principalmente nós que gostámos de andar ao sol sem proteção. Falo por mim própria, dei por mim (ainda dou, mas estou a mudar isso) a sair de casa sem colocar protetor solar. Que grande erro! Coloquem sempre protetor solar, principalmente na cara.
Após descobrir a minha rotina de cuidado da pele com ajuda do meu dermatologista, deixei de o frequentar tão regularmente. Apenas lá vou quando sentir que a minha pele precisa de outro tratamento. Por enquanto continuo a usar os mesmos produtos de limpeza, apenas acrescentei um ou outro para complementar a minha rotina. Com isto, para acrescentar produtos que fossem de encontro com o meu tipo de pele e problema que queria resolver, tive a ajuda deste pequeno guia de cuidados sobre a pele. Com a ajuda da Bíblia dos Cuidados da Pele dei por mim a finalmente entender muitos dos rótulos dos produtos de beleza, descobri qual a ordem correta para aplicar os produtos e que medidas deveria tomar se quisesse preservar a minha pele.
Trata-se de um guia muito prático, é simples e direto. Caso prefiram nem precisar ler todo o livro, podem procurar a secção que mais se adequar a vocês. Foi assim que fiz, apenas li uma ou outra parte para ajudar outras pessoas, e já andei a emprestar o livro para ajudar mais pessoas. De todas as pessoas que leram e colocar em prática as dicas, realmente ficaram felizes com o feito. Um livro que serve não só para os mais jovens, como para os mais maduros. Um livro que nos serve e que deveria ser uma quase leitura obrigatória.
As vantagens deste livro:
contém explicações detalhas, mas de fácil entendimento;
temos diversas listas simples, que ajudam a reunir toda a informação;
informação para qualquer tipo de problema e tipo de pele.
Se por acaso pretendem encontrar o tipo de produto ideal para a vossa pele, este livro é o ideal para vocês. Não andem por aí a comprar produtos de beleza a torto e a direito que depois podem danificar a vossa pele. A pele é muito sensível e é necessário ter um certo cuidado. O nosso corpo é a nossa casa, temos de cuidar dela da melhor forma possível. Assim como o livro informa na capa: Tudo o que precisa de saber para ter uma pele jovem, saudável e bonita.
Quando somos jovens pouco ou nada queremos saber de cuidar da pele. Teremos tempo quando formos mais velhos. Mentira. Precisámos de ter o máximo de cuidado com a nossa pele, principalmente nós que gostámos de andar ao sol sem proteção. Falo por mim própria, dei por mim (ainda dou, mas estou a mudar isso) a sair de casa sem colocar protetor solar. Que grande erro! Coloquem sempre protetor solar, principalmente na cara.
Após descobrir a minha rotina de cuidado da pele com ajuda do meu dermatologista, deixei de o frequentar tão regularmente. Apenas lá vou quando sentir que a minha pele precisa de outro tratamento. Por enquanto continuo a usar os mesmos produtos de limpeza, apenas acrescentei um ou outro para complementar a minha rotina. Com isto, para acrescentar produtos que fossem de encontro com o meu tipo de pele e problema que queria resolver, tive a ajuda deste pequeno guia de cuidados sobre a pele. Com a ajuda da Bíblia dos Cuidados da Pele dei por mim a finalmente entender muitos dos rótulos dos produtos de beleza, descobri qual a ordem correta para aplicar os produtos e que medidas deveria tomar se quisesse preservar a minha pele.
Trata-se de um guia muito prático, é simples e direto. Caso prefiram nem precisar ler todo o livro, podem procurar a secção que mais se adequar a vocês. Foi assim que fiz, apenas li uma ou outra parte para ajudar outras pessoas, e já andei a emprestar o livro para ajudar mais pessoas. De todas as pessoas que leram e colocar em prática as dicas, realmente ficaram felizes com o feito. Um livro que serve não só para os mais jovens, como para os mais maduros. Um livro que nos serve e que deveria ser uma quase leitura obrigatória.
As vantagens deste livro:
contém explicações detalhas, mas de fácil entendimento;
temos diversas listas simples, que ajudam a reunir toda a informação;
informação para qualquer tipo de problema e tipo de pele.
Se por acaso pretendem encontrar o tipo de produto ideal para a vossa pele, este livro é o ideal para vocês. Não andem por aí a comprar produtos de beleza a torto e a direito que depois podem danificar a vossa pele. A pele é muito sensível e é necessário ter um certo cuidado. O nosso corpo é a nossa casa, temos de cuidar dela da melhor forma possível. Assim como o livro informa na capa: Tudo o que precisa de saber para ter uma pele jovem, saudável e bonita.
February 7, 2019
Worryingly disappointing
I was looking forward to this book. I bought it after seeing the new breed of young GP’s who seem to be health conscious recommend it. I’m disappointed. There is a little bit of practical advice - how to wash and moisturise for different skin types (not much more than you’d see in the average beauty book), and frequent repetitive messages on wearing sunscreen. The chapter on skin cancer at the back of the book is it’s saving grace. For the rest it really concentrated on clinical chemical dermatology treatments in order to treat ageing. Chemical peels, lip fillers, Botox every few months from late twenties are all recommended. Get a pimple two days before your wedding? No worries - simply go and see a consultant dermatologist today and they can inject it which will be painful but in two days you’ll be good to go. That’s the advice. Not to mention the unlikelihood of us ever being able to get an ‘emergency’ appointment on the day (specifically on the nhs). It’s overkill. I’m disappointed I have to say. Nothing on make up or care of other areas of skin - just how to keep your face looking in its twenties using expensive medical treatments over and over that you can not get on the nhs. For good reason. Nothing to encourage self esteem other than ‘getting these treatments will improve your self esteem’ because getting rid of wrinkles is the best way to self esteem? Disappointing from a U.K. health professional!!!
I was looking forward to this book. I bought it after seeing the new breed of young GP’s who seem to be health conscious recommend it. I’m disappointed. There is a little bit of practical advice - how to wash and moisturise for different skin types (not much more than you’d see in the average beauty book), and frequent repetitive messages on wearing sunscreen. The chapter on skin cancer at the back of the book is it’s saving grace. For the rest it really concentrated on clinical chemical dermatology treatments in order to treat ageing. Chemical peels, lip fillers, Botox every few months from late twenties are all recommended. Get a pimple two days before your wedding? No worries - simply go and see a consultant dermatologist today and they can inject it which will be painful but in two days you’ll be good to go. That’s the advice. Not to mention the unlikelihood of us ever being able to get an ‘emergency’ appointment on the day (specifically on the nhs). It’s overkill. I’m disappointed I have to say. Nothing on make up or care of other areas of skin - just how to keep your face looking in its twenties using expensive medical treatments over and over that you can not get on the nhs. For good reason. Nothing to encourage self esteem other than ‘getting these treatments will improve your self esteem’ because getting rid of wrinkles is the best way to self esteem? Disappointing from a U.K. health professional!!!
May 8, 2021
I struggled a lot in deciding what to rate this book, since it very much depends on what you compare it to. The quickest description of the book is that it’s a crash-course in skincare, good for the misguided or uninitiated.
Relative to beauty industry books, I’d say it’s as good as it gets. It offers actionable advice, accompanied by sufficient explanations to help guide your choices and customize treatments to your own needs. The advice on lifestyle was sound, she generally promotes moderation and self-care above any photoshop beauty ideal, but recognizes that the appearance of your skin really does matter and bad skin really can damage you socially and psychologically, and is not just a frivolous pursuit.
I just dock points off for providing really only a superficial understanding of the products that are out there. There wasn’t anything about the effects of makeup or other kind of products that can damage skin, or skin allergies and other harmful agents. She doesn’t ever mention the benefits of a “less is more” approach, but rather counteracts practices like daily makeup wear with more cleansing products and routines.
The author is a practicing medical dermatologist, who isn’t trying to sell anything more than the book, without any sponsors pushing for endorsements. While she sometimes recommends some products, the brands are all over the place and aren’t particularly expensive. Mostly she advocates for certain ingredients, and ultimately to go see a dermatologist for serious problems. I saw a review mentioning this like it was a self-serving marketing stunt, but honestly, the book itself is all the publicity she needs to get clients; the vast majority of readers who take her advice will go to completely unaffiliated professionals. It’s clear from the content of this book that she actually cares about people and wants them to do what’s best for their skin.
The only candidate for a sponsor might be Big Sunscreen, because she aggressively campaigns for its daily application. This was actually what triggered me to read this book, because a friend was horrified with how cavalier I was about my skin in the sun. I can now say that I understand why it’s highly recommended by dermatologists; it is the single most effective thing you can do to help your skin, so why pay for expensive anti-aging treatments, or worse, melanoma removal, when you can preventatively just wear sunblock? However, for someone like me who plans to “age gracefully”, the benefits seem to be minimal; melanoma is most likely on legs than on the usually exposed face/hand/neck skin which tells me they haven’t fully figured out this relationship between daily sun and skin cancer. There are other skin cancers that are more common for these areas, but their incidence is low enough that I’m not sure it’s worth a daily lifestyle change. I will be more careful when hiking or going to the beach though.
As a pop-sci book, I give it a 2 at most. The structure was terrible, starting with skincare regimes and putting all the general information about what causes what near the end. There was a lot of repetition, but just enough new information every time that would force you to read the whole section again and again. The science information was painfully dumbed down, to the point of being useless to anyone interested in this aspect, and too boring for anyone else. There was also no information on how skincare products get evaluated in clinical testing, which might seem like an unnecessary detail but considering how many BS studies are out there, sponsored by industry, it seems like it would be important to know how to trust a study or not. But worst of all, there were 0 citations. I would imagine that the target audience doesn’t intrinsically care about good science communication practices, but her main strength comes from being an actual doctor. As can happen with doctors, they take their own authority to be enough, but when dealing with an industry giant like the beauty industry, which probably has a heavy hand in influencing the market from all corners, backing up statements with citations and proof are what sets the quacks and hacks apart from the legit practitioners. Its about time readers of this kind of book got used to there being at least the option of looking stuff up.
Likewise, this type of book could have really benefitted from some typical science book things, like a glossary for all the chemical ingredients she talks about, or at least an index.
Overall, what I liked the most about this book is the role a healthy appearance has in a person’s life. While this is probably the norm for this type of book, it is definitely not the norm for the kind of books I read. In the end, we all have a little monkey brain that prefers not to get too close to someone with visible skin problems, and the same monkey brain gets a lot of pleasure from just pampering ourselves. Rather than pretend this monkey doesn’t exist, we can embrace it, take better care of our skin and feel good doing it, and while we’re at it, base our care on science and clinical testing. This book balances well this need without pushing towards anxiety over appearances, and so I ultimately recommend reading it to anyone interested.
Relative to beauty industry books, I’d say it’s as good as it gets. It offers actionable advice, accompanied by sufficient explanations to help guide your choices and customize treatments to your own needs. The advice on lifestyle was sound, she generally promotes moderation and self-care above any photoshop beauty ideal, but recognizes that the appearance of your skin really does matter and bad skin really can damage you socially and psychologically, and is not just a frivolous pursuit.
I just dock points off for providing really only a superficial understanding of the products that are out there. There wasn’t anything about the effects of makeup or other kind of products that can damage skin, or skin allergies and other harmful agents. She doesn’t ever mention the benefits of a “less is more” approach, but rather counteracts practices like daily makeup wear with more cleansing products and routines.
The author is a practicing medical dermatologist, who isn’t trying to sell anything more than the book, without any sponsors pushing for endorsements. While she sometimes recommends some products, the brands are all over the place and aren’t particularly expensive. Mostly she advocates for certain ingredients, and ultimately to go see a dermatologist for serious problems. I saw a review mentioning this like it was a self-serving marketing stunt, but honestly, the book itself is all the publicity she needs to get clients; the vast majority of readers who take her advice will go to completely unaffiliated professionals. It’s clear from the content of this book that she actually cares about people and wants them to do what’s best for their skin.
The only candidate for a sponsor might be Big Sunscreen, because she aggressively campaigns for its daily application. This was actually what triggered me to read this book, because a friend was horrified with how cavalier I was about my skin in the sun. I can now say that I understand why it’s highly recommended by dermatologists; it is the single most effective thing you can do to help your skin, so why pay for expensive anti-aging treatments, or worse, melanoma removal, when you can preventatively just wear sunblock? However, for someone like me who plans to “age gracefully”, the benefits seem to be minimal; melanoma is most likely on legs than on the usually exposed face/hand/neck skin which tells me they haven’t fully figured out this relationship between daily sun and skin cancer. There are other skin cancers that are more common for these areas, but their incidence is low enough that I’m not sure it’s worth a daily lifestyle change. I will be more careful when hiking or going to the beach though.
As a pop-sci book, I give it a 2 at most. The structure was terrible, starting with skincare regimes and putting all the general information about what causes what near the end. There was a lot of repetition, but just enough new information every time that would force you to read the whole section again and again. The science information was painfully dumbed down, to the point of being useless to anyone interested in this aspect, and too boring for anyone else. There was also no information on how skincare products get evaluated in clinical testing, which might seem like an unnecessary detail but considering how many BS studies are out there, sponsored by industry, it seems like it would be important to know how to trust a study or not. But worst of all, there were 0 citations. I would imagine that the target audience doesn’t intrinsically care about good science communication practices, but her main strength comes from being an actual doctor. As can happen with doctors, they take their own authority to be enough, but when dealing with an industry giant like the beauty industry, which probably has a heavy hand in influencing the market from all corners, backing up statements with citations and proof are what sets the quacks and hacks apart from the legit practitioners. Its about time readers of this kind of book got used to there being at least the option of looking stuff up.
Likewise, this type of book could have really benefitted from some typical science book things, like a glossary for all the chemical ingredients she talks about, or at least an index.
Overall, what I liked the most about this book is the role a healthy appearance has in a person’s life. While this is probably the norm for this type of book, it is definitely not the norm for the kind of books I read. In the end, we all have a little monkey brain that prefers not to get too close to someone with visible skin problems, and the same monkey brain gets a lot of pleasure from just pampering ourselves. Rather than pretend this monkey doesn’t exist, we can embrace it, take better care of our skin and feel good doing it, and while we’re at it, base our care on science and clinical testing. This book balances well this need without pushing towards anxiety over appearances, and so I ultimately recommend reading it to anyone interested.
October 25, 2019
Passionate as I am about skincare I took my time going through this book for many reasons:
1. this is not an idle read, written by some influencer or youtuber. This is scientific based material related by a diplomed dermatologist doctor.
2. if you are serious about it, you cannot just glance through it. You read it once, twice, find what works best for you, highlight it...
I was really pleased with myself when I agreed on most of the statements and found confirmation that I was doing the right thing: hydratation, vitamin C, Retinoid, suncare... It raised my interest for options to go further like LED lights...
As nothing is perfect, some statements got my eyebrows raising a bit: Dr. Mahto has the decency to only recommand what she feels have enough science-back up but I felt she dismissed quite quickly some options that didn't always add up to her way of seeing things. She's mostly saying to stick to non-organic, non-botanical products and shakes her head at the use of probiotics when these options have already helped a huge amount of people. Her dismissal of mask as sinply "cooconing" seemed rather harsh at first but I have to say that I kept this mind and it stopped me from splurging on new "in stuff" at Sephora.
But skincare is litterally personal and you have to understand your skin to figure out what might work, how to get it and how to make it work.
This book is fulfilling it's title "A no-nonsense guide to grear skin". Buy it, read it but mostly: use it!!
1. this is not an idle read, written by some influencer or youtuber. This is scientific based material related by a diplomed dermatologist doctor.
2. if you are serious about it, you cannot just glance through it. You read it once, twice, find what works best for you, highlight it...
I was really pleased with myself when I agreed on most of the statements and found confirmation that I was doing the right thing: hydratation, vitamin C, Retinoid, suncare... It raised my interest for options to go further like LED lights...
As nothing is perfect, some statements got my eyebrows raising a bit: Dr. Mahto has the decency to only recommand what she feels have enough science-back up but I felt she dismissed quite quickly some options that didn't always add up to her way of seeing things. She's mostly saying to stick to non-organic, non-botanical products and shakes her head at the use of probiotics when these options have already helped a huge amount of people. Her dismissal of mask as sinply "cooconing" seemed rather harsh at first but I have to say that I kept this mind and it stopped me from splurging on new "in stuff" at Sephora.
But skincare is litterally personal and you have to understand your skin to figure out what might work, how to get it and how to make it work.
This book is fulfilling it's title "A no-nonsense guide to grear skin". Buy it, read it but mostly: use it!!
May 25, 2020
This book is a very good book for a beginner who would like to know how to start taking care of their skin. I, myself is a skincare junkie, I watched dermatologists youtube for zillionth times, I googled a lot about skincare, I browsed many skin care products - and tried them - and sometimes it worked in my favor - and sometimes it failed 😅. I have my dermatologist to have a consultation when my skin reacts badly to a certain products and things just out of my control. Whilst my dermatologist is observing my skin condition, he will tell me what is going on with my skin, what needed to be done to tackle the issues, and during that time I asked him a lot of questions. In other words, I would like to say that most of what stated in this book is basic stuff I’m already aware of, but it may be a good book for a starter. I would recommend having this book on your shelf as it would come handy for preliminary research when you encounter spesific skin concerns. It is good for your knowledge but if you are aiming for clear and beautiful skin, reading this book certainly would not be enough. I recommend you to see a dermatologist instead.
July 31, 2024
Brilliant book that actually explains things easily and for someone with sensitive skin, it’s nice to have a skincare routine and products that are suitable for me too!
Read
January 23, 2021Good basic knowledge.
September 23, 2023
Pretty basic but it was nice to refresh my knowledge. ✌🏽
May 30, 2020
I'm sorry to call it so but this one was a PATHETIC book. Huge font, loads of empty pages/spaces, lack of evidence supporting claims... not at ALL my thing. This isn't what I'd call a "no-nonsense" guide. The author has touched upon SO many topics without lingering upon one for more than a few seconds. For the same reason, forget about me, I don't think it would cater to ANY other kind of audience. The book's really just a rant and promotion.
October 25, 2020
Um livro excelente para quem tem interesse nas áreas de dermatologia e dermocosmética! Escrito de maneira simples e acessível, mas com bastante informação.
August 8, 2022
Libro mega completito! Viene separadito según el tipo de piel de cada, así que puedes ir directamente a tu piel sin tener que tragarte el resto. Explica rutinas, productos, ejemplos de marca y tal! Básicamente lo que buscaba en el libro, así que muy contenta♥
-Leído en eBiblio.
-Leído en eBiblio.
January 15, 2023
E o carte draguta, se parcurge usor dar e banala, usor naiva chiar. Pentru o pasionata de skincare informatiile din cartea asta sunt cu siguranta cunoscute si nu prea aduce elemente de noutate sau lucruri explicate in detaliu.
December 3, 2020
This is not a thoroughly researched book. Most are said there’s data to back it up but the author did not show the actual data.
The author mentioned Korean beauty/skincare a few times. What about Japanese skincare, the older, highly-regulated and tested products?
Pg 99 facial mapping has no scientific evidence. “You don’t want to be caught out by these people who’ll promise you the world and take your money but fail to deliver results” doesn’t it sound like most dermatologists or skincare products? Why she hating facial mappers?
Pg 100 the underlying cause she suggested for acne on certain parts are: forehead due to hair and lower cheek due to smartphone and touchscreen. I seriously lol, this is the smartest conclusion she can come up with. Tbh, I don’t suffer from these so I wonder again, what’s the data to proof that her theories above are true? What’s the % of forehead acne caused by bangs?
Pg 199 the author didn’t explain why you can’t drink green tea with milk. What’s the scientific proof?
Pg 201 exercise and sweat are good for removing toxins is a misconception. Again there is no scientific evidence to suggest exercise detoxifies the skin.(This author enraged me). Lack of evidence doesn’t make it true either. She should conduct her own scientific experiment to debunk this instead of just saying so.
Pg 218 there is data from recent years showing that women between 20-30 are increasingly opting for cosmetic interventions. Instead of telling us the data exists, please just show me the numbers. I would like to see more data on skin care expenditure and patterns.
Pg 219 thank you for telling us you don’t like overdone, unnatural look. No one cares about what you like, it’s about their personal look so please don’t impose your ideal of beauty to others and judge people for doing so.
The author mentioned Korean beauty/skincare a few times. What about Japanese skincare, the older, highly-regulated and tested products?
Pg 99 facial mapping has no scientific evidence. “You don’t want to be caught out by these people who’ll promise you the world and take your money but fail to deliver results” doesn’t it sound like most dermatologists or skincare products? Why she hating facial mappers?
Pg 100 the underlying cause she suggested for acne on certain parts are: forehead due to hair and lower cheek due to smartphone and touchscreen. I seriously lol, this is the smartest conclusion she can come up with. Tbh, I don’t suffer from these so I wonder again, what’s the data to proof that her theories above are true? What’s the % of forehead acne caused by bangs?
Pg 199 the author didn’t explain why you can’t drink green tea with milk. What’s the scientific proof?
Pg 201 exercise and sweat are good for removing toxins is a misconception. Again there is no scientific evidence to suggest exercise detoxifies the skin.(This author enraged me). Lack of evidence doesn’t make it true either. She should conduct her own scientific experiment to debunk this instead of just saying so.
Pg 218 there is data from recent years showing that women between 20-30 are increasingly opting for cosmetic interventions. Instead of telling us the data exists, please just show me the numbers. I would like to see more data on skin care expenditure and patterns.
Pg 219 thank you for telling us you don’t like overdone, unnatural look. No one cares about what you like, it’s about their personal look so please don’t impose your ideal of beauty to others and judge people for doing so.
October 2, 2022
This was quite a frustrating read. I will admit the pretty pink cover lured me in, and I figured I would at least take away a few nuggets of good information (I did get a couple of crumbs), but on the whole this was quite disappointing.
The author spends a lot of time repeating herself, and the amount of pages devoted to various sections was odd. Skincare for different skin types is covered in just a couple of pages, and all the routines are almost identical, so I learned nothing there. The chapter on skin cancer is good, the chapter before about anti-ageing treatments and Botox etc was horrid reading.
On the whole, I would’ve also loved to see Mahto question the idea that clear youthful skin = the only way to be beautiful.
The author spends a lot of time repeating herself, and the amount of pages devoted to various sections was odd. Skincare for different skin types is covered in just a couple of pages, and all the routines are almost identical, so I learned nothing there. The chapter on skin cancer is good, the chapter before about anti-ageing treatments and Botox etc was horrid reading.
On the whole, I would’ve also loved to see Mahto question the idea that clear youthful skin = the only way to be beautiful.
June 6, 2022
Easy read. It didn't teach me anything I didn't already know. There were so many parts that needed more information but it was not there. This was a general idea that everyone should have. It is not detailed and it drones on and on about a lot of things that you may not be interested in. I found the title of the book very misleading.
If you want the summary of the book - cleanse your skin, use sunscreen and moisturize every day. Treat your skin with acid for whatever problem you have. Go see a dermatologist to find out what problem you have and what you should apply.
If you want the summary of the book - cleanse your skin, use sunscreen and moisturize every day. Treat your skin with acid for whatever problem you have. Go see a dermatologist to find out what problem you have and what you should apply.
April 10, 2018
Simple and informative! This book covers everything you need to know, and from a trusted source! The advice is clear and easy to follow, (I loved the layout of the book) and Dr Anjali Mahto dispels many beauty myths! If you’ve ever suffered from problem skin, are currently suffering or simply want advice on protecting your skin, this one is for you.....I highly recommend!
August 15, 2023
Simple, comprehensive and with easy to apply recommendations. No marketing traps or never ending skincare regimes. I learned new things and could immediately simplify/add on ingredients confidently to my skincare routine. I missed a bit of watch outs and suggestions on what ingredients that shouldn't be mixed and needed to look for that info elsewhere.
January 27, 2019
Opening lines: ‘The UK beauty market is worth £17 billion, a figure that is likely to rise in the coming years and decades due to the increasing amount we are willing to spend on products and our changing lifestyles.’
July 13, 2021
It is a book that provides very useful information about our skin in general, how to take care of it and about specific skin concerns. Definitely a must-read if you are interested in the structure of the skin and suitable skincare ingredients or procedures.
June 19, 2023
Truly thankful for this book to bring me some awareness to skin care and the tips I should keep in mind for certain conditions. This is more of a 4.5 stars rating because I would have loved more routines related to each type of skin and condition. Still, a recommended read.
April 20, 2019
Opinião no blogue: https://a-lilianaraquel.blogspot.com/...
July 13, 2019
Guys, wear sunscreen. WEAR SUNSCREEN!
This book is good entry level reference tool. It’s an honest book that doesn’t push products but focusses on ingredients.
This book is good entry level reference tool. It’s an honest book that doesn’t push products but focusses on ingredients.
August 27, 2021
Comparto la filosofía de la Dra. Anjali, ya que Este me parece un libro fantástico en el que se profundiza mucho y bien en las principales patologías dermatológicas.
June 3, 2022
This is a good book for understanding about skin as a beginner.
December 5, 2022
Provides the necessary basic knowledge when it comes to skincare. However, same things were repeated over and over again. Tbh, all info could have easily fit in less than 50pages.
September 26, 2023
I wanted this to be more helpful than it was. It helped me learn more about the skin as an organ, but not too much about things I should do to improve my skincare that are applicable.
March 29, 2025
Boziu trochę mi się zapomniało o tej aplikacji i tą książkę skończyłam dawno ale pamiętam jedno KOBIETA POWTARZA CAŁY CZAS TĘ SAME INFORMACJĘ BY PRZEDŁUŻYĆ KSIĄŻKĘ, cholera mnie przy tym brała
Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews