By this headline I mean that skin care—the idea that taking care of your skin will make it healthier, and impact the way in which it ages—is not a bizarre subculture which requires belief, the ingestion of mind-altering substances, secret handshakes, the recitation of oaths or the droning of mantras. We don’t even award merit badges for not flinching during extractions.

So my professionally-arched brows went sky-high recently during the HBO debut of the documentary, “Youth Knows No Pain.” Created by the daughter of a cosmetic surgeon, this program was compelling and disturbing on a couple of levels. But I was most struck by the comment from a prominent magazine editor on the subject. Allure Editor-in-chief Linda Wells says it’s okay that women waste their money on anti-aging skin care products that don’t really work, since just slathering that stuff on makes them feel better about getting older. Not to mention that those products buy the ads that keeps Allure in business. And you wonder why Dermalogica doesn’t buy ads in magazines?

As for your money. Spend it however you want. Just remember that some products do work—no belief-system required– and you don’t have to drink the Kool-Aid.

 

Have you heard of the so-called Lipstick Index? It’s a pseudo-scientific barometer for measuring economic misery. The common wisdom goes that even in hard times, women still buy lipstick.

Uh-oh. Financial reporter Simon Pitman, www.cosmeticsdesign.com, reports that US prestige makeup sales in all categories has dropped between 3 and 20 percent, including lipstick which until now has seemed a sacred cow.

Interestingly, the same report notes that men’s fragrances are a bright spot—a 23% increase in new male fragrance launches.

So, what does this mean? That men smell better, but women are kissing them less? Are men splashing on the attractants and pheromones in a desperate attempt to get their women to come home?

I say this as I plan a getaway with a group of female friends. We’re heading for a quiet Mexican destination called Punta Mita. There’s not much to do there except yoga, watch the waves, and, if you’re so inclined, have a few margaritas. I had the idea of asking a few girlfriends to join me for this excursion, thinking none of them would go—they’re all married, and all but one of us has children after all.

Can I just tell you: within minutes, I had several resounding RSVPs. One asked ‘can we leave tomorrow?’ By the way, in case you didn’t surmise, this is a trip without Significant Others. My friends can’t wait to get away without their men! This is food for thought, since we’re all happily married. Maybe we just are being driven out of town by all of that male fragrance.

 

I loved reading today that Wal-Mart plans to develop a “prestige” beauty line with Hard Candy cosmetics. That’s a whopper of an oxymoron on so many levels, it’s delicious.

In the news release, a Wal-Mart spokesperson correctly described Hard Candy as a “legacy brand with lots of equity.” I remember when the brand made its stunning debut, the result of a resourceful and fashionable pre-med student hankering for a powder-blue nail polish to wear to a party. At the time, there was no such thing, so young Dineh Mohajer created her own.

That was a lifetime ago, and now a massive (and decidedly unfashionable) corporate giant is attempting to recapture that moment of genius. Not to mention profit. Not gonna happen.

Something else called the Fitch Rating report tells us that the “luxury” market is weakening worldwide. Well, it’s about time. I’m a consumer, and I’m not amused by the notions of prestige and luxury anymore, are you? Like every girl, I need my stuff. But I don’t want it swathed in a lot of marketing mumbo-jumbo.

Just give me the baby-blue nail polish and the woman who dreamed it up.

 

Everybody’s always yapping about how “crazy-busy” they are. Including me.

But here’s the really bad news: you will spend more time reading this blog than you will cleansing your skin today. And that’s not good.

You probably spent less than a minute washing your face this morning or last night at the sink. Even less time if you wash your face in the shower. That’s just not enough to get skin into a pristine, receptive state.

Consider all of the high-tech cosmetic products which crow about their ability to last 12, 18 or more hours. Long-wearing foundations, waterproof mascaras, and the new nearly indelible lip stains which outlast talking, eating, smooching and what have you. And sunblocks are also notoriously indelible, made to last during strenuous outdoor sports. So getting this tenacious stuff off your skin each night requires equally advanced technology.

I recommend that you check out Dermalogica Precleanse if you’re in such a big hurry. Use it on your face before washing. It seems like an extra step, but it actually speeds up the process—makeup and grime just melt away. Pick up a sample at least next time your passing a Dermalogica Super Star skin therapist [they all are!] Then cleanse—twice—with your favorite cleanser. The first cleanse just dislodges the surface debris. The second cleanse actually treats and preps the skin for exfoliation, moisturizing and other skin care.

Getting skin really clean is the crucial starting-point for skin which resists damage, recovers well from trauma, and serves as a vibrant canvas for all of that indestructible makeup. So, give it a minute, and then another minute—it’s the first step in a lifetime of healthy skin.

 

Abraham Maszlow’s famous hierarchy of needs tells us that we all need to belong, to be a part of something—family, team, tribe, nation. True enough—but leave your skin out of it.

To cut right to the chase, there are no real skin “types”. This idea is an oversimplification which makes the work of manufacturers so much easier. But it does not help you, the end user, get your best skin to happen.

The huge general categories of “Dry”, “Oily” and my favorite, “Combination,” only begin to tell a fraction of the whole skin story. Somewhere, there may be an individual whose skin is consistently one and one thing only. This is the exception, however. Skin, like every other aspect of our health and indeed our being, is a moving target. Oh, sure, that may LOOK like your face in the mirror there this morning, the same face that you cleansed, exfoliated, moisturized and admired just last night. But the truth is—different day, different skin.

Manufacturers and retailers rely upon your consistently finding your favorite drug store chain, going to your favorite shelf, and snapping up your favorite product, whether in Dubai, Dublin or Des Moines. This is the great profit incentive of the world monoculture. But the trouble is, your skin is always changing, and this buying pattern based upon skin-types does not allow you to find products which accommodate these changes.

Just face it, you’re inconsistent. We all are when it comes to skin, and this is not a bad thing. Our skin continually adapts to a thousand subtle signals and messages from the inside (hormones, diet, brain chemistry) and the outside (weather, environmental pollutants, altitude). And so it changes to protect and serve us, as it has for millennia.

The smarter way to see skin as is a constantly evolving condition. This doesn’t mean that you need to buy more products. You simply need to consult with a professional about which products will best suit your needs, and help you continuously chart the movements of that fantastic, living beast we’re in: our skin.

 

We live in a culture of instant gratification. Healthy skepticism is superceded by the desire for thin thighs in ten days, or thicker, longer hair in two weeks, or whiter teeth, plumper cup size, you name it, there’s a product claiming to deliver it.

For instance, many products claim to make cellulite vanish. This is simply not possible through the use of a topical cream or lotion. Manual lymphatic drainage may have a visible effect upon the wiggly, cottage-cheesey stuff we all hate, but even this is a truly subjective call. Yet cellulite cures remain one of the biggest promises in the skin care universe—promises which will inevitably be broken.

You’re after results. What’s possible? Hyperpigmentation, or darkened areas of the skin, may be effectively lightened. Acne may be tamed and reversed. Fine lines and other signs of age may be reduced through exfoliation and hydration. Overall skin texture may be revitalized by botanical components which trigger collagen growth, improving firmness and elasticity.

But how long will it take? Which specific products to use? How to make it happen? How can you know what’s true and what’s not when it comes to skin care? You need to consult with someone who has studied the science of skin and actually been tested and licensed in its care—namely, a professional skin therapist.

But unfortunately, you won’t get a set of Ginzu knives or a crinkle-cut French fry slicer in the deal.