Targeted Skin Care

Targeted skin care can simply refer to products labeled as treatments for wrinkles or blemishes. It can also mean a scientific approach to specific skin types.

Targeted Skin Care Products

The drugstore shelves are filled with targeted skin care products. You can find specialized products on the Internet and at the department store, too. Targeted products include:

• Anti-wrinkle creams
• Products for under-eye shadows
• Skin care just for men
• Skin lighteners
• Products to decrease oiliness
• Creams to minimize pores

Essentially, there's a product for every possible thing that could bother you about your skin. Before you invest, though, check your bathroom cabinet to see if you already have a product that would fit the bill. Salicylic acid, a common ingredient in anti-wrinkle creams, might already be in your adult acne treatment. And that new treatment you've been wanting to try might have the same ingredients as one you've already given up on.

Seeing Through the Hype

Cosmetics companies are interested in selling as much product as they can. After all, you're not likely to return that anti-aging serum once you've opened it. Before you believe that a targeted product will firm, brighten, improve or remove, do some research. Enter the product name and the word "review" into an Internet search engine to see if people have posted their own experiences online. Occasionally you'll find information on a product at the Food and Drug Administration web site, but cosmetics manufacturers don't have to prove their products work in order to sell them.

What Really Works

New targeted skin care products are constantly being introduced. It would be impossible to keep up with all of them! For ideas on some products that do work, check out the LoveToKnow articles on Wrinkle Treatments and Acne Treatment.

A Doctor's View

Is targeted skin care necessary? Dermatologist Dr. Leslie Baumann says yes. She's not talking about those high-priced "anti-aging" treatments or creams for the circles under your eyes. In her book The Skin Type Solution, she offers a whole new way to think about skin care.

Science and Skin

Everyone's skin is not the same. Some differences are obvious: light skin vs. dark, dry skin vs. oily. Some appear only slowly, over time. Skin may be prone to wrinkles, to scarring, to sunburn, and so on.

In her book, Dr. Baumann goes into the science behind targeted skin care. She describes the structure of skin and how different skin reacts to different outside influences.

• Sensitive skin has a weak barrier which fails to keep out irritants.
• Dry skin allows moisture to evaporate too quickly.
• Cold, harsh weather, chlorine, and other chemicals can wear down even normal skin's protective barrier.

The Sixteen Types

According to Dr. Baumann, there are sixteen different types of skin, and each type has its own special needs. By choosing the right products for your skin, you can create your own targeted skin care system.

Each skin type includes one element from the following pairs:

• Sensitive or Resistant
• Pigmented or Non-Pigmented
• Oily or Dry
• Wrinkled or Tight

In her book, Dr. Baumann describes how each type looks and what kinds of products will be helpful and then recommends specific brands and products to try.

Choosing Targeted Skin Care Products

If you want to follow Dr. Baumann's prescription exactly, you'll need to fill out the questionnaire in her book. She makes the case that many people don’t understand their own skin, and that the questionnaire will save time, energy, and money wasted on the wrong products. However, if you want to give it a try on your own, you can visit her Skin Type Solutions web site. She's divided up dozens of drugstore and department store products according to whom they'll benefit.

Does it Work?

One blogger who tried Dr. Baumann's system didn't have much luck with it. She felt it wasn't any better than the seemingly random advice she got from the cosmetics counter. Then again, the book gets a healthy four-and-a-half stars on Amazon.com, with top reviews proclaiming "This book changed my life!"