My favourite skincare bibles

Lately I’ve been re-examining what I do with my skin. If you’ve read any of my skin-focused blogs, you know that it’s something I battle with frequently, and lately, even more so. The worst part? It stresses me out. And when I get stressed, well, it doesn’t exactly improve my skin’s condition. And so begins the stress/acne cycle. At times like this, I have to push myself to slow things down, and remove certain products altogether. It’s literally a case of waiting it out. In the meantime, I go back to some of my favourite books - my skincare bibles - (listed below), to see if I can learn anything new. And when I’m not reading them, I’m glued to @skndoctor’s Instagram Stories - check them out!

Skin Rules; Trade Secrets From A Top New York Dermatologist, by Debra Jaliman M.D.
I’ve had this book for a long time (I think it came out in 2012?) - and you should probably bear that in mind if you decide to purchase it, as of course, the world of skincare and beauty is constantly evolving. That said, this is a great book when you need ingredients, treatments and skin complaints to be explained clearly, by someone with 25+ years in the business. There are also some invaluable, no-nonsense tips, such as choosing tubes and pumps over jars because: germs. What I like most is Debra’s message, that ‘what everybody should aim for is their own best skin’. Aren’t we all looking for that?

Younger; The Breakthrough Anti-Aging Method for Radiant Skin, by Harold Lancer M.D.
Okay, so we’re crossing over into the more prescriptive style of Dr Lancer, who of course frequently promotes his own Lancer Method throughout the book. But if you’re a skin geek, you’ll likely love this skincare bible. It talks about the social pressures to be beautiful, breaks down the facts as to why smoking, drinking and yo-yo dieting can play havoc on your skin - as well as your health - and even shares a program as to how and when you should introduce new products - such as Retinol and Glycolic Acid - into your skincare regime.

Eat Beautiful; Nourish Your Skin From the Inside Out, by Wendy Rowe
This is the book to buy if you want to really focus on what you’re putting inside your body. We all know that lots of sugar and fat is likely to affect our digestion, which then affects our skin - but we don’t always get told why. I like this book for several reasons; it has some gorgeous, colourful recipes, breaks down the benefits of tons of fruits, pulses and other food groups, and is split into seasons, which makes total sense as our skin doesn’t behave in exactly the same way all year round. Plus, the fact that Wendy is a makeup artist means she really understands our desire to get that gorgeous, glowing complexion, and knows how tough it can be to get there.

The Little Book of Skin Care; Korean Beauty Secrets for Healthy, Glowing Skin, by Charlotte Cho
This is actually a really cute book to read. I like how Charlotte the author - and founder of Soko Glam, an indisputable industry leader when it comes to Korean beauty - shares her Cali girl experience of discovering beauty in Seoul. I like how she breaks down trends, explains the double cleanse and talks about lifestyle factors, all in a gently-does-it kinda way. I think this is a great skincare bible for someone just starting out with defining what’s right for them.

What’s your fave skincare bible? Let me know in the comments below!