Getting to know me, getting to know all about me!

Yikes, has it really been almost two months since my last post? Time flies! Probably south if it knows what's good for it. I've been busy, and I know only my sister reads this so I don't feel so bad, but I do feel a New Year's resolution coming on....

I've often wondered where my obsession with skincare products began. I know that seems like a weird thing to wonder but... wonder I do. I suppose it has to do with my long history of bad skin. I've had awful skin since I was about 11. As a teen I tired prescription cremes and lotions to clear it up; they worked for a while but my skin always broke out after I stopped. A few years back I did Accutane and so far that has been the only thing that has worked yet, I still get breakouts. Let me tell you, it's about a 100 times better than it was but it is still worse than any other person in their 20s that I know.

Thanks to my tricky skin care issues, I have become a bit of a fanatic about skincare products; I know them all and I've tired them all! And I thought I knew it all. I had myself convinced that I was an oily/combination skin, acne prone, non-sensitive type. That is until I found this book.

The Skin Type Solution by Dr. Leslie Baumann is fantastic! She breaks skin types down into 16 very specific categories. Now, I know that sounds complicated but it is actually very simple. In the first part of the book there is a quiz you take which determines whether you are oily/dry, sensitive/resistant, pigmented/non-pigmented and tight/wrinkled. I ended up as a dry, sensitive, pigmented, wrinkled type. Way different than I would have thought I was. After you've "typed" yourself, Dr. Baumann then explains exactly what is unique about each of the 16 skin types, what products you should use and what you should stay away from. DSPW types like me should avoid scrubs and toners and should moisturize several times a day. The products she recommends for each type come in a range of prices -from economical to splurge- and most are available at your local pharmacy. There are a couple I can't get at my local store, so I might have to source them out on my next trip to the city.

I've only been following the regiment for a week but I feel like there is already a difference. My skin feels softer and seems to be clearing up. I guess we'll see if it continues to improve. It would be nice to have finally figured out the key to clear, healthy skin after all these years; hopefully this is it.