Book Review: The Skincare Bible by Dr Anjali Mahto
Hi everyone, Tina here (+1 662 830 8246, info@nakedactives.com)
Well, we've found a real gem of a read for you if you have interest in Skincare and your own skins wellbeing; the book, The Skincare Bible by Dr Anjali Mahto. We are going to review Chapter 1 of her book and every few days we will be publishing a blog series about each chapter and what we feel are the key highlights and may even express our point of view. But if you want more, just buy her book from the link above but if you are a slow reader like me and what the shorter version, just keep on reading!
In this blog series, we will talk about a great book by Dr. Anjali Mahto – The Skincare Bible. It gives an excellent and accessible overview in all things related to skincare. The author, Dr. Mahto, is a trained dermatologist and the big added value of the book is in its independence. What kind of independence is it, you might ask? A very valid question. Contrary to most pieces of advice we get from different beauty magazines, the book is not linked to any specific skin care products or companies. In other words, there is no hidden commercial agenda. Rather than that, it provides the readers with a good understanding of how their skin works and what they can do to keep it healthy and good-looking.
Let’s get started and have a look at the first chapter, called “A Crash Course in Skin”.
As the title suggests, it gives an overview of the basics – what skin is and how it works. We tend to forget that apart from “looking beautiful”, our skin has a number of other functions. It is the largest organ in our body and provides a natural barrier to the outside world. It is waterproof and prevents all the things we want to keep outside our bodies (such as bacteria or pollutants) where they belong.
Skin has two main parts: the epidermis, which is the upper layer, key in providing this protection we have just mentioned. And then the dermis, which supports it and provides a supply of new cells. Epidermis contains different types of cells, mainly responsible for the protective function of our skin. They produce keratin (keeping our skin waterproof), melanin (protecting skin against the sun and giving it its colour), fight microbes and provide us with sensory experience.
A bit deeper under all this we have dermis, crucial for the elasticity of our skin, where all the nerve endings are to be found, together with molecules most of us are more or less familiar with: collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid.
The next point explained in the chapter is skin ageing. Partly inevitable, the dreaded process means simply that our skin renews itself slower, it gets thinner and does not perform all its functions as well as before. So wrinkles are only one side of the whole story. The pace of skin ageing depends on genetics to a large extent – something we cannot influence much. The good news is that there is also a number of factors we can control to keep our skin in a good shape. Sun exposure is the number one here. As most of us know, UV rays can cause a major damage to our skin. Another good news in this regard is that it is quite easy and inexpensive to prevent the damage by using a good sunscreen, that protects from both UVA and UVB.
Each of those types of UV rays are responsible for a different kind of damage and Dr. Mahto offers an easy way to remember – UVA stands for “ageing”, whereas UVB for “burning”. Do you think it is enough to use sunscreen just on sunny days to prevent sunburn? Unfortunately, it is not...not only is the UVB just a part of the problem. But UVA can go through the clouds and it can also penetrate window glasses. Another good reason to put the sunscreen on even inside. Clearly, not all kinds of skin are equally prone to sun damage. Darker skin colours are naturally better protected thanks to melanin, which can absorb UV rays and neutralize free radicals.
There is obviously a lot of other factors that impact the ageing process, such as smoking, our diet or pollution. Some of them are discussed in more detail in the next chapters of the book.
But before diving deeper into this, next time we will learn something about the regular skincare, or skincare routines. Stay tuned for Chapter 2!
About The Skincare Bible
The Skincare Bible is like having a consultation with dermatologist Dr Anjali Mahto. The book is inspired by the questions she gets asked every day in her clinic, and covers every skin complaint you could think of - whether you’re a teenager dealing with acne or a woman going through the menopause.
Dr Mahto cuts through all the nonsense and gives you the tools to take control of your skincare. She debunks common myths, provides clear instructions on how to interpret the list of ingredients in your moisturiser, and recommends skincare products (with no conflict of interest) for every budget.
About Dr Anjali Mahto MBBCh BSc MRCP (Derm)
Anjali is a consulting dermatologist who has worked in the NHS and private clinics. She specialises in acne and scarring, rosacea, moles, and anti-ageing therapies, and has treated thousands of patients in her career. She has suffered from acne since a young age, which lead her to pursue a career in dermatology. She campaigns for skin positivity and is a spokesperson for the British Skin Foundation.
