Book Review: Younger by Harold Lancer

I stumbled upon this book by accident really. I think I was browsing books on Amazon and it came up as a recommended book for my ‘interests’. I bought it on a whim and I admit that I didn’t have high expectations (now that I think about it, it was pure luck that I stumbled upon it) and I can’t believe it, but I was soooo pleasantly surprised by this book! When you read so much on beauty and specifically skincare, certain topics become repetitive and boring. I  try to read dermatological/medical journal articles on the subject, because I want to find out something new. I feel starved of new information sometimes. As I’m not a medical student myself, it’s difficult to strike that balance between finding new scientifically backed information, which is somewhat easy to understand and finding a way to incorporate it into your own life and skincare regime. I was worried that this book would be to ‘dumbed down’ and not not dig deeper into skincare and the skin’s biological processes, despite it being written by a very well known and renowned Dermatologist, based in Beverly Hills. I think my scepticism also stemmed from the claim that Dr Lancer had created a revolutionary ‘3 step’ skincare method to rejuvenate the skin. We all know of the ‘original’ 3 steps in skincare (thank you Clinique for all of those ads in the 90s!) – cleansing, toning and moisturising, so I just couldn’t fathom how you could reinvent those steps to really make a difference to your skin.

Here is the official book description or ‘blurb’ which hooked me!

Renowned Beverly Hills dermatologist Dr. Harold Lancer is the expert on whom Hollywood’s top celebrities rely to maintain their radiant complexions and to reverse the effects of aging. Now, he offers readers his groundbreaking, 3-Step Method to rejuvenate their skin at home. Based on years of clinical research, Dr. Lancer’s regimen stimulates the skin’s own transformative healing power for lasting results. He provides a road map to help readers navigate the mixed messages of today’s dermatological advice, avoid expensive invasive treatments, and see through the empty promises of so many beauty products. He recommends the most effective skin care products for every budget from drugstores, department stores, and spas. He suggests surprising lifestyle choices in diet, exercise, and stress management that support beautiful skin. Whether the reader wants to maintain youthful skin or reverse the aging process, Dr. Lancer’s Anti-Aging Method offers a comprehensive program for ageless, radiant skin.

So what is this new three step skincare system? Quite simply, exfoliation, cleansing and nourishment. Dr Lancer mentions that this extra step of exfoliation each night, ramps up your skins rejuvenation and healing systems. It’s almost like your traditional double cleanse, except that one of those cleansing steps need to incorporate some exfoliation. In the mornings, the three steps turn into cleansing, nourishing and sunscreen – pretty practical. I’m not sure what Dr Lancer thinks of cleansing devices, since his exfoliation steps mention the use of traditional ‘polishing’ products which contain very gentle micro beads (which he mentions shouldn’t be made out of micro-plastics which are damaging to the environment – I love that he is environmentally conscious) and perhaps chemical exfoliants. I would assume that a cleansing device could step in as this ‘exfoliating’ step, especially if you use it alongside a cleanser which includes AHAs or BHAs.

Dr Lancers book is terrific because it discusses the mechanisms of your skin and how each step of the skincare system works to stimulate your natural biological processes, targeting different layers of your skin. The book also discusses his anti-ageing method for the body and trouble areas, as well as how ethnicity can influence different dermatological procedures and the ‘development’ of your skin. The book also goes on to suggest how you can ‘ramp up’ your skincare routine by layering different products morning and night, if you feel that moisturising your skin is not enough (or as he calls it, ‘nourishment’). Because the book starts at the basics of skin care and gets quite complex, discussing how to layer skincare products once you are ready (and I mean a lot of products!), any level of skin enthusiast will love the tips and guidance shared. The book also details ingredients to look for (and in what concentrations which I love!) and what ingredients to avoid. There’s also a chapter on lifestyle factors, so diet and exercise tips and finally dermatological procedures that you may want to look into if your daily skincare routine hasn’t corrected some of your concerns. He makes a very big point about the fact that most dermatological treatments – especially the invasive ones, aren’t usually needed if a solid and consistent skincare routine is established. There’s also a chapter on troubled skin (covering issues such as acne, rosacea and sensitive skin). Along the way, products are recommended – from the high end brands (such as Dr Lancers own skincare line) to more budget friendly options. Most of the brands recommended are well known and easy to get a hold of even in Aus.

One extra tip Dr Lancer mentions which I thought I would test out on myself and share the results with you beauties, is using oils to remove makeup. Dr Lancer mentions that he doesn’t use makeup remover in his clinic – he uses either a high grade olive oil (great for drier skins) or grape seed oil (lighter than olive oil) to do so, which are cheaper and most of all, gentler on skin. Luckily I had grape seed oil in my cupboard and only needed a handy container slash jar to store my oil in for bathroom. I went by Daiso and bought an awesome glass jar (much more oil friendly than plastic – plastic will make the oil go rancid if it’s kept in the container for to long, but it’s ok for travel purposes) with a pump! The only issue I have is that the nozzle points up in an awkward position, but now when I want to pump out some of the oil, I just know to cover the nozzle with the palm of my hand so it doesn’t shoot out all over the place! For $2.80 I can put up with the nozzle lol So does it work? It does indeed remove 90% of my makeup! It melts my base makeup (even if I’ve used a makeup setting spray), eyeshadow, concealer etc. completely away. I was actually surprised at how gentle and pleasant the oil is to use. Because it is pure oil, it doesn’t irritate my eyes at all and the grape seed oil doesn’t leave that weird oily film over your eyeball (that always sounds weird doesn’t it lol). It does leave a film of oil on your skin, but it washes away super easily with a good cleanser. The only difficulty it has is with mascara. I don’t use waterproof mascara (most of the time) but I do layer on quite a bit of it, so it struggles. It does dislodge some of the mascara which I then just gently wipe away with a flat cotton round. Even if I have to use some extra micellar water etc to remove the majority of my mascara, I don’t have to use as much as I usually would, so it’s still a win-win budget wise and feels pretty luxurious also!

The book itself is hardcover and I thought the pages inside it would be glossy, but there quite ‘ordinary’, with a matte finish (I know that’s probably a terrible way to describe the paper quality!) but it’s about the content right? The book was released in 2014, so it’s very up to date and relevant. Dr Lancer at the end of the book calls the reader of his book his ‘patient’ which I think is a really nice stance. He also offers up the contact details of his clinic should any reader have particular questions or concerns over his methods, advice etc. I love that his advice really is professional. If you’ve never been to a dermatologist before or cannot afford to see one, this book will give you that sound, quality advice you can put into practise! I don’t see a dermatologist atm, but I always thought seeing one was worth every penny.

I’m so happy with this book beauties and I can’t recommend it highly enough! I bought my book from Amazon but you can also find it at the Nile (an Aus site which includes free shipping).

Do you love beauty/skincare books? Does this book interest you?

Catch ya next time beauties!

Beauty Bee~

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