Leah Roth - Every Womans Guide to Healthy, Glowing Skin: Simple Steps to Beautiful Skin at Any Age

Copyright 2019 by Leah Roth

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Roth, Leah, author.

Title: Every womans guide to healthy, glowing skin: simple steps to beautiful skin at any age / Leah Roth.

Description: New York, NY: Skyhorse Publishing, [2019]

Identifiers: LCCN 2019001829 | ISBN 9781510742475 (hardback)

Subjects: LCSH: SkinCare and hygienePopular works. | Self-care, HealthPopular works. | Beauty, Personal. | BISAC: SELF-HELP / General. | HEALTH & FITNESS / Health Care Issues. | SELF-HELP / Aging.

Classification: LCC RL87 .R68 2019 | DDC 646.7/26dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019001829

Cover design by Mona Lin

Cover illustration by Getty Images

Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-4247-5

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-4252-9

Printed in China

Contents

Introduction

I f someone had told me ten years ago (or even one year ago) that I was going to have my first book published at twenty-five years old, I would have laughed and then probably gotten a big ego about it because I would have thought, I made it big ! The truth is I have not made it big. Im just a regular person who was granted a wonderful opportunity. At this very moment I have forty-seven Twitter followers (hint: help a girl out).

I started attending NYUs Gallatin School of Individualized Studies in the fall of 2012 with the intention of majoring in fashion journalism. I wanted to fulfill my dream of becoming a writer at Vogue their Five Days, Five Looks, One Girl segment, which profiled their cool girl employees, was my version of crack. Throughout my nearly four years at college, I took several fashion and writing courses. I also interned at CR Fashion Book , KCD Worldwide, Fashionista , and a few other really cool places.

My specified niche soon expanded, though, as I realized that I was passionate about other things besides high-fashion magazines run by Anna Wintour. I fell in love with the growing movement toward sustainability. I became fascinated by the business side of the industry: supply chain, technology, manufacturing. More important, I, like many other women, grew infatuated with the beauty industry.

Before social media, beauty wasnt so much an obsession as it was a necessity for maintenance and upholding societys unrealistic standardsI actually wrote a very extensive thesis on this premise for my graduation colloquium. Over the past few years, weve seen it unfold into something much bigger. Something few of us could have imagined. Blogs like Into the Gloss (yes, Into the Gloss used to just be a blog) opened my eyes to the world of cult skincare products, expensive laser treatments, cheap home remedies, and much more. Around this same time, niche beauty brands were popping up everywhere, girls were promoting them on Instagram, and cult branding was (and still is) in full force. Essentially, beauty became so much more than a product; it became a lifestyle. With this transition came a movement toward inclusivity. Beauty started becoming (and is still slowly becoming) a safe space for people of all races, religions, genders, ages, sizes, etc. Beauty doesnt (and shouldnt) discriminate.

After college I worked full-time as a fashion copywriter for two years. When I wasnt struggling to figure out another unique way to upsell $5,000 of polyester (or roasting my coworkers in our group chat), I was reading those same blogs and websites. I had convinced myself over the years that I had lost interest in the world of fashion and beauty, but the truth is, I kept coming back to it. To this day, I still spend an embarrassing amount of time on YouTube watching GRWM videos and makeup tutorialsI mean, really, an excessive amount of time. Its just so fascinating and relaxing. The real world is overwhelming, but the world of beauty provides an escape.

I know I am not alone in my obsession. I wrote this book because I know that there are other people that stay up until 2:00 a.m. on a Sunday night watching smoky eye tutorials instead of preparing for their presentation the next day. I know that there are people who have tried rubbing coconut oil on their facedespite the fact that they knew it would break them outbecause everyone else was trying it. I know that there are people who hate on cult skincare brands only to secretly go out and buy their latest product the day it launches. Ive learned that its okay to feel conflicted. Societys relationship with beauty, feminism, and self-care is complicated, so its only natural for you to question your relationship with the industry as a whole. But caring about more important things doesnt mean you cant also care about your skin.

I also wrote this book because I thought there was an untapped space in the market. I know I just mentioned that theres an influx of beauty information, so you may ask, Why write a book about it? The answer is: skincare blogs, articles, and social media posts are everywhere online, but its a lot harder to find something tangible; an informative book thats polished yet feminine. Itll make a great gift for Mothers Day, your best friends birthday, or your boss whos addicted to facials. Plus, you dont need a WiFi connectionpretty neat, huh? You also dont have to worry about those pesky video ads popping up that you can never figure out how to close out of. For some reason Cialis thinks Im their target consumer.

At this point in my life, Im beginning to focus more on writing and comedyso I hope some of that is reflected in the writing (cue the callback to my Cialis joke two seconds ago). Beauty doesnt have to be taken so seriously. You can want to try the latest face oil trend but still know that youre partially just a victim of good marketing and cute packaging. Its like those astrology meme accounts. Sure, zodiac signs are fun, but theyre self-aware about how ridiculous they can be. Do I actually base my life decisions around astrology? No. Am I kidding when I tell people that Im insecure in romantic relationships because Im a Taurus? Only a little.

This book covers all of the skincare questions you had but are too embarrassed to ask, cant find a concrete answer to, or didnt even know you had. differentiates nighttime versus daytime products. We also discuss skincare for the body, SPF (youre going to get really sick of those three letters), how to read a label, and some classics. While each chapter is distinctly its own, some parts may feel slightly repetitive so feel free to read out of order if thats what floats your boat. Whether youre a beginner or skincare expert, I hope (and think) youll learn something new from this book. I know I did! That might not be the best for an author to say, but if I hadnt researched anything this wouldnt be a very thorough book, now would it?