Paula Begoun is the creator and innovative force behind Paula's Choice skin care and cosmetics. With more than 25 years of extensive experience in the beauty industry, combined with in-depth research and study of skin and cosmetic ingredients, Paula has the knowledge and expertise to develop truly extraordinary, state-of-the-art formulations for her own line.

More than three centuries ago, an English poet penned that infamous line, "beauty is but skin deep". Sir John Davies was certainly right in linking beauty with skin; little did he know how true the statement was.

Personally, I take skin care very seriously. It is my canvas for great make-up application and it is my calling card. As many of my clients are male to female transsexuals and crossdressers, I believe it is very important to practice what I preach when it comes to taking care of my skin.

Skin has a personality, just like you do. When the skin is constantly abused, it will react by having blemishes, wrinkles, roughness, flakiness and a lack of color may appear. The skin needs care and attention on a daily basis to maintain a healthy and attractive appearance. The structure of the skin for each person is basically the same, the functioning of the various glands and the reactions of the skin to its environment can vary greatly between all of us.

The skin is the largest organ of the body which covers your entire body and protects it from outside particles; and this is why I find skin theory so fascinating.

The skin performs seven basic functions;

• Sensation: Nerve endings just under the outer layer of the skin which makes you aware of heat cold, touch, pain and pressure.



• Hydration: The skin contains water to keep it soft and supple. It secretes both perspiration and sebaceous fluid that maintains your skin's moisture balance.



• Absorption: The skin allows certain substances like water and oxygen pass through its tissues.



• Regulation: Helps to maintain your body temperature.



• Protection: Shields your body from heat, cold, bacteria and other aspects of the environment



• Excretion: The skin eliminates sweat, salt, wastes from the body along with other toxins.



• Respiration: The skin takes in oxygen through its pores and releases carbon dioxide.

It is composed by two main divisions, the epidermis and dermis.

• The epidermis is the outer most layer of the skin also known as the scarf skin the one we cleanse, moisturize and apply make-up to. The dermis is the inner layer known as the true skin and let it thin out and the skin become loose and wrinkled.



• The dermis layer is composed of connective tissues. Connective tissues are made up of a semi-fluid substance containing collagen proteins and elastin fibers which helps to give the skin its elastic quality. It is in this layer where most of the aging process takes place. Also in the dermis can be found are the sweat and oil glands, sensory nerve endings and blood vessels.

The skin never quits working; a surprisingly sturdy kind of wrapping paper for our body. It covers our bones, muscles and tissues. It also performs some very necessary health services, such as disposing of mineral wastes. It acts as a barrier to the onslaughts of bacteria. It warns you if you are in danger. Remember the last time you held a match or lighter for too long. It also conveys our emotions. Just try to be irritated, angry, shy, frightened, or embarrassed without telling the whole world about it.

What I also find fascinating about the skin is its capability to constantly renew itself. You get a whole new skin in about a month's time; it varies depending on your age. Young skin renews itself much more often then mature skin. It sheds more than you realize, mostly at night when you are sleeping. And it repairs itself nobly- cut it, scrape it, peel it, scratch it, pinch it and it will heal itself. Not all in the same manner and in the same length of time.

Approximately one-third of your blood stream flows throughout it. This is why you are capable of blushing. And there are always bacteria on the surface of your skin, a perfectly normal condition that you don't have to worry yourself about. You can count on your skin to keep out of any harmful bacteria via its acid mantle. You do the rest when you cleanse your skin.

A vital point to remember about your skin is like your personality, it is all yours. It is original and as such deserves the very best care. That means helping it stay its healthy best from the inside as the outside. A well balanced diet, plenty of water and sufficient rest are all skin care essentials, along with regular cleansing, moisturizing and protection.

Think about it most of us spend a fortune at the make-up counter buying all the latest shades of lipstick, eye colour, bronzers, blushes and more without a thought to skin care. There are many companies out there are good for your skin. Basically if you cleanse with a cleanser that is detergent free and moisturize with ingredients that do not clog your pores the better off your skin is. I would recommend speaking to your esthetician regarding your needs.

Here are some of the companies that I love; B Kamins (Canadian Made), Cellex C, Epicurin, Mary Rostoplasc (Canadian Made) and Rostoplasc (Canadian Made). And my new favourite is Paulas Choice, it is afforable and works!!!

To combat the aging and cancerous effects of the sun your sunscreen should have a minimum 15 SPF and also have the key ingredients titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Both are a natural SPFs. Read the label to find these ingredients. I never chose a sunscreen with these ingredients at the bottom of the ingredient list. I tend to be curious of how much of the ingredient is actually in the product when that happens.

The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) displayed on the sunscreen label ranges from 2 to as high as 50 and refers to the product's ability to screen or block out the sun's harmful rays. For example, if you use a sunscreen with an SPF 15, you can be in the sun 15 times longer that you can without sunscreen before burning. Consumers need to be aware that SPF protection does not increase proportionally with an increased SPF number. While an SPF of 2 will absorb 50% of ultraviolet radiation, an SPF of 15 absorbs 93% and an SPF of 34 absorbs 97%.

Dermatologists strongly recommend using a sunscreen with an SPF 15 or greater year-round for all skin types. If you are fair-skinned and sunburn easily, you may want to select a sunscreen with a higher SPF to provide additional protection. Using a cream, oil or lotion is a matter of personal choice, but keep in mind that most oils do not contain sufficient amounts of sunscreen and usually have an SPF of less than 2. All sunscreens need to be reapplied, so follow the guidelines written on the sunscreen bottle. Gel sunscreens tend to sweat off and, therefore, need to be reapplied more frequently. Remember, expensive sunscreens are not necessarily of better quality.

Choose a "broad-spectrum" sunscreen that protects against UVB and UVA radiation. PABA, or para-aminobenzoic acid, was one of the original ultraviolet B (UVB) protecting ingredients in sunscreens. However, some people's skin is sensitive to PABA, and it also can cause staining of clothing. Today, PABA has been refined and newer ingredients called PABA esters (such as glycerol PABA, padimate A and padimate O) can be found in sunscreens. PABA and PABA esters only protect against UVB radiation, the sun's burning rays that are the primary cause of sunburn and skin cancer. Also look for other UVB absorbers listed in the ingredients such as salicylates and cinnamates.

Acne is a common skin problem that affects people of All Ages. It usually occurs in people between the ages of 11 & 30. People over 30 do have acne as well. Acne is more common with men than women, but women have this type of skin problem during that time of the month.

• Use an oil free make-up with the following on the label Noncomedogenic and Nonacnegenic.
• Cleanse your face in the morning and before bed with a non detergent based cleanser.
• Try not to rub your face.
• Keep your hair off your face.
• Do not squeeze your pimples. This may make the problem worse and may leave a scar. You have seen people with large pores on their face. They may have popped their pimples to create that enlarged pores.
• Use an oil free sun skin with an SPF 15.

• Hormonal changes
• Heat and Humidity
• Certain drugs
• Stress
• Over washing your face, using a detergent and alcohol based products
• Dirt does not cause acne and foods do not usually cause acne. However, in some people some foods can aggravate acne.