I've had problem skin since I was about eighteen. Nothing has ever worked as well as the recommendations in this book. ( )

This is a good general resource to find out what products and care work best for your specific skin type. The author simplifies skin problems into four basic categories (Oily/Dry, Sensitive/Resistant, Pigmented/Non-pigmented, Wrinkled/Tight) and you take the test to determine if you are one or the other. After you get your results, you can flip forward to the special chapter devoted to you and find out what your recommended skin regimen is. It's very easy to use and I think the advice is generally pretty good.

I found that I tested in the middle of each category, with only 1 or .5 point pushing me to one side. So even though I occasionally have bouts of dry skin, my test calls me an "O" (oily); and, though I have had rashes in the past from harsh skin cleansers, the test calls me an "R" (resistant); and, though I struggle with pigmentation on my skin that I desperately want to remove, my test calls me a "N" (non-pigmented). Worst of all were the questions I could not answer; in the "Wrinkled/Tight" section there are some questions about the state of other family members' skin, which I couldn't answer (I have no idea what their skin looked like!) so, as punishment for not knowing this information (you have to add 2.5 points for each 'I don't know' answer), the test deemed me a "W" (wrinkled). I am not so sure I really am a "W" because one dermatologist told me specifically that I was not a "W" and that I should avoid "W" type creams at all costs! So this has me a bit confused. The test deemed me an ORNW, but when I read the chapter for ORNW, every generalization about my skin was completely wrong.

If you know your skin pretty well (i.e. you have a cleanser that works pretty well for you, you only have occasional skin problems, and you have been to a dermatologist who has told you about your skin), this book isn't going to help you very much. If you don't know your skin at all and need some guidance, this book may help, but be forewarned that the results you get may not be 100% correct. ( )