Beauty Expert Paula Begoun Busts Skincare Myths, Reveals Real Cause Of Ageing Skin

In the beauty sphere, Paula Begoun is, simply put, a legend. It all began in the 1980s when Begoun self-published her book Blue Eye Shadow Should Be Illegal, which led to her first (of many) appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show. What followed was soaring popularity and a column Dear Paula, which made her a household name. In 1992, Paula wrote Don't Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me and 16 years later, launched its online version with Beautypedia. After years of being a trusted name in skincare and an expert on skin ingredients and treatments, Paula's Choice was born in 1995, which sealed the deal for the entrepreneur.

There has been no stopping Paula since the moment she started. Today, she is the author of 20 bestselling books, has regular talk show appearances on The Today Show and Oprah and of course, the CEO of the revolutionary skincare brand Paula's Choice. At the event launching the brand in India on Amazon, Paula is an enlightening and thoughtful presence. The delightful chat we had in her sunny suite overlooking the city was incredibly insightful and for a beauty enthusiast like me, even hours would've felt like mere minutes. No wonder she's been dubbed 'the cosmetics cop' by Oprah Winfrey.

(Also Read: Admit It, You Definitely Thought These 5 Acne Myths Were True)

Here's what Paula Begoun had to say to Swirlster.

"The myths around skincare are too many!"

On asking her common misconceptions that people have about skincare, Paula informs, "There are too many! They believe that natural is better than synthetic or what they think chemical is. Many natural ingredients, like essential oils, are bad for the skin and cause inflammation. Jar packaging is a problem because good ingredients don't stay stable. Anything that pulls at the skin like jade rollers, face yoga or harsh scrubs are sagging your skin. The parts of your face that age the most are the ones you use the most. You are breaking fibers when you pull your skin. The myths are endless!"

Knowing about inflammation is basic to great skin

Inflammation gets a mention when Paula is busting myths and although it doesn't get enough of the spotlight like acne, it's a massive problem. "Everything I'm telling you is in the research. Inflammation is in pollution, diet and sun damage. It is basic to great skin - If you inflame the skin, you are damaging it. You prevent it by using antioxidant-rich products which are shown to interrupt pollution damage and religiously wearing sunscreen," she confirms.

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Natural has its limitations

Her thoughts on Indian women and their approach to skincare may leave you surprised. Says Paula, "DIY or make in your kitchen skincare isn't only in India. The notion that you can make a beneficial skincare product at home is a lie. It's similar to how you can't make a cellphone at home or a computer at home. Skin is the body's largest organ. The limitations to what you can make in your kitchen, or from what I've seen, most of the DIY recipes cause inflammation or do nothing. It isn't that there aren't great natural ingredients. By themselves, they have limitations and it's a blend of both that makes great skincare products."

(Also Read: Decoding Beauty Product Labels: 10 Common Ingredients)

"What you need to know is all in the research"

On skincare tips that one should never skip, here are Paula's expert tips, "Research has revealed that over the decades, 70 to 75% of what we think as ageing skin, was really sun damaged skin so what you must use is sun protection. Recent research has also shown that pollution can increase skin discolouration so you need products with brilliant, stable and potent antioxidants to interrupt pollution damage. Do not use anything that inflames the skin, whether it's camphor, essential oils, alcohol or fragrance as they damage it and make everything from ageing to acne much worse."