Milady's Skin Care and Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary, third edition, is a multi-purpose resource for cosmetic professionals and consumers alike. Part one puts cosmetics in the context of skin care. It provides an overview of skin physiology. In order to understand how and why a product works it is essential to understand how the skin works. It gives an overview of the complexity of cosmetic chemistry particularly with respect to product penetration, and highlights the current challenges facing cosmetic formulators. In addition, it offers comprehensive discussion of the various skin types and conditions in order to help professionals in their product selection. Lastly, it defines common cosmetic industry terminology used by cosmetic manufacturers, professional estheticians, marketers and the media. The second part is dedicated to helping cosmetic users identify the function and purpose of specific ingredients. It is an alphabetical dictionary that lists and describes not only active principles but all other categories of ingredients that comprise a skin care cosmetic. As scientific knowledge of skin physiology and cosmetic chemistry advances, so do cosmetic products. This volume puts everything in context in an easy to read, easy to understand, user-friendly format.

This comprehensive book not only includes an extensive list of ingredients and their uses/definitions & more...

(AN EXAMPLE: "linoleic acid (vitamin F) - an emulsifier. ...prevents dryness and roughness. A deficiency in linoleic acid in the skin is associated with symptoms similar to to those characterizing in eczema, psoriasis and a generally poor skin condition. ...is an essential fatty acid found in a variety of plant oils, including soybean and sunflower." )

...but the book also includes a chapter on skin types, conditions and appropriate ingredients for treatment that would provide a quick reference so address your (or your clients skin care needs), a thorough explanation of how chemicals and ingredients interact in cosmetics and more!

I HIGHLY recommend this book to skin care professionals and beauty connoseurs that want to know the "insider secrets".
I will never go a day of work (as an aesthetician) without this book!

52 of 55 found the following review helpful:


Milady's Skin Care and Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary  Apr 17, 2000 By Linda Recker
I have recently completed a course in Esthetics and have found the book to be helpful by changing technical terms and information into easily understood definitions and uses. The book is written by the same publisher as the text book that I studied from and found it to be easy reading and understandable. I would compare it to A Consumers Dictionary of Cosmetic Indegredients by Ruth Winter. Both are excellent reference books but I feel that Milady's uses general terms and applies to the break down of the product indegredients used in skin care and not just make-up application. I would highly recommend this book to skin care professionals.

32 of 33 found the following review helpful:


Absolutely the best reference book on cosmetics ingredients  Apr 10, 2003 By ntsa
Let me tell you, this book is worth every dollar, do not be scared off by the price! Over 2,000 ingredients reviewed in an easy to comprehend way, you don't have to be an expert in chemistry to find out what exactly is in your favourite cream - effective ingredients or just pore-clogging chemicals, preservatives and irritants! There are also 3 chapters on skin physiology, product penetration and skin types and conditions. I would highly recommend this book for consumers, cosmetics sales people and estheticians.

14 of 14 found the following review helpful:


Terrific Resource  Oct 17, 2005 By J. Hurley "AmericanBeautyAdvisor"
The beauty business is wonderful, really it is. There are only a very few players that are truely dishonest when it comes to ingredients, for instance, "renaming" common ingredients. This book will help everyone keep it straight. As a beauty and lifestyle reporter, I keep it on my desk.

12 of 12 found the following review helpful:


Wonder about all those ingredients? Milady has the answer!  Jul 29, 2002 By Karen Mellen, President, Mellen Medical Products
As a former aesthetician and current president of a vitamin and nutritional company I am well accustomed to using chemical, pharmaceutical,and medical reference books for formulary research and scientific information. Most of these books are extremely technical and difficult to understand. Milady's Skin Care and Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary is the exception.

Milady offers one of the most comprehensive and easy-to-use guides to understanding what is in every bottle of cream or cosmetic item that you use.

This book will allow you to make informed decisions about what skincare products to buy and most importantly what each ingredient REALLY does, along with any negative side-effects. Whenever we begin formulating a new product, we always consult
"Milady."

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