Editor’s Picks: 16 of the Best Skincare Books to Help You Learn More About Your Skin

As a beauty editor, I’ve read and evaluated skincare books from a range of authors. These are my top picks for every preference:

Best for Beginners

• Let’s Face It by Rio Viera-Newton
• Skincare: The New Edit by Caroline Hirons
• Glow from Within by Joanna Vargas

Best for Skincare Science

• Skincare Decoded by Victoria Fu and Gloria Lu
• The Scandinavian Skincare Bible by Johanna Gillbro
• The Skincare Bible by Dr. Anjali Mahto
• The Best Skin of Your Life Starts Here by Paula Begoun, Bryan Barron and Desiree Stordahl

Best for Routines

• The Skinny Confidential’s Get the F*ck Out of the Sun by Lauryn Evarts Bosstick

Best for Sensitive Skin

• Beyond Soap by Dr. Sandy Skotnicki
• Skin Cleanse by Adina Grigore

Best for Women of Colour

• Black Skin: The Definitive Skincare Guide by Dija Ayodele
• Skin Revolution by Dr. Vanita Rattan

Best for Clean Skincare

• The Nature of Beauty by Imelda Burke

Best for Korean Skincare

• The Little Book of Skin Care by Charlotte Cho

Best for Cosmetic Procedures

• The Park Avenue Face by Dr. Andrew Jacono

Best for Skin Nutrition

• How to Heal Your Metabolism by Kate Deering

For more details on each book, read on.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the skincare products out there—let alone how to use them—Let’s Face It can help. You might know Rio Viera-Newton from the Google Doc of her skincare routine that went viral back in 2017, or from the beauty editor job it led to at The Strategist. Just like her columns, this book cuts through the confusion with easy-to-understand advice and recommendations. She covers everything from common ingredients to creating the right routine for your skin type. There are also tips on applying and layering products and how to tell if a product isn’t working.

Outspoken skinfluencer Caroline Hirons has been dishing up advice on her blog since 2010. Now it’s all compiled in Skincare: The New Edit, written in her inimitable no-nonsense style. She shares her advice on creating a skincare routine, treating various skin conditions, and building your “kit” of essential products. Not surprisingly, there is a fair share of myth-busting (from her take on clean beauty to which products can “get in the sea”).

Now you don’t need to be one of Joanna Vargas’ famous clients to get access to her skincare secrets, thanks to Glow from Within. The celebrity aesthetician—whose approach is a cross between natural and high-tech—shares her advice on all aspects of skincare and self-care, including her favourite ingredients, lifestyle tips, and thoughts on cosmetic procedures.

For years, cosmetic chemists Victoria Fu and Gloria Lu have been decoding ingredients lists on the Instagram account, “Chemist Confessions.” Now, their knowledge is distilled into book form with Skincare Decoded. It’s divided into three parts: Section One is their take on skincare fundamentals, Section Two is an in-depth guide to superstar ingredients (from vitamin C to retinoids), and Section Three is about building a routine. Just like on Instagram, they also give guidance on how to read product labels and decipher marketing jargon.

The Scandinavian Skincare Bible isn’t for any particular ethnicity—rather, it’s a guidebook to the “Scandi skin” approach. Johanna Gillbro is a skin scientist who argues that our routines need to be simplified. She explains which products are necessary and which ones you can skip, as well as which ingredients work and which ones could actually harm your skin. There’s also extensive information on the microbiome (her research specialty) and how to support it for healthy skin. No wonder this book was a bestseller in her native Sweden.

The Skincare Bible is the next best thing to an appointment with Dr. Anjali Mahto, a cosmetic dermatologist who specializes in treating acne, scarring, rosacea, and signs of aging. In this book, she walks us through the most common skin complaints and presents research-backed suggestions on how to deal with them. There’s information on issues like large pores and hyperpigmentation, plus what to realistically expect from topical products and in-office procedures. She also tackles questions about sun protection, vitamin D, hormones, and anti-aging treatments.