It’s been more than twenty years since I began recommending the AK series as a skincare treatment and makeup base, and numerous people still come back and tell me how happy they are to have discovered the products. I typically tell my patients about the AK series when they come into the clinic with makeup rashes. I give them the usual topical steroid treatment to start, but after that I have them use the products as a makeup base and to treat their skin after getting out of the bath. At first they use it in conjunction with the steroids, but eventually the patients themselves say how good it is for their skin and frequently continue using it afterwards. With so many people suffering from dry skin these days due to air conditioning and heating, atmospheric pollution, intense UV rays, aging, and other factors, the AK Series is an extremely good product line to have. Every once in a while I’ll have a patient whose skin doesn’t agree with it, but it’s quite rare. Because the AK Series includes soap, lotion, and sunscreen, I can recommend products based on the season, the condition of the person’s skin at the moment, and so on. I should mention that while I feel it is important for people use products that agree with them, as a doctor there are really no topical products that I can honestly say add nutrients to the skin or have anti-aging properties. If anything, diet, sleep, minimizing stress—basically taking care of your mental and physical health—are far more important. All you really need to do is moisturize properly and go light on the cosmetics. Of course, proper UV protection is also a must.

As long as they don’t have sensitive skin, I think it’s fine for women to spend time in front of the mirror with their cleansers, face packs, face wash, massages, makeup, lotions, base creams, foundations, and powders. These have some psychological benefits as well. But it’s important to remember that skin is a living thing—it’s not like a car, where you just wash and wax it and it’s ready to go.