Jude Chao has been known for tying skincare to self-care since the publication of her essay, "How My Elaborate Korean Skincare Routine Helps Me Fight Depression" on [...] in 2015. Since then, she¿s published steadily, both as a freelance beauty writer and on her blog, Fifty Shades of Snail. She¿s also worked in beauty marketing and consulting for both Korean and American brands.

She has been featured in NYMag The Cut, called ¿the reigning queen of skincare¿ by NYMag The Strategist, and included in W¿s list of ¿the Korean beauty experts you should follow on Instagram.¿ She remains active in online beauty communities, with a large network of like-minded followers and fellow content creators.

Introduction

• Skincare as self-care: It¿s not just skin-deep beauty

Chapter One

• Figuring out what your skin needs
  • Skin types: Dry, normal, oily, combination
  • Skin conditions: Dehydrated, sensitive, UV damaged (and the causes)
• On beauty standards and why "perfect" skin isn't the goal
• Skincare as a healthy outlet vs skincare as an unhealthy compulsion: What to watch out for; being mindful of thought patterns. Illustrate with personal anecdote.

Chapter Two

• Foundational skincare
  • Cleansing
  • Moisturizer
  • Sunscreen
• On the mental health benefits of a basic daily routine, and tips to motivate yourself to stick to it even during those times when just the act of washing your face feels like way too much work--aka dragging yourself out of bed and into the bathroom. Illustrate with personal anecdote.

Chapter Three

• Tools to improve your skin issues
• Korean skincare and Western skincare: Differences and similarities and whether you need to worry about where your cosmetics come from
  • Introduction to different product types and what needs they serve
    • Toner
    • Essence
    • Serum/Ampoule
    • Sheet masks
    • Wash-off masks
    • Moisturizers
    • Sleeping packs
  • On the importance of spacing out new product additions and taking notes of the effects of anything added to the routine
  • On taking things one step at a time. Don't fall victim to completist pressure and think you have to have everything all at once; this is as true in life as it is in skincare. Tips on being comfortable with slow and incremental progress, and finding satisfaction in it. Talk about experiences with others (with permission) who've put pressure on themselves to have a "complete" routine and eventually learned to step away from the template.
  • Discussion of how the "10 step routine" is marketing.

  Chapter Four

  • Ingredients to address specific skin issues
    • Actives
    • Hydrating ingredients/formulas
    • Moisturizing ingredients/formulas
    • Acne
    • Redness/sensitivity
    • Hyperpigmentation
    • Loss of elasticity and firmness
  • How to read an ingredients list
  • On the pleasures of learning and finding more resources to learn from: As you develop ingredient awareness and learn to read and interpret an ingredients list, remind yourself of what you're accomplishing and what you're enabling yourself to accomplish. It's personal growth, and growth should be celebrated. Illustrate with personal story.

  Chapter Five

  • Special chapter discussing some of the most typical marketing tricks and manipulative tactics to watch out for. The beauty industry is not always beautiful inside. That doesn't mean that all the products are worthless, but it does mean that the claims on the labels may be. Use examples for each one.
    • Photo editing and manipulation in advertising
    • Fear-based marketing ("no chemicals" etc)
    • Implied claims and weasel words
    • Claims ingredients at suboptimal concentrations
    • Age- and gender-based marketing

    Chapter Six

    • How to build your own skincare routine, one step at a time. Detailed and with particular effects to look out for (and to avoid) by product type.
    • On progress pics, patience, and inevitable mishaps. Reminder: This isn't about achieving "perfection"--it's about achieving progress.
    • How to recover from unfortunate encounters with unsuitable products, and how to develop a resilient attitude and optimism in the face of breakouts or lack of results. Personal anecdote. How to break anxiety spirals.

    Chapter Seven

    • Consistency is key, and so are reasonable expectations
    • YMMV and why it's pointless to compare your own progress or your own results to others
      • Unrealistic comparisons and how detrimental they are, both to skin progress and general mental health
    • On learning to value your own journey and your own achievements, regardless of how they match up to others. And on learning to find a community to support you along the way. Illustrate with personal stories from myself and others.

    Ch¿¿apter Eight

    • Conclusion: What we've learned along the way, where we're going, and what it means for our skin and our mental health and our lives