"We don't wear sunscreen regularly. We wear products loaded with irritating ingredients. Inflammation, whether from the sun or pollution, is damaging for skin. Scrubs, harsh cleansing brushes, essential oils kill skin. Less than 15 per cent of the population wears sunscreen on a regular basis," Paula, 66, told life.
She grappled for years with acne and eczema yet never found the right products. With her science background and access to medical libraries, Paula set out to find what would finally solve her emotionally devastating skin problems.
After discovering the reality of what could and couldn't work, she wrote her first book in 1985 and went on to be crowned the "Cosmetics Cop" by Oprah Winfrey due to her straightforward approach to debunking misleading information about skin care.
"There is not one single Indian skin type, because there's not one Indian climate. There are people in Shimla with cold and dry weather, in Mumbai it's really humid.
"Skin is the largest organ of the body. Our skin, while it might have different colours and structure because of race, what skin needs to be healthy, normal and young, we all share," she said when asked about whether the Indian skin needs specific care.
Paula's Choice Skincare products can be found in India on Amazon.in and will launch in multiple phases. Those already available are Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid, a gentle, non-abrasive leave-on exfoliant; Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Gel, a combination of glycolic acid and skin-soothing antioxidants; and 10% Azelaic Acid Booster that has potent but soothing azelaic acid.
(Siddhi Jain can be contacted at siddhi.j@.in)
( With inputs from IANS )