A lot of things that Paula Begoun says will leave you dumbfounded. ‘Facial massages increases skin sagging’. ‘Do-it-yourself skincare recipes are more often than not bad for skin or do nothing at all’. ‘Skin actually heals better during the day than it does at night’. ‘Sheet masks are a waste of your time’. For Paula, God lies in research. The author of Don’t Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me, who founded Paula’s Choice Skincare in 1995 and brought it to India in 2019, chatted with The Telegraph on the sidelines of a Zoom launch of her new products in India. We, of course, slapped on some sunscreen (yes, you should wear it indoors too) before we turned our Zoom video on. Paula, after all, is ‘The Cosmetics Cop’!

How are you?

I am a very happy vaccinated girl. It’s been a tricky time in life. We are going through it.

It’s almost midnight in the US. What’s giving you the energy?

Talking to you! I have been doing this for 40 years now and people ask me ‘Don’t you get bored with it?’ Every time I think I am done with it... this topic energises me. I love it and I even love the craziness... that keeps me awake. Once we are done talking, I am going to bed.

Your brand is called Paula’s Choice. What are the crucial choices you’ve had to make in your life and how have they shaped your journey as a beauty entrepreneur?

The major choice was not working for someone else from a very young age. I learnt very young that I am too opinionated, brash and too intense and not diplomatic... that I’d do better when the bucks stop here (points at herself). I want people around me who are brilliant, clever and creative, incredible talent, but the final decision is mine. That has served me well because nobody would keep me around as an employee very long. I would just keep getting fired. I think the major choice was, whether I was successful or not, I am just going to make it on my own. Come hell or high water, I needed to work for myself.

What were your pick me-ups in moments of despair?

I have been very blessed that I have long-term business relations. I have a core group of people who have been working with me between 12 and 25 years. Those people not only helped the company, but me personally. They always have my back and I always have theirs. When things got particularly tough, we would go out have a Martini and laugh. One of the things about people I hold dearest is they love laughing. Laughing has saved me more times than I can count. I can be pretty intense but the people around me, we can always find a reason to laugh.

A bouquet of Paula’s products, all available on www.amazon.in Picture sourced by the correspondent

Your website lists your achievements. What it doesn’t perhaps talk about are the struggles. Given the radical things you spoke about today, which is different from the common notions about beauty, what were the struggles like?

I don’t know whether I have convinced so many people but I keep trying. I always say that I don’t believe anything. I am all about research, skin physiology, biology, facts and published research. I have been doing this for 40 years but I know 40 years ago, it was way different. It’s about the research. Not the myth. Not the marketing language and the misleading information. It’s hard to come up against the craziness but it doesn’t stop me because I know what I went through as a teenager using products that hurt my skin and made it worse. And, I don’t want anyone to go through what I went through to get as close as possible to the skin I always wanted to have.

Do you love your skin now?

I don’t think I would say love. What I believe about life may be, who you are, what you are, your emotions, everything is work in progress. What I know is that I am working in the right direction. I see a lot of people working against themselves, doing things, as far as skincare is concerned, that doesn’t not only follow research but also hurts your skin and I have more good days than I have bad days. Yesterday morning wasn’t a good day, but this morning was good! (Laughs out loud)

That’s perhaps what we all, especially women, need to understand, right? The fact that we are works in progress and it’s okay to have a pimple! The social media promotes flawlessness and women compare themselves all the time...

Women and men compare themselves, especially women, to some concept, an ideal, which is usually a celebrity of some status. It takes a lot for a woman to recognise that it is only a small part of what our value is in the world. It is very easy to get seduced by that and lose our way. We forget about what it means to be smart, physically healthy, nurture the relationships in our lives in an emotionally healthy way and not just because we look good. We do fall into the trap of comparing ourselves.

What would you tell all the girls about what beauty actually is...

When I think of beauty as a concept, I believe it is mostly about balance. We need to look good is only one aspect. The need to do good deeds, the need to do charity and your job well and take care of your family and children, how well we take care of our lives and those we love... and when we get that out of balance, when we over-focus on one area and not another, then we need to step back and take a look at what meaning we want our life to have.

I think some women don’t have the balance of putting any attention into how they look... their physical well-being and visual well-being. I do strongly believe that it is about finding a balance.

You met Oprah Winfrey early on in your life. What did you learn from her?

I learnt from her that you don’t have to apologise for what you know. I will never forget. We were sitting in the green room and I was disagreeing with somebody about something and was saying it doesn’t match the research. She said you don’t have to apologise about what you know as long as you know you have the facts behind you.

What is your skincare like?

I use Paula’s Choice (laughs). I use my skin balancing cleanser and toner, Skin Perfecting 2% BHA (Liquid Exfoliant), 10% Niacinamide Booster, Peptide Booster, Azelaic Acid Booster, one of my anti-oxidant serums. That is my mainstay and of course during the day, I wear my sunscreen.