Dr. Leslie Baumann has a deep passion for dermatology and skin care. Through patient care, a professorship at the University of Miami, research on all the major cosmeceutical injectable procedures, multiple patents and authorship of a monthly Cosmeceutical Critique column for dermatologists for 15 years in addition to 3 bestselling books, Dr. Baumann has contributed to dermatological innovation in multiple ways. In 1997, while at the University of Miami, Dr. Baumann founded the first, and most famous, university-based academic cosmetic dermatology research center. In 2009 the entire division spun out of the University and became the Baumann Cosmetic and Research Institute (BCRI). Dr. Baumann is a sought after authority on cosmetic dermatology procedures, cosmeceuticals, aesthetic practice management, women- led businesses and entrepreneurship activities. She is well known internationally acclaimed as a board-certified dermatologist, author, media personality, researcher, consultant, lecturer, and CEO of two prosperous businesses.
Books
Dr. Baumann loves to teach and this shows in the plethora of publications that she has contributed to. She is a frequent contributor to medical publications and has over 170 medical journal articles. She authored the skincare chapter in the prestigious Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology in General Medicine and the well-known textbook Neligan’s Plastic Surgery. She has also written chapters in many other textbooks including Pearls and Pitfalls in Cosmetic Oculoplastic Surgery, Minimally Invasive and Office-Based Procedures in Facial Plastic Surgery, and Textbook of Aging Skin. She self-authored 2 textbooks, Cosmetic Dermatology: Principles and Practice which is translated into 8 languages and is the best selling cosmetic dermatology textbook in the world.Her latest textbook Cosmeceuticals and Cosmetic Ingredients reviews the literature on the most commonly used cosmeceutical ingredients. The Skin Type Solution, which landed a spot on the New York Times Bestseller List in 2005, has been translated in many languages including Portuguese, Korean, Vietnamese and Chinese. She is in the process of converting some of the content to video so check out her youtube channel called SkinTypeSolutions.
Research
Many companies recognize Dr. Baumann’s artistic skill and skill with injectables and choose her to do the injections for the FDA research trials of the most important cosmetic procedures. BCRI has performed most of the major FDA Phase 3 trials of groundbreaking procedures such as topical botulinum toxin, Botox, Dysport, Kybella and new dermal fillers such as Juvederm, Restylane, and Voluma in addition to body sculpting devices such as the Ultrashape Power. BCRI research focuses on treatments for aging skin, excess body fat, acne, rosacea, melasma and other skin issues that affect the skin’s health and appearance. Search “Baumann” at clincialtrials.gov or visit Derm.net to see what trials she is working on now. Emails studies@derm.net if you live in Dade County and want to be considered for a trial. If you do not live in Miami but want to be involved in skincare trials in which we test the latest skincare innovations by mailing you products to try and tracking your progress, visit Virtualtrialfacility.com. Dr. Baumann has filed multiple patents on new technologies. There are always 5 – 10 interesting research projects going on at BCRI, however, they are often confidential until the FDA has approved the technology. Stay tuned at LeslieBaumannMD to hear breaking news. When possible, we will discuss new treatments first here.
Patient Care
Today BCRI is one of the busiest cosmetic dermatology practices in the world. Dr. Baumann and multiple providers that she has trained including doctors, physician assistants and aestheticians, treat patients from around the world. Patients have the option of a Skype consult before they fly to Miami specifically for injectable treatments and skincare advice. Dr. Baumann and her team specialize in injectables to change the facial shape to enhance beauty while maintaining a natural look. They are invited to conferences worldwide to teach their artistic techniques. The BCRI team has extensive experience with skin tightening procedures using technologies such as Ulthera, Venus Legacy and Velashape and are frequent lecturers on these emerging technologies. Body contouring using technologies such as Kybella, Ultrashape Power, Liposonix and Velashape are also a focus of BCRI. BCRI has 8 laser and light systems that can be used to treat rosacea, acne, warts, tattoos, excess hair and melasma. Visit derm.net to learn more.
Skin Type Solutions
In 2004, Dr. Baumann developed an innovative system of 16 Baumann Skin Types® that led to a New York Times Bestseller in 2005 called The Skin Type Solution (Bantam Del). For 10 years Dr. Baumann researched the effects of skincare on the various Baumann Skin Types and developed optimal regimens using a variety of brands. Patients from around the world came to the University of Miami to be skin typed by Dr. Baumann and prescribed a customized regimen. During this time, she published multiple publications about using the skin typing system to diagnose the patient’s skin type and prescribe an efficacious skincare regimen. Other doctors began asking her if they could use her system, so in 2015, she founded Skin Type Solutions Franchise Systems LLC which allows chosen doctors to franchise and use her validated methodologies. By Oct 2016, 77 offices in 18 states were using the Skin Type Solutions® methodology in their medical practice. (You can find a doctor in your area at SkinTypeSolutions.com) Dr. Baumann personally develops training materials to teach the doctors and their staff about current skincare technologies and cosmetic dermatology procedures so that her franchisee doctors have access to all the latest technologies and information.
International presence
Dr. Baumann’s online course and interactive training sessions are legendary for being engaging and interactive. Her history as a professor at the University of Miami and her passion for teaching are obvious when you attend one of her courses. She is frequently invited as a speaker around the world and is a member of many advisory boards. Brands such as Vichy, Skinceuticals, Dove, Rationale and Dior have invited her to speak in symposiums around the world. In 2015, she headed the Master Class on Cosmeceuticals at the prestigious IMCAS meeting in Paris. Dr. Baumann had a cosmetic dermatology internship at the University of Miami for international dermatologists and has trained 54 dermatologists around the world. That program ended in 2015 because she became too busy with her Skin Type Solutions Franchise business. She still has close links with these doctors who help her discover the latest cosmeceutical technologies worldwide. Many are facebook friends and they get together at various dermatology conferences.
These relationships have led to the discovery of superior technologies such as the MLE technology found in the world’s best moisturizer from South Korea known as Zerafite and PAORR Argan Oil from Morocco.
Inspiration
Since Dr. Baumann was a young girl in Lubbock Texas, she wanted to be a doctor. She also was, and still is, an avid reader of biographies. Her favorite biographies were notable cosmetic CEOs such as Charles Revson, Helena Rubenstein, Mary Kay, Estee Lauder and Elizabeth Arden. This is one of the many factors that led to her interest in dermatology. In the early 1990s when EBay was founded she began to collect vintage compacts and vintage cosmetic ads. In 1997 it was a natural choice to take the position offered to her as the Director of COsmetic dermatology at the University of Miami. In 1998 her involvement in the early stages of Botox research paved the way for a lifelong dedication to scientific cosmetic dermatology investigation, well before cosmetic dermatology was recognized as a legitimate specialty. She still collects vintage cosmetic and ads and her award winning office was designed by architect Alan Shulman to showcase this carefully curated collection.
What Are Some of Dr. Baumann’s Favorite Skin Care Products?
Dr. Baumann’s mantra is there is no one best brand and no one best skin care product. It is the combination of products in the regimen that matters and the regimen must be carefully tailored to the patient’s Baumann Skin Type. In general, she believes that most skin types need three key skin care ingredients: sunscreen, antioxidants, and retinoids. Dr. Baumann recommends that you accurately determine your skin type so that you can custom-tailor your products to fit your unique needs. Using the correct skincare regimen EVERY day is the secret to beautiful healthy skin. You can learn more about the 16 different Baumann Skin Types at www.skintypesolutions.com/skintypes or shop for products right for your skin type at skintypesolutions.com. Generally speaking, here are some of Dr. Baumann’s personal favorites when it comes to products:
Skinceuticals CE Ferulic, Jan marini C-ESTA Face Serum for its antioxidant content
Essopi 2x Retinol serum or SkinMedica Retinol 0.025% for a retinol treatment
Zerafite Barrier Repair Moisturizer for Dry Skin
Obagi Sunshield Sunscreen, PCA Weightless Protection Sunscreen or Elta MD Physical
PCA Creamy Cleanser for Dry skin types
Sente Dermal Repair Cream for those who cannot tolerate retinol
PAORR Argan Oil or Zerafite Soothing and Calming Face Cream for rosacea prone skin
Nolio facial cleanser for oily skin types
Some Insider Skin Care Tips from Dr. Baumann
As a world-renowned dermatologist, Dr. Baumann is quite informed about which brands are doing the best clinical testing and research on skincare products. In fact, she is often the one that performs the testing or advises the companies on what the best cosmetic ingredients are to include in skin care products. She has worked with over 56 cosmeceutical companies in the last 20 years. She considers herself unbiased because “She has worked for almost every company.” She has intimate knowledge about which ingredients and delivery systems are the most effective. She is passionate about skincare and reads every new study published in the dermatology literature. Dr. Baumann’s advice is: “Choosing the most appropriate products for your skin really is more than simply picking up the latest trending brand and trying it on for size.You need to choose products that are right for your skin’s unique issues. Knowing your Baumann Skin Type is the first step to having great skin.” When shopping for your skin care products, keep these tips from Dr. Baumann in mind to help save you time, money, and your skin’s health.
Watch out for “buzz words” like hyaluronic acid, peptides, oxygen, and stem cells. These ingredients may not effectively pass through the skin’s outer protective barrier, rendering them useless. Oxygen may actually increase the amount of free radicals causing damage to the skin. Stem cells cannot function properly in skin creams and should be avoided. Hyaluronic acid is a good moisturizer but must be formulated properly to prevent the skin drying out in dry climates. Peptides inactivate other ingredients in the formulation.
Pay attention to combinations of ingredients. Glycolic acid and salicylic acid, for instance, can efficacy the efficacy of other ingredients by lowering the pH.
For some ingredients, the packaging matters. Vitamin C is an excellent skin care ingredient, but it needs to be formulated, packaged and stored correctly in order to be effective, as air and light can break it down. The best Vitamin C serums are expensive. Be suspicious of cheap knock offs.
What’s Next?
With so much already on her resume, it might seem like Dr. Baumann has accomplished her goals and then some! But in truth, there’s still so much more that she hopes to achieve, including helping more dermatologists use the skin typing system in their offices, setting up a formal educational system on skin care, and identifying the genes that she’s currently investigating. And in the meantime, Dr. Baumann is happy to be able to spend lots of time with her two teenage boys and husband of 24 years. She stays balanced by cooking almost every night, reading Proust, weight training and doing yoga as often as possible.