Pharmaceutical chemist Ben Kaminsky is injecting criticism into the notion that cosmetic surgery is the fountain of youth in his new book "Beyond Botox."

"It's limited in its scope. There's a lot of misunderstanding. Basically it can be used for what we call intrinsic or chronological or hereditary aging. It's not for long-term aging," he told CTV's Canada AM.

Kaminsky, founder of B. Kamins, Chemist skincare line and co-author of "Beyond Botox" says the book provides accurate information on products, treatments and lifestyle changes that protect skin without resorting to needles.

"Basically, our book 'Beyond Botox' really advocates a lifestyle as well but there are some very, very important issues. Because we know more about the structure and biology of skin we can make multi-functional preparations which are very, very helpful," he said.

"In other words we can begin to retard the age spots, we can begin to work on the leathery complexion," he said.

Kaminsky says it's never too late to take charge of one's skin.

"We (now) have materials which are growth substances which we use in our multi-functional preparations, where we can actually regrow collagen fibres and this is totally new," he said.

With these new preparations, chemists can prevent skin from losing its moisture and can also fade the brown spots that appear on aging skin, he said.

Some of the skin-saving foods Kaminsky recommends include:

• Dark blue foods like blueberries or blackberries
• Tea
• Red wine
• Apples
• Calcium-rich foods

To find out how old your skin really looks, take the Skin Age Quiz from "Beyond Botox."

Check each of the following factors that may trigger premature skin aging. Give yourself 1 point if this describes you and 0 if it does not. Add up your score to determine your skin's age.

• Mother had premature skin aging
• Chronic illness such as diabetes
• Osteopenia (early bone loss)
• Long-term medication use
• Normal menopause
• Surgical menopause before 40
• History of poorly treated acne
• History of poorly treated rosacea
• Pale, freckled skin
• Fair skin with tiny pores/moles
• Noticeable fine lines and wrinkles before age 35
• Obese
• Underweight (10 or more pounds under normal weight)
• History of dieting deprivation (too few calories)
• History of binge dieting
• Diet high in processed foods with few fruits/ vegetables
• High fat diet
• Cigarette smoker
• Secondhand smoke
• Heavy alcohol use (more than five drinks on the same occasion, five out of the last 30 days)
• History of excessive exercise
• Sedentary lifestyle
• High-stress lifestyle
• Personal history of precancerous skin lesions and/or skin cancer
• Less than six hours of sleep each night
• History of excessive sun exposure
• Blistering sunburns during first two decades of life
• Infrequent use of sunscreen during childhood
• Use of tanning salons
• Poor skin care hygiene and infrequent use of moisturizer

Now total up your score:

21-30 - Add ten years to your real age to get your skin's age. Your high score indicates your skin may be paying the price for years of neglect.

14-20 - Add six years to your real age to get your skin age. Although you've led a fairly healthy life, there are some lifestyle habits that still need your focus.

6-13 - Add three years to your real age to get your skin age. While there is not a lot of disparity between your skin age and your real age, it doesn't hurt to focus on those health behaviors you might have ignored.

0-5 - Your skin age is your real age. Congratulations! You have aged well and your skin reflects the healthy lifestyle choices you have made over the past decades.