With over 25,000 skincare products to choose from no wonder most of us are confused about which products to use. Considering all of the choices there are it’s inevitable that our cabinets are full of products we probably don’t need. According to an article in The Telegraph the average woman uses 16 beauty products everyday! I can’t imagine the amount of time it would take to wash, exfoliate, tone, rub, protect, and make up your face by applying all 16 products. But I can relate to the confusion over what products are best for our skin.
More and more products are being produced every year that promise to reduce fine lines, create glowing skin, eliminate dark spots, and tighten our sagging faces. And it’s no surprise that the growth in the skincare industry is largely in the anti-aging category.
Here’s another interesting fact. Almost all of these products are owned by 7 corporations. Which begs the question—do expensive products work better than less expensive products?
In an article from the New York Times, The $20 Luxury Face Cream, the author opines that beauty brands are changing the way they market through more transparency. According to the author, Chrystal Martin, there is still a lot of misrepresentation in the beauty industry. However, with insiders spilling the beans on the efficacy of claims made by brands it is becoming easier to research these claims. Insiders like Victoria Fu and Gloria Lu who founded Chemist Confessions attempt to unpack the enigma of products in laymen’s terms. In their blog and podcast they reveal how ingredients work. Further, they help to demystify the proprietary formulas claimed on the packaging.
There were some interesting new products that were recommended by Crystal with notes on what ingredients are worth placing on our skin. Ingredients like vitamin C and niacinamide can reduce pigmentation and tighten pores. It also mentions hyaluronic acid which helps our skin retain moisture. And then of course there is the holy grail of ingredients. Retinoids and rentinols have been proven to reduce the appearance of fine lines.
The article was informative enough but what I found much more illuminating were the comments (and I read them all). These comments were quite broad from favorite products to quips on aging. However, there was a consensus from the commenters regarding the subject of skincare.
~Paula’s Choice and The Ordinary are two very popular websites for good recommendations. In addition these will websites explain the benefits of ingredients used.
~We don’t need to spend a lot of money for great products.
~Good genes trumps great products.
~CeraVe is a drugstore gold standard for skincare.
~Sunscreen and retinols (or retinoids) are the 2 most essential products for good skincare.
Eat well, laugh alt, and be chic!
