Skin Care – Are You Getting Your Money’s Worth?

When it comes to skin care, are you getting your money’s worth?

There are those who subscribe to the philosophy that if something costs more, it must be better. But as with most things in life, this isn’t necessarily true. Marketers spend an awful lot of time creating packages, coming up with a name and creating a ‘story’ to help move their product. And this applies to all consumer goods from your favorite pair of designer jeans to the breakfast cereal you love and most definitely to the cream you put on your face at night.

While I can’t comment on how or why you select your jeans (I just know that for some strange reason, my body always seems to prefer the more expensive ones), I can tell you a bit about skin care. More expensive doesn’t necessarily always mean better.

Good skin care products need a combination of:

1. Effective ingredients. Some skin care ingredients are pricey, others are not. Regardless, look for products supported by research to do what they say they can do. And, ensure that they contain enough as well – pinches here and there don’t cut it.
2. Sound formulation. Formulations may take years of research, require complicated manufacturing techniques or they may be very easily put together. The technique can impact a product’s price.
3. Appropriate packaging. Ingredients may be light or air sensitive. If so, they’ll need more complex packaging to help protect their integrity. Pretty bottles aren’t essential, (though they do look fantastic on your counter…). They can be costly and in many cases, you may be paying more for the fancy packaging than the ingredients themselves.
4. Reliable preservatives. If a product breaks down or becomes contaminated quickly, there’s no point in buying it. Don’t always fall for the ‘natural’ claim.

As a layperson it’s hard to know for certain whether the serum you’re buying contains expensive ingredients or not. If you do your research, you’re less likely to be fooled by attractive containers or persuasive marketing. And if you do fall for that crystal bottle – well we’re all human aren’t we?