The Do's and Don'ts of Choosing Cosmetic Products
Hi everyone,
Have you ever been in the situation where you needed a moisturizer or a toner, or any other cosmetic product but found it difficult if not impossible to make a decision? The market is saturated with products that promise more or less the same thing. How to choose a cosmetic product that will benefit you personally can be confusing and frustrating. To add to the confusion, many brands are made by the same manufacturer and within one brand there are several and very similar products and prices. So, shell we choose by brand? By price? By the package? Many of us were forever told that "you get what you paid for" and so we will gravitate towards a more expensive and luxurious looking product with the hope that the price tag reflects its quality.
I have been in this situation many times in the past where though I couldn't afford very expensive cosmetics, so I mostly used drugstore products and was satisfied but from time to time I would be tempted to splurge especially when there were offers of "Gift with Purchase" and the promise that this gift is a " $75 value". Indeed, when I think about it now, it was probably worth no more that $10, and the bag it came in was the most expensive.
Cosmetic marketing is based on emotions, and who among us doesn't wish to be prettier, younger looking, more attractive in every way possible? It's human nature to want to look and feel better and so the whole marketing system is based on giving us an everlasting hope of being and looking better. We are willing to be convinced that this hope is attainable for the "meager" price of a lotion in an attractive jar.
When I went back to school to study aesthetics I learnt a lot about the chemistry and ingredients that go into cosmetics. Chemistry was never a subject I knew well, but at the Beauty School I developed a strong interest in this field and since graduating I started to do a lot of research into what goes into the cosmetic products we purchase as well as the myths and misconceptions surrounding the cosmetic industry.
So, in this blog I simply want to share with you what I have learnt about buying good cosmetic products to suit your personal needs. This of course, is the key. The cream, cleanse, toner, makeup, etc. that you want to purchase must first and foremost be the right kind and have the right ingredients for your individual skin type and skin condition.
OK, Lets start with the DON'T
DON'T
Buy by brand name
A well known cosmetic brand doesn't guarantee the quality of its product. Moreover, giant companies like Unilever L’Oreal, and P&G own many other brands. For example, here is an article in the INSIDER called "These 7 companies control almost every single beauty product you buy" (http://www.thisisinsider.com/companies-beauty-brands-connected-2017-5)
Does this mean that all these products are formulated exactly the same? According to cosmetic chemists Perry Romanowski and Randy Schueller from The Beauty Brains (http://thebeautybrains.com) "Sometimes yes, sometimes no". This means that it's very hard to tell which company is making which products. The only way is to check the ingredients "Take a look at the ingredients in Loreal’s Kerastase Nutritive Oleo-Relax Smoothing Hair Masque and L’Oreal Vive Pro Smooth Intense Conditioning Treatment and you’ll see they are are almost EXACTLY the same" (http://thebeautybrains.com/2008/07/a-beauty-industry-secret-who-really-makes-your-cosmetics/).
Price
Expensive doesn't always mean better. Looking at the example above, the two products made by L'Oreal; one at $50 cost to the consumer and the other at $4.99, are basically the same product. (http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/12/how-kerastase-kills-your-cash/). Again, check the ingredients. Bear in mind that many times we are asked to pay more for the packaging and the marketing.
Jar Packaging
As expensive and as luxurious as it may look, creams and lotions in jars should be avoided. The wide opening of the jar exposes the product to oxygen and bacteria whenever you open it and stick the finger in it. products containing antioxidants will lose their potency very fast in a jar container.
Don't be fooled by claims of "100% natural
Poison mushrooms are 100% natural, that doesn't mean I'll put them in my omelette. There are many natural ingredients that are harmful. People with sensitivities maybe allergic to many natural products. Also, does 100% natural mean no preservatives? Think about what happens to a fruit or vegetable if you leave it on the kitchen counter for several days? They go bad, and so do cosmetic products with no preservatives. I believe that no one will put a moldy cream on their skin.
A product that may be good for your friend may not be good for you
Don't purchase a product based on how good it was for someone else. Everyone is different, and different skin types and conditions need different ingredients. Your friend may have normal skin which is not sensitive. You may have sensitivities to some ingredients present in her product. What may be good for your friend may be harmful to you.
DO
Determine your skin type and condition
Before you decide to purchase a product make sure you examine your skin and know its type and condition. Ingredients for oily skin may be irritating for dry or sensitive skin. Which leads us to the next DO.
Read the ingredients
According to the cosmetic chemists Perry Romanowski and Randy Schueller, the first 5 ingredients are the most important. After water the "...4 or 5 ingredients are usually the ones responsible for the primary functional properties of the product...After the fifth ingredient everything else is probably below the 1% line". Remember that some important ingredients like preservatives must be below 1% and they will appear towards the bottom of the list (http://thebeautybrains.com/2015/03/how-can-i-tell-the-percentage-of-ingredients-in-cosmetics/). Compare ingredients list of the product you are considering. Also, pay attention to ingredients that may cause skin reaction like fragrances. Another example is the famous Dead Sea products. The impression is that these products contain lots of beneficial ingredients from Dead Sea. Notice the ingredients of a well know Dead Sea cosmetic company. I highlighted the only Dead Sea ingredients in green. Notice how far down the list these ingredients are. In addition to having no potency at this level, "Dead Sea Water" is basically salt water. nothing special in that. Arguably Dead Sea mud may be beneficial but when it's listed at the end of the list the amount in the product has no potency.
Aqua (Mineral Spring Water), Glycerin, Ceteareth-20 and Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Propanediol, Cetyl Alcohol, Alanine and Creatine, Glycerin, Glycine, Magnesium Aspartate, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Urea, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, 1, 2 Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Aqua (Water), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Propylene Glycol, Maris Sal (Dead Sea Water), PEG-40 Stearate, Xanthan Gum, Sorbitan Tristearate, Tocopheryl (Vitamin E) Acetate, Silt (Dead Sea Mud), Parfum (Fragrance), Lactic Acid, Saccharide Isomerate, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal.
In other words there is nothing special about this product except its price. Adding a pinch of salt to the product enables the company to call it a "Dead Sea Product". Don't be fooled.
Read professional reviews
Read reviews that don't focus only on how the product feels or smells, but focus on ingredients. There are several beauty blogs that have in-depth discussion of ingredients and science. One that I use a lot is The Beauty Brains. Another is Beautypedia. While The Beauty Brains is a scientifically based blog the Beautypedia reviews products based on the ingredients and irritants and also categorizes products based on skin types. However, not all the reviews on this site are objective or even 100% accurate, but each review also includes customers' review and an explanation about the rating based on specific criteria.
check ingredients dictionaries
A quick Google search will bring up several cosmetic ingredients dictionaries online. Most of us who do not have a chemistry background are baffled by the different chemical names and functions appearing on the ingredients list. This is easy to check and each term in these dictionaries explains the function of each ingredient. Indeed, the ingredients lists are long, but your can check the main ingredients.
Ingredients: Deionized Aqua (Water), Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C), Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel), (Plant based) Hyaluronic Acid, Carbomer, Arginine, Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba Oil), Retinyl Palmitate (vitamin A), Tocopheryl (Vitamin E), Ethyl Hexyl Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Organic Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola Extract), Organic Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail Plant Extract), Organic Pelagonium Gravoleons (Geranium Extract), Organic Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion Extract), Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf (Aloe)