Are you ever confused about the commercials you hear touting the benefits of Oil of Olay or L’Oreal’s anti-aging formulations?  Or, wonder if you’re being a chump by continuing to buy much more expensive products from the department store?

In this article, Diana de la Torre, an experienced aesthetician, gives us some of her rules of thumb when it comes to discerning how good a home skin care product really is. 

Everywhere women turn there is an advertisement promising miracle results for all your skin care needs. From Oil of Olay to Aveda, the skin care industry is filled with poor quality products that produce little to no results, supported by phenomenal marketing that boasts amazing effects. Women (and sometimes men too) are jaded by the hundreds of dollars they have spent for watered down “snake oil.”
 
So, how do my clients navigate through a saturated market full of false hope? I believe the key lies in educating clients on the importance of understanding home care. I like to teach them how they can decipher the secret code of a true quality product, versus diluted preservatives with a little water thrown in for consistency.
Let’s start with my five rules of thumb!

1) If you can purchase it in a mall, catalog, pharmacy, or grocery store, it’s probably not an effective product.

Famous brand names have made their homes in malls everywhere. I have many clients who swear by these big name brands, but they usually have genetically good skin. My clients who struggle with true skin disorders have learned early on that investing in good products is a necessity.  In order for store-brand products to be readily available in store after store, for the low prices they offer, they have to be cheaply made. Think about it! It’s simple economics.

2) If the first three to five ingredients are the active ingredients, you have a winner!

Just like in food labeling, the FDA requires that skin care products list their ingredients with the first ingredient being the highest concentration. Typically, in low quality products, the active ingredients are listed near the bottom of the list. This indicates that the product is mostly preservatives, fillers, and water.  It will also help to learn the scientific names of these products. For example, Vitamin E is labeled as tocopherol.
 
3) Is the person recommending the product a licensed skin care specialist?

Experienced licensed estheticians are usually the best people to ask about products. They are sometimes more educated in skin care than dermatologists! A good esthetician will research and personally try out the product line that they choose for their practice. They will understand how each ingredient works on skin and recommend the ideal product for you.
Pyramid companies like Arbonne, Avon, and Mary Kay, usually have sales people who have not earned a license and are selling products as a part time income source. Also, what works for others, won’t always work for you. Just because your friend likes a product, doesn’t mean it is good for your specific skin needs. Many estheticians conduct complimentary skin analyses. A skin analysis is the best way to start to find the right skin care treatments for you.
 
4) Ignore the marketing and the fragrances.

Most skin care companies spend more money on celebrity endorsements, catchy marketing, and container design than they do in research and development. In other words, they spend more money trying to convince you that products work, instead of investing in developing products that actually yield results. Another tactic that companies use to sell low-quality products is adding an appealing fragrance. Fragrances may make a product pleasant to use, but they present many problems. Artificial fragrances increase the risk of rashes and allergic reactions because they are commonly paired with harmful ingredients that preserve the scent. Naturally scented products, on the other hand, are okay.   5) All Natural or Not At All?

Organics are growing in popularity and are actually my preference in skin care. The reason I prefer true organic products, is because they are more readily absorbed in the skin than synthetic ones. However, there are many excellent synthetic lines that work wonderfully. The rule of thumb here, is that if you choose an organic skin care line, make sure it’s really organic. Many famous “all natural” lines are in fact 100% manufactured. Aveda, for example, hides behind great fragrances and clever marketing, when in fact, they are a synthetic line.