As I read through magazines and listen to what people say about their skin care, I felt compelled to write about the different levels of skin care products.
First, there is the 'drugstore' variety. These are available at most retailers, and they spend lots of money on advertising. This brings about name recognition. A lot of people think that just because they've heard of a brand, it must be good and will produce results. Sometimes this can be true. I will get into how to pick where to spend your skin care dollars in a bit.
Second, there is the 'department store' variety. These seem like very high end products, due to their prices, and again, name recognition. And they have to work, because people in lab coats are telling you they will right? Please keep in mind that most of those lab-coat clothed ladies are not licensed estheticians and do not have an education in skin care, products, or ingredients. They may love skin care, but may not be licensed skin care professionals.
Third, there is the 'direct sale' variety. These are what your next door neighbor may be trying to sell you. They also have name recognition, and enthusiastic people telling you how great they are. And some may be.
Lastly, there are 'professional products'. These are the brands you may never have heard of. Your next door neighbor isn't selling them to you via catalog. You can't go to the mall and buy them. These are the products sold to you by licenced professionals, who can also give you facial treatments, including peels.
Now, let's get into how to determine if a product is good for your skin.
1. Ingredients. Licensed pros know what ingredients work, how they work, and how long they take to work. We will give you realistic time frames to see results. I saw a commercial on TV for a 'drugstore' brand saying you will see reduction in 'spots' in 1 week. Not possible. 4-6 weeks is realisitc, and you have to stick with it for that long and not give up.
2. Concentration of ingredients. If a product says on the front it has 'retinol' in it, it will definitely fix your crows feet right? Wrong. If you go to the ingredient list and retinol (or one of it's many forms) isn't in the 1st 5 ingredients, you will need to use it for months before seeing any results. Will you get results? Eventually. Will you spend as much, if not more than what you would have spent on a professional grade product? Absolutely.
3. Delivery systems. Do you know which order to apply products? Did the person who sold them to you? Did they know why? I'll break it down: The thinner the concentration, the smaller the molecules, the faster the product penetration. So after cleanser and toner, if so desired, then comes serums, eye creams, then moisturers and SPF protection. Most products only work on the surface layers, the epidermis. Only medical grade professional products can penetrate deeper. And these products are only sold by doctors and licensed skin care experts.
4. Price. This brings all of the above into play. Do your research. Yes, you can buy that $15 bottle of night cream, but where are the ingredients that will change your skin on the ingredient list? If they are not in the 1st 5, then you may end up spending $60 until you see results, and that may be 4 months later. Professional products have much higher concentrations of the ingredients that will improve your skin. Spending that $60 to see results in 1 month is a better deal right? But don't let price fool you. Some of the products outside of 'professional' can be pricey. Check the ingredient list.
What about facials? Who can do them? Who should get them? Facials are only to be provided by someone with a valid esthetic license. No one else should be giving you what can be called a facial. If they are, it's illegal. Unlicensed sales people can apply a product to your skin for you to feel. This is not a facial. This is a product demo. What about those OTC peels out there? Some of these have higher concentrations than I personally feel is safe without professional guidance, but I truly don't know how they work, what is in them to protect the skin, etc. But please know, you can overexfoliate and peel your skin, which can speed up the aging process! Leave the peels to the licensed pros!
One more thing about products. The more you hear about it, the more the company is spending on advertising. That means less money in product development. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you need to use ONLY professional products. I've personally recommended products outside of the professional catagory to people. I'm saying, consult a professional and find out what is hype and what will work.
Unsure about what you should be doing to your skin? What you should be putting on it? Ask someone with a valid esthetic license. We are educated solely to provide this information to you.
