Face it, buying skincare can be a real headache because there are so many different products on the market to choose from. Cleansers, toners, scrubs, masks, pastes, serums, SPF and moisturisers; at budget, mid range and luxury prices.
Add that to COVID restrictions which means more of us are choosing products online. Where do you even begin? Which products should you spend your money on and where should you save your pennies?
To try and get some answers, we scanned Palette: the Beauty Bible for Women of Colour by Funmi Fetto for ideas of where to spend and compared these to cheaper alternatives. We chose this book as it is specifically written for Black women by a Black lady herself.
Cleansers
Let’s start with cleansers. These work by breaking down and dissolving make up and grime. There are so many options it can be confusing.
For example, The Inkey List Salicylic Acid Acne + Pore Cleanser is based around one ingredient, salicylic acid, an excellent exfoliant frequently used to tackle congested or oily skin. This product has very few other ingredients.
The luxurious Mario Badescu Acne Facial Cleanser, is designed around salicylic acid too, at twice the price. With more additional ingredients, it soothes and tones your skin as well as cleansing. But in essence, they are the same. We say, save on this one.
Moisturisers
Why do some moisturisers cost a few pounds and others hundred pounds? It’s complicated.
Taking The Ordinary Buffet, this brand is all about affordable and effective. They don’t skimp on quality but have a no frills ingredient-led style. Buffet is a light serum blended to bring hydrating and anti ageing protection. The components include hyaluronic acid and other high tech innovations to deliver multiple benefits.
The Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream is a classic, for body and face, nourishing parched, dry skin. It is a rich balmy paste, a versatile moisturiser but completely different to Buffet. At twice the price, if anti ageing is the issue, we say save, and try Buffet.
Face Masks
The mask category that has grown massively recently in fact, there is now a mask for almost every skin issue.
Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask is for skin that needs moisture and TLC. It oozes prestige, is versatile, packed with antioxidants and ingredients you’d find in a tropical cocktail.
The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Clay Mask is more basic but delivers, deeply purifying for glowing skin, at less than half the price of our luxury option.
If you have severely dehydrated skin or want pampering then go for the Peter Thomas Roth. The gorgeous experience of using this mask treatment will make up for the cost, and could be worth every penny.
Conclusion
My conclusion is that whilst simpler products are cheap and cheerful and prestige cosmetics are more pleasurable to use, the quality is not always that different. Luxury often appears better, with a higher investment on fragrance, texture and feel-good factor, but this will not automatically guarantee the overall product is any more effective. It is all perception.
When brands select powerful ingredients, clinically proven or medical grade technology, that is another story. And we don’t mind paying for it.
However, some mass market cosmetics with high volume sales can afford to spend more on products so the quality gap is getting smaller. The modern approach is to focus on pared down packaging, adding fewer bells and whistles now that consumers are savvy about what they want a product to do.
So save or splurge? For specific skin issues or allergies, it is probably worth spending more to solve a problem, but do get good advice first. For skin with no issues, we say just use what works. Spending more might not guarantee you look better, but the product will feel, smell and look wonderful.
There will always be supremely extravagant and expensive cosmetics as beauty is about image and fantasy. However, as technology improves, we will see many great quality products for less.
