First of all, what are you buying???? Do you know what it does? Let me help you, by explaining the different types of skincare available on the market:
1. Cosmetics. This literally means to "change the odour of". U-huh, it's probably not going to do much for you, but trust me, it smells great and probably feels pretty nice. This product sits on top of your skin - she ain't going where the work needs to be done, which is underneath.
You can buy this type of product in the supermarket (but it also exists in salons so be careful). It is mass marketed and does not likely contain active ingredients, that could make serious changes to your skin. The product is made mostly of water and oil, and can often contain nasties like parabens, fragrances, preservatives and fillers.
Verdict: They're easy to find, but why bother?
2. Cosmeceuticals. One step better. As the name would suggest, it is the combination of a "cosmetic" and a "pharmaceutical". This means these types of products have clinically proven ingredients - usually making up about 50-60% of the product. They use pure, active vitamins and minerals, and are generally fragrance and paraben free. You will find these in good salons. Verdict: Better than a cosmetic, but if you're going this far, why not buy a...
3. Cosmedicals. The big guns!! This is the stuff that makes your skin sing, that creates changes you can actually see. These guys are medical strength - the highest doses we can give you, as therapists, without having a doctor write a script. You NEED to have them individually prescribed by a therapist specifically for your skin type, as they can do damage on the wrong skins. Cosmedics are scientifically proven, use loads of awesome technologies to get them deep into the skin (the kind of stuff I can talk for years about,) and are synthetic fragrance free, paraben free and chemical preservative free. The product itself is made up of 70-85% active ingredients. Verdict: Honestly, why wouldn't you use them???
OK, so you now say, "If I'm going to do it, I should do it properly. But I bet those products cost a fortune". One of the most common things I come up against, is clients thinking they have to spend a fortune on skin care.
I can promise you, you don't. You just need a few carefully selected products that suit your skin...
