We face a constant barrage of skin care tips, often conflicting, from all sources. With the amount of skin care products on the market, it can be frustrating trying to find products worth their cost. As these products need to be constantly replenished, we also want to feel that it's worth it to keep throwing money at them in a constant cycle. What makes a product good anyways? How do we know what labels to trust? Surely, one would think terms such as'dermatologist tested' as well as ' clinically proven' would steer us into a better direction. Unfortunately, most of the labeling we rely on to validate the effectiveness of products doesn't hold much validity at all. The realm of skin care is highly unregulated and it can be difficult to make sense of what you're seeing. Here are some things to look out for the next time you're out to restock your skincare routine.
1. Higher SPF's don't provide higher sun care protection.
The rate of effectiveness for every increasing SPF above 30 is negligable. If you want to protect your skin from the sun you're better of with liberally applying SPF 30 to SPF 50 in a consistent fashion through out your time in the sun. In addition to SPF, you should be including shade, hats, and clothing as a part of your sun protection routine as well.
2. Collagen doesn't work topically.
Collagen is the main structural component of connective tissue in the body. This includes your skin. It's the bodies slow down of collagen production with age that creates the visual effect of aging. While collagen supplements can aid the look of skin, topical treatments are worthless. Topically applied collagen does nothing to stimulate collagen growth in studies conducted. This is due to it's large molecular structure and inability to penetrate the skin. The most it can do is act as a moisturizer.
3. Hypoallergenic is somewhat of a myth.
According to the FDA, the phrase hypoallergenic isn't really backed up by evidence. The U.S. government doesn't have any set standards a product must meet to be labeled as such nor does it require any testing as proof. Most beauty manufacturers will stick this word on their products without any proof that it causes fewer reactions than competing products. In fact, it's usually used when a product is fragerance free.
4. Dermatologist tested doesn't mean a product is better.
The phrase dermatologist tested means that the product has been tested on human skin and has found to be safe without major skin reactions. It doesn't tell us anything about who the product was tested on, how long, or what results were achieved. In the end, there's no practical value to the phrase and doesn't give any information about the ffectiveness of the product.
5. More expensive doesn't make a product more effective.
Most high end products aren't better than their drugstore counterparts. Typically, they'll use the same ingrediants such as hyaluronic acid, niacinamide or retinol. Most often the biggest expense for a company comes from thier marketing campaign. Their draw comes from the desire to be a part of the luxury and high end lifestyle these brands sell. People who can afford these products revel in their ability to do so while those who cannot strive to be able to buy them. In the end, expense does not equate to effectiveness.
6. Clinically proven doesn't mean anything
There is no regulation to when the term "clinically proven" can be used. It's a marketing tactic that gives a deceptive stamp of approval to the product. At times no study is conducted and even if one was, there's no assurance that it was a properly undertaken or provided significant results.
7. SPF in non suncreen products doesn't mean there's much protection.
Seeing your makeup or skincare products have additional SPF can be reassuring. However, this can be misleading. In reality, SPF is added to products to protect them from degrading in the sun. If you look at the ingrediants list and see suncreen as the third or fourth ingrediant, it's not going to protect your skin from the suns rays. So regardless of the SPF contents of your products, make sure to apply suncreen as a step in your skin care.
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