6 Ways Cosmetic Companies Are Fooling You

This is coming from a beauty and makeup addict. The billion zillion dollar-based cosmetic industry has some best kept dark secrets. The secrets that it does not want you to know. If you come to know these secrets, you would be able to make more informed decisions about a cosmetic product. So here I am writing about how cosmetic companies are fooling you.

1. Natural Skin Care Products are Not All Natural

How many of you actually read the fine print on the products or the ingredients list of a product stating to be all-natural? Even if you read the ingredient list, do you ever try to decipher it? Every week there is a new brand which markets itself as a natural, plant-based line but only few actually adhere to the claim. The key actives of a natural product might be plant-based but those active ingredients cannot sustain on their own. And a lot of chemical-based preservatives and derivatives are added to the products which kind of beat the purpose of being all-natural.

Apart from the false claim, they are priced higher than the other ranges. No wonder this practice is coming really handy for some of the cosmetic brands.

How To Spot All Natural Products?

• An all-natural product would not have a shelf life of 2-3 years. Even natural preservatives, would not add that much of shelf life to a product.
• Once opened, a natural product would change color, texture, and odor. After coming in contact with air and moisture, natural products lose their original color and texture. However, the product may or may not lose its efficacy over a time of period.
• Always go through the complete ingredient list of a product claiming to be all-natural. Try to translate the scientific names to their native names via Google, and you may decide if a product is actually natural.

2. That Special Ingredient Might Not Be Enough

You see a product that claims to contain Argan Oil or Vitamin E along with other special ingredients that are considered to be effective in skincare or hair care. But, the brands mostly restrain from mentioning the actual volume of those active ingredients. So you don’t know what volume of that exotic ingredient you are actually using. Not even sure if that ingredient is present in enough quantity to yield a noticeable result.

For example, In a product, if the active ingredients are present in a volume lesser than 1%, it means the ingredients might not be much beneficial for you. This concentration may vary according to the potency level of the ingredients. In a skin treatment, AHA/BHA could be present in a volume of 1%-30%, while Moisturizing Agents could be present in a volume of 20-80%. An ingredient must be present in the right amount in a product to be really effective.

3. SPF Infused Makeup & Skin Care Do Not Offer Enough Sun Protection

It’s another trend in the beauty industry that beauty and makeup products are infused with SPF10, 15, or 20. Even if it’s a BB Cream With SPF, you should not skip using adequate sun protection. There are 3 reasons to stop relying on SPF infused products.

1. In order to ensure proper sun protection you must apply a coin-sized dollop of sunscreen. Now that could not be always possible with makeup or a moisturizer. You might just use a pea-size amount because that’s all you generally need to moisturize your skin. In case you are using an SPF infused foundation, you might use a bit more but not enough to protect your skin from the sun. Either way, you are not adding enough sun protection to your skin.
2. The issue does not end here. You cannot go on reapplying that SPF infused product (moisturizer, foundation, compact, etc.) every 2 hours (SPF 15 gives a protection for 15 X 5 = 75 minutes). It’s just not practical.
3. if you decide to use more than the required quantity of that SPF infused moisturizer or Foundation, it’s going to cost you more as the SPF infused products are generally priced higher than the normal version.
4. In the long run you are harming your skin, making you run towards commercial products.

Stick with SPF free moisturizer/  makeup and instead use a nice sunscreen which contains SPF higher than 30.

4. Collagen Cannot Really Penetrate Into Your Skin

One of the biggest myth or scam that has been circulated by the beauty industry is that you can actually increase collagen in your skin by certain products that have collagen in them.

Collagen molecule are really big that they cannot penetrate through your the top layer of your skin. They must be broken into amino acid or peptides, which are smaller molecules and can be absorbed by your skin.

So if a product is labeled specially as Collagen boosting because it contains “Collagen”, steer clear of it. Check it’s ingredients and see if amino acid or peptides are mentioned or not if it’s too appealing.

5. Costly Products Are Not Always Effective

This is one of the biggest myths we are currently living in. A brand can be affordable and effective at the same time. I have come across many such brands that offer great products at reasonable prices and are effective.

I remember shelling a big amount on the La Roche Posay products. They are marketed as one of the most effective products for acne-prone skin. I ended up breaking out more while I used these products. But a product worth only Rs. 150 cleared up my acne for good.  The ingredients of these products are the same. Go figure.

If a product looks very impressive, but is costly, check out its ingredients and find a cheaper alternate, 90% of the time, it will work.

6. Not All That Glitters Is Gold

I am referring to the packaging. How many times I have made a fool out of myself when I bought a product because I was really impressed by its packaging. If you love to hoard cute packaging, then you can surely get them all, but if you are only looking for an effective solution, do your research first.

The luxury brands, for example, really splurge on the fancy packaging. And it kind of sells. They really invest in unique and shining packaging of products. This adds to the cost of the product. For example, Forest Essentials Eye Cream, costing about 2600 bucks. This is no doubt an effective eye cream, but it’s too costly because it’s from a luxury brand in India. I have gotten quick and effective results from other eye creams selling under 500 bucks. And their packaging is not bad at all.

How To Be An Informed Buyer?

Read Reviews

They really help. Yes, the PR sponsored reviews are all good, but there are few honest bloggers and YouTubers who really do honest product reviews too. Try to read most of the available reviews and then decide.

Ask Your Friends

There is a possibility, that some of your friends have already used a product. Go ask them. You might even get to try it for free.

Get A Free Sample

One of the most obvious things to do whenever you want to purchase a really costly product is to, request a sample. It’s not that easy in India, though, but in case you happen to be at a big mall, try and get a bit friendly with a salesperson over there, and you might really get few tiny samples. These samples may not be enough to give you visible results. But you will get an idea of the look and feel of the product.

It has happened with me before, that after trying out a sample of a highly publicized product, I kind of didn’t buy it. Because either it was too heavy for me, or I didn’t like its texture or fragrance.

Go Through The Ingredients List

Be it your favorite brand, go through the ingredients list of the product before even buying it. You must be assured of every ingredient listed on the label. Especially if your skin is acne-prone or sensitive, make sure it does not contain any allergens or comedogenic ingredients.

Stick WIth Basic Ingredients & Products

After using some cosmetics you must have understood what your skin needs. So try to stick to those basic ingredients. Your moisturizer, sunscreen or makeup remover does not have to be fancy. If something is working for you, keep on using it.

Disclaimer: I wrote this article because I have been really fed up of the duds I come across every day. I must get a product to test it, but you don’t have to do it. Make an informed decision and spend your money wisely.

Nisha Malik ❤

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