I’m of the mind that anyone and everyone can benefit from a little bit of skincare and makeup….as long as it makes you feel more comfortable. I do have some friends that are so freaked out by the idea of applying eyeliner (or the actual purpose of bronzer) they wouldn’t go near it for a million dollars without a supervisor. The thing is, these friends of mine are usually so comfortable and good-looking in their own skin that they don’t need the stuff anyway. I’ve always been jealous. If I walked out of my house without foundation and at least mascara on, I might as well be stark naked.
My mom bought me my first foundation when I was in sixth grade. It was Chanel (I know, I was lucky to have a generous mother with such excellent taste) and I’ve been wearing foundation every day since. Though if I took the time to count how many foundations (and mascaras, blushes, eyeliners, cleansers, moisturizers, and blemish medications) I’ve tried since sixth grade…nope, never mind. I’m not going to do that.
As far as my skin-type goes, mine’s pretty darn sensitive. It was just as acne-prone as any other teenager’s, but it was the products that made my skin go nuts. Irritation from those products can have lasting effects too, and make your skin over-compensate for long periods of time. Through years of struggling with my over-reactive and sensitive skin, I’ve subjected myself to any number of things that had awful results. Blemishes, dry skin, oily skin, skin that hurt so bad I couldn’t touch it. And no, none of that is from surgery of any sort. If I’d just known a handful of the things I know now, my face and my checking account would be so much happier. I want to share some of the things I’ve learned with you in hopes that someone (somewhere) might luck out sooner than I did. What follows are seven concepts to consider when it comes to navigating the skincare and makeup aisle. Enjoy!
1. Cleansers only need to do one thing. Clean your face.
Most cleansers claim they can help with a variety of skin problems ranging from wrinkles to acne. But remember, you’re simply washing whatever ingredients they claim work miracles right off your face. What sense does that make? Just buy a basic cleanser that removes your makeup, otherwise it’s more like washing your money down the drain.
2. Save that squeaky-clean feeling for your dishes.
Your face should never, ever look or feel like a plate you just pulled out of the dishwasher. If your face has that “squeaky-clean” feel after cleansing (i.e. tight, shiny, dry, etc.) it’s time to switch cleansers. What that feeling means is you’ve stripped your skin of all the moisture and essential oils that keep it balanced. Now your skin is going to retaliate by acting very, very angry. Ever wonder how skin can look flaky but feel oily all at the same time? Yep, your face is angry.
3. Moisturize.
Self-explanatory! The only thing I should add is that exfoliating once and a while will slough dead skin cells off your face and make your moisturizer more effective. Even if you just use your normal cleanser with a clean (clean!) washcloth…I promise you will see a difference no matter what your skin type.
4. Nothing should make your skin worse before it gets better.
If you use a product and it does anything, anything that makes your skin look or feel worse than it was before…stop using it! This one is difficult for me. I always want to believe that after a couple days of “sticking with it,” my skin will magically become radiant through the power of my dedication. I’m still waiting for that theory to pay off.
5. Read the ingredients, no matter how scary they sound.
Knowing exactly what you’re putting on your face can be very eye-opening. Once I began reading the ingredients on the back of my skincare products, I realized I needed to do a little research. Hopefully, you will too. Regardless if they’re synthetic or organic, educating yourself on the ingredients in that bottle will make you more confident in your purchases and eventually help you recognize the things that are beneficial or harmful to your skin. For instance, tocopheryl acetate sounds like saran wrap from outer space, but it’s actually just a term for Vitamin E.
5. Myths versus facts versus straight-up lies: you can learn to tell the difference!
This one can get a bit heavy. So to make it easier and give you an idea of what I’m talking about, here are some quick bullets to get you started.
- Ingredients are listed in order of their amount. The lower on the list, the less of that ingredient there is in the product. Many times, a product will be marketed for including a specific ingredient that might do exactly what they say it does, but there is not enough of it in the product to be effective!
- “Oil-free” is a concept that’s been around for a long time. Guess what? Oil in cosmetics and the oil your skin produces are two completely different things. In truth, ingredients like cosmetics-grade mineral oil are 100% natural and known to be the safest, most non-irritating moisturizing ingredients available. Also, plenty of products that are advertised as oil-free aren’t.
- “Alcohol-free” is a statement to watch for. Once again, many products listed as being “alcohol-free” aren’t. And unlike “oil-free” you really want your products to be “alcohol-free.” Alcohols are harsh, drying, and generally evil. It’s like putting nail polish remover (or vodka) on your face. Ew.
- There are two different types of alcohol. Fatty alcohols (which will generally not have the word “alcohol” in their ingredient name) and low-density alcohols. They’re also referred to as fatty acids. Though both types come from the same organic compounds, fatty alcohols have a higher density and are therefore not nearly as toxic, harmful, or drying. Fatty alcohols are usually just used as thickeners or emollients in many cosmetics (and food!). You’ll see a ton of them if you look on the back of Cetaphil cleanser, which is one of the mildest cleansers you can find. Low-density alcohols are the ones to avoid at all costs. They are found in many toners, astringents, and acne medications, and names for them include: ethanol, denatured alcohol, sd alcohol, benzyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, and isopropyl alcohol. All of them are bad!
- Triclosan is an ingredient found in many hand soaps and acne products. This is because it’s antibacterial. It is also technically a pesticide and a possible human carcinogen. To put it in perspective, it is highly toxic to many forms of marine life. It kills fish, and you might be putting it on your face.
- Packaging is very important, and I’m not talking about whether or not it looks pretty. I’m simply referring to jars versus pumps. Pumps limit the product’s exposure to air and bacteria. Jars are just inviting bacteria to set up house. Also, continuous exposure to air causes a lot of products to break down over time, become unstable, and ultimately less effective.
- AHA’s (alpha hydroxy acids) and BHA’s (beta hydroxy acids) are two very effective exfoliants. They are usually found in a cream, lotion, or serum form. AHA’s slough off dead surface skin cells and BHA’s actually exfoliate the interior of your pores. Both help with acne, blackheads and whiteheads. Hooray! AHA’s and BHA’s require a specific Ph level to be effective. So before you run out and buy a product containing either of these ingredients, check one of the websites listed at the end of this article to make sure they’re even capable of doing their job. Unfortunately, most aren’t.
6. The ladies at the makeup counter will say anything to get you to buy something.
Most of the employees at cosmetics counters live in the same dark closet we do when it comes to the myths and facts of the skincare industry. They will tell you about the miracle ingredients in their products and say they use it every day. They will say that “studies” have shown goodness-knows-how-many-things about the newest cream they got in this week. So when someone at a makeup counter tells you that their entire line of products must to be used together to be most effective, they are lying. They may not know it because they’re told to say that in all their seminars…but they are still lying. If a product really works, it will work regardless if you buy the less effective product sitting next to it. Remember, it’s their job to get you to buy as much as possible, so take everything they say with a grain of salt and try not to feel too pressured when they step on your heels as you stroll around the counter.
7. If it sounds too good to be true…
You know the rest. The only things cosmetics companies are required to tell you on the packaging are the ingredients. After that, they can say anything they want about what those ingredients do. I wish I could vouch for the integrity of the cosmetics industry, but it is an industry and their goal is to get you to buy their product. You know those creams that reverse aging? How about the foundation that self-adjusts to your skin type or the lighting, the serum that can alter the cellular makeup of your skin, and (let’s not forget!) this week’s newly discovered “miracle ingredient?” I want to believe. I really do. But if these products really did everything they claim, they would cost a lot more and most women in the world would be using them. And remember, every magazine that promotes a new product was paid to do it. I know, it hurts my feelings too. But nothing can reverse aging but a talented doctor with a scalpel. We can just do the best we can to enhance and care for what we have.
8. I know I said I’d only subject you to 7 bold-faced headings in this list, but I lied.
Lastly, don’t be intimidated. You can feel confident in the makeup or skincare aisle, and you don’t need to spend a fortune. Just peruse some of the websites below and you’ll see! I simply don’t want anyone to go through what I went through: ten years of trial-and-error that showed on my face which wreaked havoc on my self-concept. My face and I are very happy now, and we want you to be too.
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Please take a look at Paula Begoun’s highly effective website http://www.cosmeticscop.com/. Ms. Begoun’s website continues to be an excellent resource for me. She reviews all brands on a product-by-product basis, picking them apart and comparing companies’ claims to their products’ actual effectiveness.
A slightly harder to navigate but still resourceful website entitled Truth In Aging can be found at http://www.truthinaging.com/. It does much the same as Paula Begoun’s site. It’s just always nice to have a second opinion.
Here is an article entitled “Beyond Parabens: 7 Common Cosmetic Ingredients You Need To Avoid” located at http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/08/beyond-parabens.php. There are a number of very current articles just like this scattered throughout Treehugger.com.
And, as always, if you want to read entries from people who rate things violently and often, you won’t get anything more honest than the product-by-product reviews at http://sephora.com/.
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