Unlike good wine, skin doesn’t improve with age. Over time, your skin gets wrinkled, dull, and speckled with brown spots. Keeping your skin looking as healthy as possible is essential, but many beauty treatments are a waste of money. Here is a list of 10 beauty products that don’t deliver as promised.
Skincare is a big deal.
Your skin is the biggest organ in your body, so it makes sense to take good care of it. The Journal of Clinical Investigation reports that Americans spend $43 billion a year on topical creams, enhancements like Botox, and spa treatments. Your daily skincare routine can have a big impact on the quality of your skin. Using the right products with the right ingredients best for your complexion can make all the difference.
The two biggest skincare woes
Wrinkles
As you age, your skin naturally wrinkles from over-exposure to ultraviolet light of the sun (UVA), environmental causes, and gravity. Many products promise to make your wrinkles go away, but most of them don’t work.
Age spots
Liver spots or age spots are brown, flat spots that show up on your skin. They’re caused by years of being in the sun. You usually get them on your face, neck, arms, and back. Daily use of a good sunscreen can slow down and even prevent them. The American Academy of Dermatology Association recommends using a sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 30. This number will block at least 97% of the sun’s UVA rays. Higher numbers will block even more UVA rays. Reapply the sunscreen every two hours if you’re outside all day.
Dermatologists say these 10 beauty treatments waste your money.
Save your money, don’t fall into the trap of spending your hard-earned dollars on these things.
1 – Expensive cleansers
It’s important to clean your skin. A cleanser’s role is to remove makeup, dirt, and oils that have accumulated on your face during the day. Because the cleanser isn’t on your skin that long, they really do little besides clean your skin. Expensive cleansers that promise to remove wrinkles aren’t worth your time or money. Choose a facial cleanser that suits your skin type. Here is what to look for according to your skin type.
Dry skin
If your skin is dry, don’t choose a cleanser that strips your skin of moisture. Choose a gentle cleanser to remove dirt and oil but not dry out your skin even more. Never use hot water on your face. Instead, rinse your face with warm water. Hot water can dry your skin even more.
Oily skin
Foaming cleansers are supposed to be better for cleaning oily skin. There are gentle facial cleansers made just for oily skin. These cleansers usually contain alpha-hydroxy acids like glycolic acid, citric acid, and lactic acid. These ingredients remove dead skin cells as you wash your face.
2 – Cellulite and stretch mark creams
Stretch marks and cellulite aren’t attractive, but they’re normal for aging skin. According to dermatologists, creams that swear to rid you of cellulite and stretch marks don’t work long term. They’re temporary at best. If you really hate the way the stretch marks and cellulite looks, you can talk to your dermatologist. Some medical procedures can diminish cellulite and stretch marks. Exercise is also helpful to tone and diminish the look of cellulite. Otherwise, save your money and don’t buy cellulite and stretch mark creams.
3 – Eye creams
You have ultra-delicate skin under your eyes. This skin sometimes becomes wrinkled and dark. Eye creams may do a little to remove these wrinkles. If you use a good moisturizer on your face, use the same moisturizer under your eyes to hydrate the tender skin. Moisturizers like vitamin C serum, retinoid cream, and sunscreen may be all you need to keep the skin under your eyes looking good instead of paying for a high priced eye cream.
4 – Toners
Toners are used after you cleanse your face. They make your face feel tingly clean. They may be good to remove excess oil and exfoliate, but a good cleanser can do the same thing. Don’t waste your money on a toner just because it smells nice and feels good on your skin. It’s a waste of money. Some toners actually irritate your skin and actually unset your skin’s natural oils. This is a wasted beauty treatment you don’t need to buy.
5 – Self-tanners
Self-tanning creams may be better than sitting out in the sun all day or going to a tanning salon, but if you have an obsession with changing your skin tone, it could reveal that you are having a hard time with body image issues. Feeling like a tan makes you look better means you aren’t comfortable in your skin. It’s important to accept your beauty rather than trying to look like someone else. Your natural skin tone is the healthiest one for you. Enjoy how you look! Try to find ways to accentuate your beauty rather than hide it.
6 – Pore shrinking creams
Pores are tiny openings that keep your skin healthy. Your pores are hereditary, and they tend to look larger as you age. Keeping your skin hydrated and clean can reduce the appearance of your pores. Products that promise to shrink the size of your pores aren’t telling you the truth. Some products can reduce the size of your pores temporarily, but not long term. That’s not physically possible. Be sure to use sunscreen every day since too much sunlight can cause your pores to look larger. Retinoids can also help your pores look smaller.
7 – Pore strips
Pore strips are trendy and sort of fun to use, but not worth much more. If you have clogged pores, pore strips can’t do a deep clean of your pores. You can better clean your clogged pores by using a natural facial scrub, steam, or a charcoal mask to do the job.
8 – Pricey facial masks
Facial masks are popping up everywhere. They genuinely can make a difference in the appearance of your skin, but this may be short term at best. Like many other things, you get what you pay for, but this doesn’t mean you need to pay a fortune to get a good facial mask. The most important thing to look for is the quality of the ingredients. The cheaper a mask is, the cheaper the ingredients will be. Look for ingredients like
- Yogurt
- Papaya
- Benzoyl peroxide
- Salicylic acid
- Clay
- Charcoal
But in the end, a daily skincare routine using a gentle cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen can actually be the best beauty treatment you need to use.
9 – Coconut oil
Because coconut oil is a natural oil, it’s easy to assume it will be good for your face. Wrong! Although it could be a decent one-day moisturizer in a pinch, coconut oil isn’t good for your face. It’s known to clog pores and cause acne breakouts. Coconut oil tends to sit on top of your skin, which suffocates your skin’s ability to breathe. Keep your coconut oil in the kitchen instead of on your face.
10 – Eye masks
Skincare trends come and go. Eye masks are flaunted as the new anti-aging wonders. Although eye masks can make the skin under your eyes look brighter and less wrinkled, it’s usually short term at best. Like facial masks, eye masks contain ingredients that plump up your skin and reduce fine lines and wrinkles short term. So, if you need a quick under-eye boost, you can try an eye mask, but don’t expect your new look to last too long.
How can you keep your skin healthy?
Good skincare should occur over your lifetime, but years of being out in the sun cause wrinkles and age spots. Fortunately, it’s never too late to begin good skincare. You can not only eliminate some damage done from years of poor care but prevent further damage to your skin. Follow these simple tips to keep your skin looking healthy and bright.
Use sunscreen
Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher to block the sun’s dangerous UVA rays. Plan on sunscreen all year round, not just in the summer and even when it’s cloudy outside since UVA rays can penetrate through clouds. If you’re outside for a long time, reapply the sunscreen every two hours.
Wear sun-protective clothing
Wear a hat with a wide brim to protect your ears, face, neck, and head. Also, wear sunglasses that block UVA rays. Choose lightweight long-sleeved shirts, skirts, and long pants if you’re out in the sun for a long time.
Don’t tan
Our culture still views a tanned face as healthy, but in reality, tanned skin means skin damage such as age spots, wrinkles, and maybe even cancer. In the United States, approximately three people die of skin cancer every hour.
Final thoughts on finding beauty treatments that give you the best bang for your buck
Beauty treatments come and go, but good skincare never goes out of style. The sun’s UVA rays and environmental toxins may cause your skin to age, but maintaining a daily skincare routine is can keep your skin looking healthy. There are many trendy products on the market, making it difficult to decide what is really worth the money. Although these 10 beauty products sound good, they can’t deliver as promised, so don’t waste your money. Instead, choose a gentle cleanser, good moisturizer, and sunscreen to keep your sin looking the best it can throughout your life. You can also attend some Dermatology Trade Shows to learn more about the right beauty treatment for you.
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