In a recent study one in three women said they would prefer to eat less than reduce their spending on beauty items. This reinforces the mistaken belief that if a product is cheaper it must be of poorer quality.
But does expensive really mean better results for your skin? We asked three independent experts whether more economic skincare can ever compete with the more extortionate.
THE DERMATOLOGIST
“As a practicing Dermatologist who is in daily contact via the web with over 1,500 like-minded colleagues, I will categorically state that I do not believe there is any cream on the market worth spending more than £20 on. I base this on the fact that the best, most researched and validated anti-ageing product of the last 25 years – Tretinoin or Retin-ATM, RetinovaTM, costs between £5 and £14 a tube. However as it is only available as a prescription medicine, this brand of
vitamin A is inaccessible to many who want anti-ageing products. So the beauty industry produce facsimiles, Retinols, which can never be as potent but are none-the-less effective provided they invest in good delivery technology and ingredient profiles to optimise the best possible results for your skin. Nurture’s responsible approach to their clients about skin education is one of the chief reasons I endorse nurture products. The ingredients are scientifically sound and work on your skin, not just producing a change in a test tube. In my opinion, the only thing they lack is an over inflated price tag!”
Dr David Harris, FRCP
THE BEAUTY JOURNALIST
“If there is one thing I’ve learned in 15 years as a beauty editor (and co-author of The Beauty Bible series of books), it is that you don’t need to spend a fortune on fabulous products. Yes, there are women who’ll find £1,500 to spend on an anti-ageing serum (truly!) or £250 on a gilded compact – but the great news is that there’s really, truly no need to break the bank to find fabulous stuff. In my experience, the technology – and the ingredients – in accessibly-priced products are often extraordinarily similar to what you’ll find in that slightly-more-glamorous jar or compact. (And trust me; I spend my life scrutinizing ingredients lists, with the result I now have to wear specs!) OK, maybe you won’t get caviar, or flecks of gold (or gold-plated packaging) – but you’ll still get wonderfully skin-nurturing, cocooning textures, and/or turn-back-the-clock ingredients like advanced peptides or retinol that deliver a radiant glow. And really: why pay £100 for a
retinol treatment – featuring one of the most widely-acknowledged anti-ageing ingredients on the market – when you can buy one for £8.95? And right now, I think we’d all be wise to do just that, and squirrel away the extra for a rainy day – or a sunny vacation…”
Josephine Fairley
THE NUTRITIONIST
“I am a firm believer in looking after ourselves on the inside and out and skincare is no exception. Many of us have had to cut back on life’s luxuries in the current financial climate and possibly even more so as the last Christmas bills roll in, but that doesn’t mean your skin should suffer.
Eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day will ensure you get the vitamin C your skin needs to look and feel healthy but if you can’t manage that or you smoke (smokers absorb 30% less vitamin C from their diet), you should consider a supplement. Two portions of oily fish per week will ensure an adequate intake of omega 3s and nuts and seeds will provide you with vitamin E, essential for healthy skin.
Contrary to popular belief, eating healthily doesn’t have to mean eating expensively and the same can be said of supplements. If your diet isn’t all it should be or you wish to boost the health of your skin, supplements are recommended and they don’t have to break the bank. Choose a brand that you trust and check the labels – when it comes to supplements, four times the price doesn’t necessarily mean four times the benefit.”
Dr Dawn Harper
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