Everyone loves the thrill of being thrifty. Bargain shopping can be fun, and the challenge can be thrilling. Finding that elusive sale, the sense of victory when you win a steal. That's probably ok when you're looking to conquer antiquing or decorating. Looking for the biggest bargain is probably not a good practice when it comes to your skin care.
There really is something to be said for quality, especially when it comes to what goes into the products designed to nourish and care for the largest organ of your body: your skin.
Cheaply produced and packaged products with catchy titles probably worked okay for you when you were in your teens, but your more mature self deserves more respect.
Just like the bargain basement toilet paper your partner came home with last month, there are some serious holes in a skin care routine that hasn't had any thought put into it. Now, that's not to say that you need to go out and purposefully spend an arm and a leg to buy the most expensive skin care products on the market just because. What you should do is pay attention to quality and arm yourself with the best skincare products that your budget can afford.
When it comes to the best skincare, we're talking about the best for you. The best for your skin. The best for your goals.
Understand Your Skin
Typically what has the catchiest commercial or looks the prettiest on the storeroom shelf isn't necessarily what's best for your skin. It doesn't matter what fabulous new potion you come home with tomorrow, if it's not chosen to suit your particular skin's needs, it's not really good for too much of anything. Take some time to get to know your skin before being side-tracked by shiny packaging.
Look at your face through a magnifying mirror and analyze it. What is your skin type? Are you seeing broken capillaries? Pale or sallow skin? Is your skin the same all over, or do you have certain problem spots? Are you oily in the T-zone and dry in your cheeks? Do you have dark patches on your cheeks or forehead? "Think of your skin as having different ecosystems," says Kate Somerville, an L.A.-based aesthetician who caters to celebrities such as Katherine Heigl. "Are you dry around the eyes but experience hormonal breakouts on your chin? It's all about treating these areas with the right products." It's definitely worth taking some time to figure out exactly what your skin care needs are. If you aren't quite sure where to begin, it's good to invest in a trip to your dermatologist for some guidance.
If you have skin problems, chances are that using the wrong products on your skin will only make things worse.
The Best Ingredients Make All the Difference
The thing that makes a quality product is quality ingredients. In looking for the best skincare products for you, look for things that are going to be right for your skin type and address the problems you want to fix. There is nothing more important to the overall effectiveness of a product than the ingredients that go into it. Let's face it; you typically get what you pay for here. Do your own comparison and look at the difference in cost of products that contain high levels of filler ingredients versus high levels of active ingredients; lab-created compounds versus sustainably sourced extracts.
The right ingredients are able to do the job. Just be careful of what you read on labels. Remember, you're shopping for effect, not promise. You're looking to see the action words for what the product can do, not just obtuse promises. Seek products that have a high percentage of active ingredients involved.
Take Your Time
What is best for you and your skin isn't necessarily immediately discernible. Sometimes it takes a little while to allow products to work their magic before you know they're the one. A zit-on-the-run shouldn't take 10 days to go away. Anti-acne treatments are designed to work pretty quickly, so if you used a spot treatment, chances are your zit resolved on its own. With anti-aging products, it'll take a little while longer before you start to see an improvement in the dark spots and wrinkles. "You need a minimum of two weeks - but closer to a month - to see results," says Dr. Schultz. A moisturizer should produce some change immediately, but an exfoliating product will probably take a week or two.
You Can Still Get Quality on a Budget
Not every purchase has to break the bank. There are plenty of affordable-for-most-budgets brands out there that fit the quality guidelines that we outlined above, offering effective products. These companies focus on using good quality ingredients at wallet-friendly prices.
Your best bet is to find the combination of products that works best for you and stick with them.
Take a moment to explore Glowbiotic's collection of quality skincare products today!