If you've never heard of the brand, buyer beware!

Quality Skincare or Major Rip-off? Identifying a product worth buying

How did it come to this?

Selling to large markets has never been easier with the rise of Amazon shops, Facebook Marketplace, Shopify and more. As a matter of fact, the entire process of production, marketing, distribution, and shipping has been made accessible to anyone who cares to be an entrepreneur. That is going to inevitably bring products on the market that are using lesser quality ingredients but making the same claims as its competitors in order to charge similar prices. Does that mean that the brands and businesses you've never heard of shouldn't be supported? Not at all! But it does mean that if you want to make sure the products you are investing your money in and trusting your skin with are top quality products, you have to do a little bit of digging.

I've compiled a list of ways to confirm the quality of a skincare product. This is not an exhaustive list, but it's a great place to start!

• check the ingredient list

• read reviews

• request samples

• inquire about a satisfaction guarantee

• look for an expiration date

• ask where the product was made

Warning: Don't fall for, "Just for you, I'll offer this $500 eye cream for only $49 because I really like you and it's the end of the day..."  Seriously? No one would do that.

Let's break down each point a little more so you know exactly what I'm getting at.

Check the ingredient List

Just like we've had to learn to check the ingredients in our food, it's time to learn more about the ingredients to look for in our skincare products. And similar to food packaging, whichever is listed first is the most prevalent.

For example, if you are examining a product that claims age-defying benefits but you do not see any known age-fighting ingredients like retinol, resveratrol, vitamin C, peptides, or niacinamide, then a legitimate question would be, HOW exactly does this product work? I'm not saying it doesn't, but if the "active ingredient" isn't identified or it's one you've never heard of or doesn't show up in a Google search, keep shopping!

Also know the ingredients you do not want to see listed. This will vary for all of us, but these 8 are often listed as ingredients to avoid:

• alcohol

• oxybenzone

• parabens

• formaldehyde

• talc phthalates fragrance

• heavy metals Speaking of ingredients,

here are a couple of blogs you may be interested in:

What does Resveratrol do for skin?

What does Hyaluronic acid do for my skin?

Read reviews

The article, video, or landing page promoting the product is sure to have testimonials and reviews, but I'm talking about Googling the product and reading reviews from other sources to see if they line up with what you are seeing in the promotional material. If not, stay away! This is probably not a quality item.

Request samples

Not all brands have samples available, but it's always a good idea to ask. And there should be no strings attached. Legitimate companies offering quality products will not ask you to provide your credit card information or commit to making a future purchase.

Do they offer a Satisfaction Guarantee?

I am a firm believer that every company should stand behind its products with a satisfaction guarantee. Find out if it's money back or a credit toward another purchase. Why would you want to purchase something else from a sub-standard company, right?

Look for an expiration date

Not every product will offer an expiration date, but if it has active ingredients it has a shelf life of only 2 years and this should be printed on the packaging!

Examples of active ingredients are: sunscreen; benzoyl peroxide, Vitamin C, Salicylic acid, glycolic acid, Retinol, peptides, ceramides, and antioxidants.

Ask where the product was made

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is!

Wrap Up

 I love all of the skincare options available to us both online and in retail stores. And I'm thrilled that this is an era when anyone who wants to be an entrepreneur can make that dream come true! But in light of those truths, we must be diligent to do a little bit of research before purchasing products from unknown brands and companies. Now you know how to verify that the skincare product offered is a top quality product and if not, keep looking! 

If you ever need suggestions or some help applying this information to your situation, that's what I'm here for! Consider me your online skincare resource! And I do it for free.  Reach out to me at [email protected].