A question for the ages. I have an aunt who falls solidly into the 'it's all nonsense, don't spend more than five dollars' camp, and a friend just as firmly rooted in the, 'I wouldn't be caught dead with anything that costs less than $150 in my medicine cabinet' camp.
Does it sound like either of these approaches makes sense? I hope not. More is not always more. Less is not always more. So when to spend? The answer is that its all in the ingredients. Certain ingredients do in fact cost quite a bit, or are only available via one manufacturer, and thus command a premium. Often, you're paying for lovely packaging and brand tribalism. And if that's your bag, fine. There is a massive psychological element in all this anyway. But for those of us who need to arbitrage between the cost of our shrinks (or reiki healers, or accupuncture guys, or tarot readers, or whatever....) and our cosmetic arsenals, its important to know when to make the arbitrage, and when not to bother.l
For the topic that sparked the thought, moisturizer, the answer is a resounding NO. There are so many moisturizers on the market that no can hope to keep track of them. Most dermatologists will tell you that the best of them are available in drugstores, are fragrance-free, contain commonly found ingredients (like urea, glycerin, ceramides, and hylauronic acid), and cost around $12. Most dermatologists will rave about CeraVe, which is very reasonably priced considering how effective it is and the range of skin types that it benefits. There are consistencies for everyone, special add-ins that do this and that, but just to moisturize? Meh. I mention B5 gel all the time. Yes, its expensive (due to the ingredient factor), but you use a very tiny amount to hydrate like mad. Add a moisturizer on top of that and the driest of environments won't beat you down.
Other items that go on the 'don't spend' list: cleanser, eye makeup remover, shaving cream (I didn't even know until recently that expensive versions existed), nail polish remover, body scrubs, lip scrubs, non-prescription retinol, sunscreen. One would think that with my obsession with sunscreen, I'd be advocating for the absolute top brands. And I do. It just so happens that here in the US, the top performers are rarely, if ever, the most expensive. Plus with the rate at which you're supposed to go through the stuff, you'll be spending at the rate our national debt goes up if you're doing it right. So get yourself to the drugstore and knock yourself out.
Now happy shopping.
Does it sound like either of these approaches makes sense? I hope not. More is not always more. Less is not always more. So when to spend? The answer is that its all in the ingredients. Certain ingredients do in fact cost quite a bit, or are only available via one manufacturer, and thus command a premium. Often, you're paying for lovely packaging and brand tribalism. And if that's your bag, fine. There is a massive psychological element in all this anyway. But for those of us who need to arbitrage between the cost of our shrinks (or reiki healers, or accupuncture guys, or tarot readers, or whatever....) and our cosmetic arsenals, its important to know when to make the arbitrage, and when not to bother.l
For the topic that sparked the thought, moisturizer, the answer is a resounding NO. There are so many moisturizers on the market that no can hope to keep track of them. Most dermatologists will tell you that the best of them are available in drugstores, are fragrance-free, contain commonly found ingredients (like urea, glycerin, ceramides, and hylauronic acid), and cost around $12. Most dermatologists will rave about CeraVe, which is very reasonably priced considering how effective it is and the range of skin types that it benefits. There are consistencies for everyone, special add-ins that do this and that, but just to moisturize? Meh. I mention B5 gel all the time. Yes, its expensive (due to the ingredient factor), but you use a very tiny amount to hydrate like mad. Add a moisturizer on top of that and the driest of environments won't beat you down.
Other items that go on the 'don't spend' list: cleanser, eye makeup remover, shaving cream (I didn't even know until recently that expensive versions existed), nail polish remover, body scrubs, lip scrubs, non-prescription retinol, sunscreen. One would think that with my obsession with sunscreen, I'd be advocating for the absolute top brands. And I do. It just so happens that here in the US, the top performers are rarely, if ever, the most expensive. Plus with the rate at which you're supposed to go through the stuff, you'll be spending at the rate our national debt goes up if you're doing it right. So get yourself to the drugstore and knock yourself out.
Now happy shopping.
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