Expensive skincare does not automatically equate to a superior level of performance and rate of effectiveness. What is more important than price is choosing a well-formulated product containing ingredients that work for your specific skin type and concern. It’s important to understand that often when you’re paying premium prices for skincare, you’re not only paying for the ingredients themselves but for the packaging, marketing and legacy that comes with the brand. As much as I love a beautifully packaged pot of moisturiser to add to my top shelf or a serum containing cutting-edge actives, I am just as impressed with price-accessible products that get the job done and offer the same calibre of ingredients.
French pharmacy brands do a most excellent job at this. In the cobblestone streets of Paris, the chemists and drugstores are filled with cult brands honed through a dermatological lens to nourish and nurture the skin. There are also many innovative formulations that can double or even triple as another product, for example, a moisturiser that’s also a primer and mask or an SPF that doubles as a moisturiser and primer.
Single-ingredient products can also be great for the face and wallet. Oils like jojoba, marula, argan, macadamia and sweet almond can be used on the skin and in the hair. I like to concoct my own DIY treatments at home, too, using ingredients already in the pantry such as scrubs made from coconut oil and brown sugar, or face masks with avocado or manuka honey. These can be just as luxurious as any you’ll find in a bottle!
If you are wondering where to spend and where to save in your skincare routine, I’d suggest investing in serums (as opposed to something you’d wash off, for instance, like a cleanser). These are highly potent formulations, filled with active ingredients, designed to penetrate deep into the skin and target specific concerns whether that’s fine lines or brightness. Again, you don’t have to spend a fortune here, just make sure you do your research.
