Anybody else wonders - is skincare a scam?

amother

Papayawhip

Sat, Mar 02 2024, 1:58 pm

I have no idea what is or isn't a scam but I'm another one who doesn't touch my skin with anything apart from sunblock if I'm going out for a full day trip in the Israeli sun. I am 50+ and have perfect skin with no wrinkles at all yet. I definitely think it's genetics. My grandmother had soft baby skin into her 90s and always looked younger than her age.

amother

Teal

Sat, Mar 02 2024, 3:01 pm

amother Glitter wrote:

No, its not a scam. Maybe part of it is, but some of it is legit.
Someone I met a while back, who I assumed to be in her low to mid 30s, told me shes actually almost 50.
I was shocked. I jokingly asked her what her skin care regimen is, and if she has great genetics, and she told me she actually doesnt have very good genes skin wise, and shes been using tretinoic acid (which is very much touted in the skin care world...a prescription retinoid) for years.
Not sure what she looks like today, but im going to assume she still looks great.
At almost 50 she looked like young 30s, I still cant get over it...
(And there was nothing else to it. She hadnt had botox, or fillers etc...she just moisturized twice a day and used tretinoic acid for years)

I use prescription tretinoin for a few years. My skin used to look inflamed and I had some rosacea. Acne on my t-zone and some texture too.
My skin now looks and feels like a baby's butt. Never wear foundation but most people assume I do, my skin is unusually smooth.

Tretinoin is not a scam.

ETAmy skincare routine is cleanser & tretinoin at night. SPF in the morning. Zehu.
If you use the right ingredients, you don't need many.

amother

Peachpuff

Sat, Mar 02 2024, 3:11 pm

I had teenage hormonal acne since I was 11 and I’m nearly 30.

I’ve tried so many brands of skincare (high end and pharmacy), vitamins and expensive facials. I eliminate dairy and wheat (didn’t last long haha). Nothing really helped.

During pregnancy my faces glows so I definitely know it’s hormonal.

This year I started Clinique and this difference is incredible. I don’t wear any makeup (which definitely helps keep it clear) on my face expect for occasions, I wash in the evening and tone and moisturize in the mornings and once a week a mask. My face looks so much better bah.

amother

Melon

Sat, Mar 02 2024, 3:53 pm

amother Teal wrote:

.

My skin sounds very similar to yours. Where do I get prescription tretinoin from? And others mentioned retinoid, which is a good brand? A quick search on amazon brought up so many I don't know where to start

OddoneOut1

Sat, Mar 02 2024, 3:59 pm

I don't think that the active ingredients in skin care products are a scam.
Tretinoids/retinoids from what I understand act similarly to Vitamin A and really assist with the oil ducts- all I know is I did accutane and my skin has been perfect since...still curious about the side effects but SO HAPPY with my skin.

A basic moisturizer is good for you
Using a light cleanser with hyaluronic acid...

But going for the most exclusive brands- scam
just check the ingredient list of an effective skin regiment for your skin type and go for a normal brand.
I currently use everything CeraVe -20$ a bottle for cleanser that I use for 4-6 months and the moisturizer- so overall my skincare currently costs 5 bucks a month.
If I was dealing with the skin I used to have, I would probably still be using salyclic acid or benzoil peroxide and using 2-4 times a week.

still, I dont see any reason to get the highest end products if they literally have the same ingredients...

amother

Teal

Sat, Mar 02 2024, 5:13 pm

amother Melon wrote:

I started with Adapalene 0.1 (differin) which is more suitable for acne. I then start3d incorporating tretinoin 0.05 twice a week

Perly1

Sat, Mar 02 2024, 5:47 pm

Someone mentioned chapstick drying your lips out.

I tried various products and the only one that didn't is Neutregena (Norwegian formula) lips.

Inexpensive and highly recommend.

And re skincare needs vary. I use basic moisturiser when my skin feels dry. Agree re genes but since you can't help that a simple routine that works for your skintype.

amother

Pear

Sat, Mar 02 2024, 7:34 pm

Perly1 wrote:

Is there a specific name for the Neutrogena lip product?

synthy

Sat, Mar 02 2024, 8:05 pm

amother Hydrangea wrote:

I watched this but don’t agree with the overall notion. For one, choosing to cover vintage commercials before the FTC cared about these things. Second, saying high end skincare is a scam is like saying high end clothing is a scam. Yes, both high end and affordable do the same, you’re paying for the name and luxury experience.

But my main issue is that as millions of people can attest, skincare does work - if you know what you are doing and are doing it consistently. Of course you won’t get baby smooth flawless skin, and of course one serum cannot be the magic cure for all skin types. But to dismiss skincare as a whole as a scam is like saying fashion is a scam.

amother

Wheat

Sat, Mar 02 2024, 8:55 pm

amother Teal wrote:

Who prescribed it and why? I can just ask for a script and that’s it?

Dolly Welsh

Sat, Mar 02 2024, 9:15 pm

It's not a scam. Skin benefits from care. Simple, cheap products work well. Palmer's and Jergens on face, neck, hands. Castor oil too. Vaseline on lips.

Blot without rubbing, with tissues.

Cold water benefits an oily face.

Apple cider vinegar in cold water does too.

Mild exfoliation benefits an oily face. With a very light touch, any clean scrub sponge will do. Avoid eye and lip areas.

A face needs BOTH oil and moisture, they are not the same thing.

Your skin will tell you what it likes.

Librarian

Sat, Mar 02 2024, 10:04 pm

Retin A works. It's a scientific fact. Prescription strength is best but you have to start very slowly. Sunscreen is a must! Put it on on top of your moisturizer under your makeup. Cerave ultra light sunscreen should work well for acne prone skin and won't be too drying. I love it its not shiny. Makeup with spf is NOT sufficient sun protection because you will not be using enough. Aquafore is Much better than Vaseline. Eyelash and brow serums DO work to grow hair but I would not use it on my lashes because it can and does cause dry eye which is terrible. I personally notice a difference taking collagen supplements.

amother

Firebrick

Sat, Mar 02 2024, 10:06 pm

yes skin care products are scams. You can get the same benefits by using natural items in your house like olive oil, coconut oil. Home made body butter and sugar scrubs! the chemicals in the products that you buy actually hurt more than cure.

On the flip side my dd has very bad eczema on her face and the only thing that works is products from the dead sea but again that is mostly natural and the product lasts a very long time so we buy it twice a year and we are good.

amother

Seafoam

Sat, Mar 02 2024, 10:17 pm

amother Lotus wrote:

It isn't solely genetics. If you use moisturizers then that can delay the onset of wrinkles. It can't prevent but it can push off the inevitable.

The scam lies in the high end products. They don't work better than the low end products. The working ingredient in those products are the same. It's just the filler stuff that may be different, but those have no impact on the results.

For example, the higher end product may have an additive that makes it feel smoother or lighter, but that won't change any of the results.

This was reported to me first-hand by my college chemistry professor who had spent a decade in a major pharmaceutical company actually developing the ingredients for these products. He told us ladies - don't waste your money. We just take the same core working ingredients and then add different fillers to make them appear different.

This is not fully accurate. It is the active ingredient, filler as well as the mechanism of transport of the the active ingredient. Meaning, if a product has vit c but it is not in a form that can be absorbed into the skin cells than it is useless.

I do agree that many of the products are scams but there are also many that are truly effective. The ordinary is a great brand to use. Super cheap and very well developed. The downside is that each product is a standalone ingredient so need to use many of them. The high end ones tend to have many products together that are formulated to all penetrate the cell ( which can be difficult when dealing with many active ingredients) which is why they are so expensive. It is more of a convenience charge.

amother

Currant

Sat, Mar 02 2024, 10:25 pm

PrairieFairy wrote:

I have stunning skin and it's in part because I DO wash and exfoliate my face every day. I use plain water for the most part and I wash less in the winter time because my skin lets me know that it doesn't appreciate it as much.

Everyones skin is different. Although I think that plain water, soap, and a toothbrush (for exfoliating) can work for a LOT of people, there is going to be a difference in timing, pressure etc based on genetics of the skin.

Mine is oily naturally so needs more washing/toothbrushing or I will get way more blackheads and then acne like most of my siblings have.

I have barely any of either and when I do get, it's because I didn't do my brushing/washing. In the winter, I agree with your sentiment for my skin because it's gets drier from the cold so needs more gentle care. But it depends on a persons skin.

Dont use a toothbrush for exfoliating. Use a chemical exfoliant.