Have you heard of the Kylie lip kits? They are a lip gloss and lip liner package designed by Kylie Jenner and they are super hard to get in your hands. They are only available online and every time the site restocks they sell out within minutes. You have to know exactly when they restock and be available to buy right then if you want one. So they must be amazing, right? I’m not a Kylie Jenner super fan, I don’t need another $40 lipstick. I wasn’t super excited about the shades BUT I felt I had to have one. I had to know what all the hype was about. I wanted to feel that success of getting something other people couldn’t, being a winner having the best lip product out there. So I fell for it, I bought her app, I was notified when they restocked and I bought one. Pathetic? Or way cool for a 32 year old? Don’t answer that rhetorical question. That’s how the world of beauty products works. Everyone wants a Louis, not a knock off. Everyone wants Oreo cookies not the knock off chocolate sandwich cookie. But why? Could you tell the difference in a blind folded taste test? Maybe not. It’s called marketing and it is made to train you what’s great and what’s not. On the other hand, a Louis Voutton purse is made with higher quality leather than its knock off so in some instances you pay for what you get. How then in the world of skincare do we know if we are getting what we pay for (spending more money to get a product that works) or are we paying for a name brand that’s been marketed into our heads as changing our skin but is the same as dollar general brand lotion behind the label? I don’t know if I have a good answer because quite frankly I love my Kylie lip kit. And I don’t know if it’s because the world convinced me to love it before I even had it on my lips or if I really love it, but I want it in every color. Either way I feel like it is my job to steer my uneducated patients towards products that will change their skin. It is my job as your skin care expert when you come to see me for your skin to make sure you know which products to use and where to get them. That’s the reason we sell skin care products at Johnson Dermatology. That’s the easiest way to help you deciefer through the sea of choices, just hand you what you need. So above all else know that you are always welcome to walk through our doors and talk to somebody about our products and which ones will or won’t work for you needs. We are here for you. But until that time here are a few tricks to help you decide what to get and what not to get.
- Some of my favorite brands are Jane Iredale, SkinMedica, Elta MD, Vanicream, Cetaphil and Cerave.
- Never buy a product that costs more than $300. Unless your money grows off trees in the back yard and in that case, what’s your address?
- Avoid products that have more than 10 ingredients (Shelly taught me this and I live by it, LIVE BY IT)
- Sunscreen every morning and Retinol everynight-bottom line must haves.
- Avoid fragrances, colors, additives and the so called “froo froo” products.
- Natural isn’t always better. I LOVE coconut oil. It has anti-inflammatory properties and it is very moisturizing. But here lately I have had so many patients that have found out they are allergic to it! It’s causing rash even though it is a natural oil. Don’t think just because organic is on the label that it can’t cause you problems.
- Question yours and your sellers motives. Why are you buying this product? Is someone selling it to you to make money off you? Is someone recommending it because it worked for them? Did you see the commercial? Did your dermatologist recommend it? Think about these things because sometimes it saves you from a bad impulse buy.
- Does it promise overnight results? This always deters me from a product. Anyone that knows skin knows your skin cells only turn over every 28 days therefore to produce real results you should give a product 3 months to work.
- First do no harm. If a make-up has talc in it it could flare your acnes. If your soap has a heavy fragrance in it it could cause eczema or backne. Only buy gentle products, simplicity is usually the ticket.
- Nothing harsh. If it burns when you put it on probably a bad idea, if it feels like sandpaper on your skin, not okay. People often want to “feel it working” but this could often be causing problems for you skin. An example would be alcohol based toners that burn when you apply them, they can be very drying to the skin and cause rashes, redness and irritation.
Hope these tips help you out next time you are at the beauty counter, hope next time you are at OUR beauty counter because we have actual dermatologist in the building recommending our products it isn’t just some bogus label that says “dermatologist recommended” just sayin’….. This week is the last week of June otherwise known as Acne Awareness Month so make sure you are following us on instagram and snapchat because everyday we are posting before and after photos and live video of tips, tricks and procedures. JDermatology is how you find us on both outlets. See you there!
XOXO, Nina
P.S. I found a Jane Iredale lip liner and color that copy cats the Kylie lip kit I got and it’s much more comfortable on the lips plus WAY easier to get your hands on…. I will snap it and IG it this week!