There are some lesser-known considerations of buying skincare products that you need to know about. The product is cute, it smells like rose petals, and it claims it will make your skin glow with the light of a thousand diamonds — perfect, right? Not quite. Even the chicest packaging can house the most volatile of ingredients. Despite a lovely scent and catchy name, a product can prove to be lackluster, irritating, or worse— hazardous to your skin. Here are a few lesser-known considerations of buying skincare products to think about before you go shopping.
Next time you are on the hunt for a great serum or skin treatment, do the best you can to avoid a jar container. Housing a product in this type of packaging will cause it to deteriorate quicker, as it is exposed to light and air too often. The jar also collects bacteria each time you dip your finger into it, which you definitely don’t want to be continuously smoothing over your freshly washed face. The right packaging is one of the lesser-known considerations of buying skincare products.
While the inclusion of certain added fragrances in a skincare product can make for a lovely experience for your nostrils, your skin probably thinks otherwise. That intoxicating peppermint scent or calming lavender aroma can seriously irritate your face. All skin types are susceptible to accumulative damage from daily use of fragranced skincare products, though the effects might not be visible right away. If you prefer a pleasant smell in your moisturizer, it is better to opt for ingredients like cucumber or mango that are kind to your skin and your senses.
This component of skincare products is rarely talked about, yet very important to keep in mind. The pH level of a product can determine whether or not it actually does its job, or if it’s safe to use. Salicylic acid treatments can become ineffective at pH levels that are too high for it to exfoliate and cleansers with a steep pH level are too drying for the skin. Every skincare ingredient is different (vitamin C and acid exfoliants work best at lower ph levels, cleansers are optimal at a pH level close to the that of the skin), you can typically find this information in the product details!