Deceptive Marketing in Cosmetics
Hello! This week I saw another example of troubling marketing practices in a skin cream and just had to shed some light on it. (FYI: The FDA does not regulate how most items are marketed, so long as companies aren’t claiming they can cure disease or help you lose weight.) Aside from that, it’s almost a free-for-all as to what these companies can allude to.
A client who I’ve been treating for 4 months came in yesterday and her skin had erupted with huge, swollen, breakouts in a way that she hadn’t had in months! After a little digging around I find that she bought a retinol cream that had 1,400+ great reviews on Amazon. It seemed fabulous! Vitamin E, Retinol, Green Tea, the label said things like “soothing”, “organic”, “healing”, even says it’s good for “acne” etc. Peek at the box and the second ingredient is Isopropyl Palmitate. Isopropyl Palmitate is a thick, greasy derivative of Palm Oil that will clog your pores and host more bacteria than Crisco would! I was floored, and it reminded me of the 8+ years that I went through the same rollercoaster ride with my skin. Not fun, not cool.
There are times to invest in a professional. In this day and age, where every product is vying for your attention by using creative language and buzzwords, a skin professional is invaluable! Acne ruins our collagen, our skin texture, and overall appearance of health. Next time your finger wants to click “check out” on that Amazon cart of seemingly magical skin products, fight the urge and schedule a consult with a Pro instead! You’ll be amazed.