Ep 12: How to Face Cosmetic Marketing this Holiday Season

In this day and age, it can be incredibly difficult to know what products you should choose. There’s a lot that goes into choosing cosmetics - what your concerns are, what budget you have, how the product looks/feels/smells, etc. With the holidays and Black Friday coming up, it’s even more important that you’re choosy with the products you purchase, and you don’t waste your money on things that don’t work. So in this episode, we’ll go over the three main facets of personal care products (haircare, skincare, and body care) and teach you how to determine whether the product is a good fit for you. 

The Basic Rules

• Marketing isn’t completely useless, but you can’t fully rely on it

  1. Focusing on the product claims is important, but it’s only one part of it. You should also look at the ingredient list to see what ingredients they’re using, and see if those line up with their claims.

• Focus on buying for function, rather than the vibes (unless that’s what you’re going for)

  1. Everyone has a different goal for their products; some people only care about how the product performs, while other people care about the packaging/scent/status of the product. You have to determine what’s most important for you - and there’s no wrong answer. But be aware of this before you buy any products so you can purchase accordingly.

• Before buying a new product, ask yourself these questions:

  1. What is your goal?

  2. What does the science say works?

  3. Can you tolerate/use it consistently?

  4. Is the price justified by what’s inside?

Skincare is where people overspend the most

Technically, you really only need a cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen. If these aren’t the right products for your skin, the extra fancy stuff won’t help. These products should be solid and reliable, and everything else is just an addition. 

How to choose a cleanser

First, match it to your skin type. If you have oily skin, a gel or foaming cleanser might work best for you. If you have dry or sensitive skin, a cream or milk texture could be more beneficial. If you wear makeup, you may want to double cleanse with an oil based cleanser first and then follow up with a water based cleanser. You can generally tell if it’s oil or water based depending on the ingredient list, but a lot of marketing will also help you determine this as well. 

When it comes to cleansers, you really do not need to spend a lot of money - you are rinsing this off. Brands like Cerave and Cetaphil have really good, reliable cleansers. I also personally like the Alastin Gentle Cleanser since I have dry/sensitive skin, but there are other cleansers at the drugstore that are also similar in nature. I’d only spend more if I needed something specific, like a low pH, something extremely gentle, or something that will help remove heavy sunscreen or makeup. 

Moisturizers, toners and serums

Moisturizers have three main types of ingredients: humectants, emollients, and occlusives. Dry skin usually benefits more from moisturizers that have a lot of oils and emollients, while oily skin benefits more from humectants. However, I think the best moisturizers usually have a healthy balance of all three. 

I also tend to lump moisturizing serums and toners in here as well. There are some great options for moisturizing serums/toners, especially from K-Beauty brands, and you can add these to your routine if you need more barrier support or have super sensitive skin. Always apply to wet or damp skin, and apply it underneath your heavier moisturizer. 

I personally do not think you need to spend a ton of money on your basic moisturizers; for context, my all time favorite moisturizer is the Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer that’s $14 from the drugstore. It got me through Accutane and continues to keep my skin healthy and moisturized. If you like luxury moisturizers you can spend a bit more here, but you don’t necessarily have to.

Areas where you might want to splurge a bit more

There are certain products that make more sense to splurge on; these are products that are targeting specific concerns you may have for your skin. This includes products for anti-aging, brightening, anti-acne, exfoliating, etc. Determine what your personal skin concerns are, and then choose products based on that. 

For example, anti-aging, anti-acne and moisturization are at the top of my list for product concerns. Because of that, I have an exfoliating product, retinol, and a moisturizing serum/occlusive in my skincare routine. But not everyone will have the same concerns, so they might use different products. Here are some examples of types of products that you might want depending on your skin concerns:

Anti-aging: Retinol and sunscreen will do the most heavy lifting here. Certain peptides, exfoliants and barrier repair products can also be beneficial, but are less effective than retinol and sunscreen will be. 

Brightening/lightening: This will be best for people who have issues like hyperpigmentation or dark spots. Vitamin C is a great brightening product (as long as it’s formulated correctly; NOT all Vitamin C products are equal). Retinol is also great for this, as well as ingredients like niacinamide, Azelaic Acid and certain exfoliating products. 

Anti-Acne: Retinol, salicylic acid and sulfur are OTC approved ingredients for anti-acne. Other acids like Lactic, Mandelic and Azelaic Acid can help, as well as other exfoliating products. When it comes to acne, certain ingredients and products can break you out, so keep tabs on what products you’re using and if they cause more breakouts. Patch testing is very important for people with acne so you can determine what products might be triggering more breakouts. 

Barrier repair products for people with issues like redness, stinging, and eczema-like issues: Ingredients like ceramides, occlusives, urea, and Colloidal Oat (which is the active ingredient for treating eczema) can help calm irritation and support a healthy skin barrier. 

It’s generally a good sign if companies have percentages listed, especially for their active ingredients. 

Sunscreen

Really the only two requirements for sunscreen are that it should be SPF 30 or higher, and you should like the texture enough to want to reapply it. Don’t worry too much about whether it uses chemical or mineral filters, just focus on the texture and application. 

Skincare products to avoid

You don’t need a million different serums or toners, even if you have sensitive skin. Focus on one quality serum and one good moisturizer. When it comes to skincare products, quality is much more important than quantity. Also try to use products that have scientific data/studies supporting it.

Shampoos

When it comes to shampoos, you don’t need to complicate it too much. The strength of a shampoo kind of depends on your personal preference as a consumer; for example, I like a really strong shampoo that leaves a “squeaky clean” feeling, but other people prefer a shampoo that’s less strong, and even some that are on the more conditioning side. The ingredient list doesn’t usually tell you much about how strong a shampoo is (contrary to popular belief, sulfates don’t automatically equal strength) so I actually recommend paying attention to marketing claims and customer reviews to figure out if a shampoo is strong. I also much prefer drugstore shampoos to salon shampoos, just because I find that more trial/error is needed with shampoos than other products. 

I usually recommend clarifying your hair 2-4 times a month, and also adding in a chelating shampoo if you have hard water. You can also use an anti-dandruff shampoo or one with salicylic acid if you have psoriasis or other scalp issues. 

Conditioners and detanglers usually have more bang for your buck

It makes more sense to spend a little bit more money on conditioners/detanglers, because these do a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to your specific hair concerns. I highly prioritize conditioners with Amodimethicone and Behentrimonium Chloride because they give incredible slip, shine, and conditioning. The point of a conditioner is to form a film over your hair, so don’t worry too much about buildup - especially because you can mitigate that with your shampoo. I love silicones and cationic conditioning agents in conditioners.  

Depending on your hair type, you may also have other ingredient requirements; for example, if you have fine hair you will have a drastically different set of requirements than someone with coarse hair. Some hair needs more slip and conditioning than other hair types, and some benefit from proteins/bond builders, while other people don’t really need those. You may need to use some trial and error to figure out what your hair really needs (or get a hair analysis or product consultation from Strandprint)

Styling products

Styling products are REALLY hard to recommend because everyone’s hair type is so so different. Figure out what your personal hair goals are; this includes things like more slip/shine, hair growth, hair definition, volume, less frizz, etc. One product can only do so much, so I usually recommend the following:

• Leave-ins and creams help a lot with slip, shine and detangling

• Gels/mousses will help with hold, definition and volume

• Hair oils can help reduce frizz and improve shine

Figure out what your hair needs are, and then purchase products based on the claims they make about those specific issues. I also think customer reviews can be really valuable when it comes to choosing leave-in products. 

Salon vs Drugstore

I think whether or not you choose salon or drugstore products fully depends on your budget. We chatted about this in the haircare episode, but it all comes down to the individual formulation of certain products. If you need to do a lot of trial and error, I recommend sticking to drugstore products so you don’t waste a bunch of money; however, if you go to the salon and they use a product on you that you really like, and you want to splurge on that, by all means! Just know that there are great products in any category and at any price point, so don’t let the cost be a determining factor in the products you choose. 

Products to avoid

I usually recommend avoiding co-washes, I think they’re such a waste of money (just get a good shampoo/conditioner duo). Also don’t buy products just because you like the scent or packaging; make sure you actually enjoy the product itself and the way it makes your hair look and feel. In this same vein, I never spend a lot of money on hair oils or dry shampoos - there is no reason to buy expensive versions of these, the drugstore versions are more than fine. 

Body Care

In general, I do not think you need to spend a lot of money on body care, especially because you use a lot more of it. 

Cleansers

• You really don’t need to spend big here, there are plenty of drugstore options that should work just fine. 

• You can spend more if you have issues like eczema or keratosis pilaris and need specific actives (things like urea, lactic or glycolic acid, etc).

Moisturizers

• Look at size vs price. You use more on the body, so really think economically. 

• There are plenty of fragrance free options at the drugstore if that’s something you need. Try to prioritize ingredients like urea and ceramides in your body products. 

Treatments

• If you struggle with things like ingrowns, KP, and body acne, it can be worth paying for certain actives (BHA, AHA, urea).

• Self-tan, SPFs for body, you can spend a little more to get a product with a texture you like so you actually use it.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, the goal is not to build the fanciest routine; it’s to build a routine that actually works for you.

For skincare, make sure your core three are solid first:

• A cleanser your skin tolerates

• A moisturizer that actually keeps you comfortable

• A sunscreen you don’t hate putting on

  
  

Then, if your budget and brain space allow it, you can layer in targeted products for things like acne, aging, brightening, or barrier repair.

For haircare, don’t overthink the shampoo and don’t let marketing make you feel like you need a 12-step styling routine. Let your conditioners, detanglers, and stylers do the heavy lifting for your specific hair goals, and save your money on things like expensive hair oils and dry shampoos.

For body care, keep it simple and economical. You’re using a lot more product here, so drugstore cleansers and big-tub moisturizers with urea and ceramides are usually the sweet spot.

As you’re shopping holiday sales and Black Friday deals, remember:

• Buy for function, not just the vibes (unless the vibes are your goal).

• Ask what a product is actually doing for you, and whether the formula justifies the price.

• More steps and more products do not automatically equal better results.

If your routine feels good, fits your budget, and your skin and hair are generally happy, you’re doing it right.

*None of the specific products mentioned in this episode are sponsored