The Skin Whisperer

It is a common scenario. We spend a lot of our hard earned money on cosmetics and skincare only to have it sit on the shelf and collect dust. If you ever stopped to add up how much you spend on your skincare and cosmetics each year, you would be shocked. We tend to be impulse buyers rather than smart buyers. It is human nature. Why do they have all the candy on the aisle at the checkout lane where you have to wait in line and drool over the selection? The marketing departments know what they are doing. Now we need to turn the tables and become smart buyers rather than impulse buyers. Here are 5 mistakes that waste our money on cosmetics and skincare. See how many of these you do and ask yourself what you are going to do about it.

Mistake #1: We don’t follow the directions on a product.

The directions may say to use a very small amount but we figure more is better and double up the amount. OR you don’t see that the product is to be used ONCE a day and not twice. You end up using more of the product and wasting it. Plus by using it incorrectly you don’t get the results you want so you stop using it. Or because you used it incorrectly, you ended up having to go to the doctor which costs even more money. READ the directions and follow them. Wasting money by not using a product correctly is a common mistake in cosmetics and skincare.

Mistake #2: We buy what our friend is using or what we see in an advertisement

We see our friend and she looks fabulous. Her skin is glowing and healthy looking. You ask…”what are you using?”. She tells you and you rush out to get the product. The problem is that the product may not be what YOUR skin needs. Or you read an advertisement in a magazine or see one on TV and it makes you think you just HAVE to HAVE that product. Don’t buy on impulse. Do your research. You have to find out what YOUR skin needs. To do that, you need an experienced person to analyze your skin and determine what products to get. One company, BeautiControl, uses skin sensors to place on your skin plus a short quiz to determine the prescription for your skin. Or go to the counter at your local retailer and talk to the person there. They are trained to help you with your needs (not your friend’s).You wouldn’t want to use an antibiotic that your friend is using when your illness may need something different, right? Different skin types need different prescriptions. You waste money buying products that aren’t meant for your skin.

Mistake #3: We buy what is on sale regardless of its quality.

We think we are smart shoppers and look for bargains. But buying cosmetics and skincare is not where you want to buy bargains. Let’s take this for an example: You are shopping for a body lotion. You usually use a 16 ounce tube that costs you $9. You hate having to spend that much for a body lotion and you see another brand on sale. It is a 32 ounce bottle for $12. Woo hoo! What a bargain, right? WRONG! Unless it is the identical brand you were using before (and that worked just fine), you MIGHT be making a big mistake. What you didn’t take into account is that cheaper brands often have lots of fillers. That is why they are cheaper. They don’t cost as much to make because they don’t have as much of the important ingredients your skin needs. So you end up using twice as much of the cheaper brand to get the same benefits. Now your 32 ounce product runs out much sooner and you end up spending more than the original $9 that your original product costs. Keep track of how long it takes to go through the cheap stuff versus the higher priced stuff (assuming you are following the directions) and I think you will be amazed. You get what you pay for regarding cosmetics and skincare products. Wasting money buying inferior products is a common mistake buyers make.

Mistake #4: We don’t watch expiration dates.

All cosmetics and skincare have expiration dates. They are probably not printed on the product but there are active ingredients that do break down in time OR can get contaminated by frequent use. We buy two or three of a product because it is on sale but what we don’t take into account is that it can go bad before you get to it. Or we didn’t take into account how long it has been sitting on the shelf BEFORE we bought it. For example, mascara normally has a shelf life of 3 months. What if it sat on the shelf at the store for 2 months before you bought it. Now you only have 1 month left but you continue to use it past its expiration date. Then you get an eye infection and wonder how that happened. Or you open up a jar of crème only to notice that it has changed color or consistency. Now we have to throw it away and that wastes money. For more information about expiration dates for most cosmetics, read my blog about expiration dates. Having to throw our products away because they have expired or gone bad wastes money.

Mistake #5: We don’t take advantage of sales

You probably think I am contradicting myself with #3 on the list but I am referring to something else. When you find a good quality product that gives you great results, be sure to watch for sales and get the product then. Or start using a quality brand when it is on sale. Take advantage of sales on the quality products you have come to know and love. Why pay full price when you can get it on sale? Your local cosmetics counter person can put you on their calling list when sales occur or if you order online, watch the company’s announcements for sales and get your products then. Even if you aren’t out of the product yet, you will be. You always need a “back up” product for replacement so you never run out of what you need. Paying full price for a product when you can get it on sale is wasting money.

I hope these have helped you realize the steps toward becoming a smart shopper rather than an impulse shopper. You deserve good quality cosmetics and skincare. Take these 5 mistakes to heart and stop wasting your money. Learn from them and you will be on your way to becoming the SMARTEST shopper ever! Can you add to this list? I would love to hear from you in the comment section below.

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