7 Things to consider when buying beauty products…

“Have a better relationship with your makeup and take the time to learn what your products will do.” -Sam Fine-

Being beautiful is always inside out but, if you want to enhance it in a healthier and non harmful way, it is perfectly okay. There are so many products out there for skin, hair and many different uses. Cosmetics and makeup industry is ever evolving and there are so many choices between thousands of brands and products. We should be wise enough to make the right choice for us among the oceans of choices given by the market. However, before buying any beauty product you should consider the following points.

1. Skin type and your need

You should be aware about the skin type you have and what kind of problems can occur on your skin after using the products. If you have any allergies or sensitive skin you should be very careful about the products ingredients. When buying products or makeup you should balance all your skin problems. In most of the beauty products and makeup, they have mentioned, for what kind of skin type they have made it for and sometimes there will be a range of products designed to each skin type/hair types. To know this, you have to have a good awareness about your skin and never underestimate or overestimate your skin condition. I have seen many times, girls tend to over-treat their skin problems and that will cause bigger problems in future. Skin type is not only for skin care items. Even if you are buying makeup, you have to consider this. For example, there are dedicated makeup products for oily skin and blemish prone skin. Further if you have oily skin, you should go for non oil based/oil free products and products which do not clog pores.

2. Ingredients

Another thing you have to know is the ingredients that have been used in the products. You should have a basic understanding about what kind of ingredients are harmful to your skin and what works on your skin. Some ingredients specifically treat for some skin types while some do not. So you should look into those things when buying skin care products. As an example, If you are having an acne prone or blemish prone skin most of your acne treating skin care products will contain Salicylic acid while Niacinamide(Vitamin B) will help to rejuvenate skin cells and treat your scars and pores. In fact, you should know the science behind skin care products ingredients. There are plenty of free sources online to find out about those details. So before you buy, spare some time to make the right choice.

3. Brand & Reviews

I’m not saying that you should always go for high end products but, you should consider the brand name or the story behind the brand. The company and how long they have been in the industry will give an assurance to you. If some brand has been in the industry for many years means they have earned the trust from their consumers, otherwise they won’t be able to survive as a trusted company. Even if you’re buying from a newcomer who does organic and homemade products you should know the people behind the products/brand. If something happens unexpectedly there should be a source to contact. Further, carefully look into the country of manufacturing, from where it has been manufactured and who are the distributors. Always try to do some background search and read the reviews from other people about the brand or product you are looking for.

4. Patch test

This is also something very important but we rarely do before starting to use a product. There are some products, it has been advised in the product itself to do a patch test before start using it. The reason is, those products might consist of ingredients where people will easily get allergic to or some harsh chemicals which might damage the sensitive skin. Especially for direct acids, retinols, essential oils and medications kind of skin care products, you should perform a patch test before you directly apply it on your skin. If you know someone who’s using the product you want to buy, talk to them, ask for some honest feedback and if possible try it out or do a patch test before you buy and always try to get samples to try out and buy after that. Don’t buy a large size of volumes at first because if it doesn’t work, your money will be wasted. Go for samples or travel size first and then consider buying.

5. Price

Prices of makeup products vary with the brand and other factors. I’m not saying high priced products are always good but, be careful when some products are suspiciously cheaper than they appear to be. Sometimes you know for a fact that some products are expensive, but if you find it at a cheaper price you have to think about it twice. Be careful with the counterfeit products and versions from different countries. On the other hand, do not buy imported products for a higher price as well.There are so many people who sell cosmetic and and skin care products at a very high price by saying those are imported. True, those might be imported but always compare it with the original price from imporated country. After adding some tax and shipping charges you can judge whether the marked price is fair or not. Almost all the high end skin care care and makeup brands have their own websites, sometimes even country wise. So you can visit the official site and have an idea about the original price.

6. Safety

You should prioritize safety in whatever you do. I know you want to be beautiful but never ever compromise your health and safety for it. According to the Environmental Working Group, the average woman uses 12 products containing 168 unique ingredients every single day. Most contain endocrine disruptors, which can affect hormonal balance and fertility. Some contain ingredients with clear links to cancer. Try your 100% to avoid harmful ingredients such as alcohol and parabens. It is always a good idea to buy organic and more natural based products, but be careful about whether it is actually true or not. Look into the ingredients as I said before and try to avoid below harmful ingredients.

• Parabens
• Artificial Fragrance/Perfume
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate
• Toluene
• Phthalates
• Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)
• Formaldehyde
• Oxybenzone
• Diethanolamine
• Triclosan

7. Cruelty free

Last but not least, this is also an important point to consider when buying products. Always try to buy cruelty free and not tested with animal products. It is to do our part for nature and as a responsible human being towards mother nature. Ain’t any step is smaller when we all are doing. This may seem insignificant but it will make a bigger impact in the coming time.

As the final thought, I would like to conclude with this. I always believe, beauty comes within. You are free to use whatever the products you want to use but, you should always believe in yourself, be happy with yourself and you should feel confident about yourself. If you are not in love with who you are now, no product will be able to bring the true beauty of yourself. Be kind to yourself and keep a clean heart, your face will shine eventually.

“Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.”

“Makeup is not a tool meant to make an ugly thing beautiful. It is meant only to magnify the beauty that already exists.”

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