Opinions on uber expensive face creams etc

Swiper the fox

Sorry in advance, I'm sure this has been discussed in detail here before.
I'm interested in how a face cream /serum/moisturiser etc can cost E10,000 a litre. I'm a male by the way and I see these advertised in magazines as well as on sale in Brown Thomas etc. If I had all the money in the world what would happen to my skin if I was to begin using a wide range of crème de la mer products exclusively.
Apologies again, I'm just interested to know. I havethis vision of them making up vast vats of these products and putting them in in barrels with a retail value of 1million euros:P

Very little would happen. There are only a finite amount of ingredients in the world and many of these products share the same basic ingredients with very reasonably priced products. Very often people are paying for a nicer texture, scent, and exclusivity, rather than efficacy. Often a parent company like Garnier owns both budget and expensive brands and the products are produced in the same factory and simply packaged differently. I don't mind paying a little extra for a nicer product, but some items are nothing but an exploitation of the gullible who buy into the pseudo scientific stuff the cosmetics companies use to promote the idea that these things perform miracles.

I remember reading a road test where a tester applied Creme De La Mer to one side of her face, and basic Nivea Creme to the other for six weeks and when before and after specialist photography were compared, the Nivea side was found to have been better moisturised and had a reduction in visible fine lines.

I've a dermatologist in the family who confirms the above and iterates the simple fact that the very best thing to do for your face is to use sunscreen. It won't stop expression lines or gravitational sag over the years, but it'll hugely reduce other wrinkles and signs of aging. If expensive creams did every thing they said, no one who used them would ever look older.

Lia_lia

It's all marketing really. Some people are easy targets!

rustyzip

I used to be a sucker for 'expensive' creams.
I would save up to buy them, put them on my birthday, christmas wish lists and only just realized in the last two years I've wasted probably the deposit of a house on needless creams!
I appreciate how expensive ingredients like certain oils (pure argan, jasmine etc) can cost a fortune but actually do work and help. But I'll never be a sucker for expensive stuff again!

Until I win the lotto :P

Then I'll use creme de la mer as a handcream!!!!

rustyzip

rustyzip wrote: »

I used to be a sucker for 'expensive' creams.
I would save up to buy them, put them on my birthday, christmas wish lists and only just realized in the last two years I've wasted probably the deposit of a house on needless creams!
I appreciate how expensive ingredients like certain oils (pure argan, jasmine etc) can cost a fortune but actually do work and help. But I'll never be a sucker for expensive stuff again!

Until I win the lotto :P

Then I'll use creme de la mer as a handcream!!!!

Here's pure organic Argan oil for 8 pounds. I use it for skin, hair and nails and it's fantastic. Much better than Creme De La Mer!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KOY39IM?psc=1

rustyzip

Candie wrote: »

Here's pure organic Argan oil for 8 pounds. I use it for skin, hair and nails and it's fantastic. Much better than Creme De La Mer!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KOY39IM?psc=1

Wow. Thanks.. That's super cheap!
I'm still dubious on cheap Argan Oil though as I went to Marrakesh on holiday and went to a little village where they make it... It's so much darker and it had a really strong smell..

So I don't know how people can bottle it and it miraculously takes on a lighter color and no smell!?

rustyzip

rustyzip wrote: »

Wow. Thanks.. That's super cheap!
I'm still dubious on cheap Argan Oil though as I went to Marrakesh on holiday and went to a little village where they make it... It's so much darker and it had a really strong smell..

So I don't know how people can bottle it and it miraculously takes on a lighter color and no smell!?

They distill it to purify it, and it takes out all the impurities and bacteria, which is why it's dark and smelly in it's raw form. You don't want that on your face before it's been cleaned up.

rustyzip

Candie wrote: »

They distill it to purify it, and it takes out all the impurities and bacteria, which is why it's dark and smelly in it's raw form. You don't want that on your face before it's been cleaned up.

Aha. Didn't know that!
I was slathering it on whilst sunbathing. Didn't damage me other than the smell!
I love it for my hair.
It's dyed within an inch of its life and it's amazing on the Ends.

Pippy1976

Having watched numerous programmes on pricey vs budget moisturisers you can be guaranteed that the skin can only absorb so much and the actual moisture your skin receives from creams is minimal.

Most of it evaporates off the surface and there are so many layers to your skin it can't possibly soak through 100%.

p.s. Creme de la Mer is manufactured by Estee Lauder.

Pippy1976

rustyzip wrote: »

I was slathering it on whilst sunbathing. Didn't damage me other than the smell!

Stick you under a UV lamp and you'll light up the entire country ... NEVER sunbathe using oil!