Maximise Your Chance of Purchasing a Holy Grail
Beauty, skincare and haircare is not a one-size-fits-all approach. (If it were, we wouldn't be here!) Everyone's skin is different, which is why a product that works perfectly for one person may not work for someone else.
With more and more brands and products coming out each month, it can be overwhelming as a consumer to decide what products to invest your money and time in, especially when there's a chance that a product may not work for you.
We are breaking down steps you can take to maximise your chance of purchasing a holy grail.
First thing's first:
Determine your skin type.
Determining your skin type first will set a foundation for the kind of products that will best work for your skin.
Susan Yara, aka Mixed Makeup, provides a helpful, quick video on how you can determine your skin type yourself. Otherwise, do a google search for the different skin types, and see what resonates with your skin.
Research the products and ingredients that will best work for you.
After determining your skin type, you can research the suitable products and ingredients for your skin. We've linked a few YouTubers who provide clear information on all things skin:
Now on to finding that holy grail:
Skip the hype of newly launched products.
This one isn't for the early adopters. If a product has just launched, give it some time for the reviews to come in so you can see what others are saying about it.
Read Reviews
- Verified purchase reviews. These reviews are verified by the business that sold the product and guarantees an actual customer has written the review (not a spam bot!). You'll know a verified purchase review when you see one, as it will say so.
- Reviews from a similar skin type. Websites like Mecca, Sephora, Hikoco will ask people to add their skin type and age so you can make more of an informed decision from that review.
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Tried and tested reviews. Products should be put to the test before being reviewed. Take, with a grain of salt, reviews made after using a product once (these are fairly obvious, as they will start with something like "After one use I noticed such a difference").
Read the ingredient list.
The ingredients do not lie. An ingredient list on a product can look intimidating at first. However, there are plenty of tools online to help you understand what the ingredients are and if you want them in your products or not.
A great resource, to begin with, is Paula's Choice Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary, which explains what an ingredient is, what it does and rates it between "Best, Good, Average and Poor".
Ingredients formulated in the product are listed from highest to lowest concentration on a product label. For example, if water is one of the first ingredients on the list, you will know that it's one of the more concentrated ingredients.
Cosmetic companies may use one of the ingredients in the formulation to market their product. If this specific ingredient is towards the bottom of the ingredient list, you will know that its concentration is not as high you are led to believe from the marketing.
Sample the product.
"Try before you buy", as they say. Try the product out for yourself by finding it at a store that stocks it. More often than not, there's a sample readily available. You can feel the texture, smell the fragrance (if any), and have a go at putting it on your skin. Especially with a product contingent on your skin tone, like foundation, try it out and see how it is after a couple of hours.
What can you do if you have still ended up with a product that isn't for you? Sell it with us!