Genuine & Authentic Skin Care vs.Fakes

The field of professional level skin care is very competitive, each brand striving to come ahead of its competitors.

These brands have several common qualities: their skin care products are the result of extensive R & D (research & development), they are using rare and expensive ingredients and are usually carried by highly trained professional estheticians, spa and salons.

Last two years have seen many changes in consumer buying habits, from ordering groceries online to ordering household goods and clothing.

Instead of visiting a spa or salon we order online and look for the best deal. When it comes to skin care, the research, development and manufacture involved in producing effective products is a costly process. High quality skin care is, by its very nature, not cheap.

Enter fake products. High quality skin care is copied and sold as the real deal. Just like fake designer purses and watches.

The sellers of these fake products make use of Amazon and Walmart as a sales channel.

Manufacturers of genuine products train, support and authorize estheticians, spas and salons who, in turn, guarantee you buy authentic skin care.

When purchasing skin care online, please remember that if the price is too good to be true, it most likely is a fake. You may not mind buying a fake designer purse, but you surely care about the quality of your skin care.

Your skin deserves the real product, not some fake peddled by unknown merchants, hiding behind the well known names of Amazon and Walmart.

Alcohol & Your Skin

A very recent study has come out with the proposition that even one glass of wine is damaging and, according to this study, an all-round Prohibition era should be instituted forthwith. It is the belief of this writer that extremes of any stripe are dangerous, be they in health, politics or art.

This is why we argue that moderate consumption of alcohol can be beneficial to one’s health and enjoying a glass of wine or beer after a hard day at work is a common way to relax. However, consuming too much alcohol not only makes you feel bad, it can affect your appearance too.

Excessive alcohol can age the skin. The three biggest negative impacts are:

Dehydration

The human body is almost 50% composed of water.  Since the skin is the largest organ in the body, without adequate water it cannot perform its normal barrier protective function or appear healthy and vibrant.  Healthy looking skin needs a good balance of moisture, so drinking plenty of water helps keep your skin hydrated. Think of water as an internal moisturizer, which you should apply continuously throughout the day. Alcohol can dehydrate your body, pulling moisture out of the skin, along with the vital nutrients your skin needs to keep it healthy. When skin becomes too dry, it is more likely to wrinkle, and can make you appear older than you actually are.

Blood Vessel Dilation

When you drink alcohol the blood vessels just beneath the surface of your skin dilate, causing redness or flushing and worsening the appearance of spider veins. For those who abuse alcohol, this effect can become permanent, giving a very uneven, unhealthy-looking complexion.

Pre-Existing Skin Conditions

There are several dermatologic conditions that can be aggravated by the consumption of alcohol including rosacea and psoriasis. Drinking alcohol can cause symptom flare-ups making these chronic diseases more difficult to treat. Minimizing your consumption of alcohol should be part of your regime for managing any pre-existing skin condition.

Reducing Alcohol Intake Improves Appearance

Overall, reducing the consumption of alcohol will result in better skin.

If you have consumed an excess amount of alcohol, you can attempt to counteract the ill-effects on your skin. Drink plenty of water to rehydrate your body both during and post alcohol consumption, which will in turn rehydrate your skin. Be sure to thoroughly cleanse your skin, and nourish it with a good quality moisturizer as well as daily sun screen.

Drugstore vs.Professional Skin Care Products

Cosmetic products are being created on a daily basis. Some are only sold through aestheticians and doctor’s offices, while others are readily available via television shopping channels, infomercials, online retailers, or department stores and drugstores. Consumers often end up feeling confused about who to trust, where to shop, and whether to spend their hard-earned money at the spa or the drugstore.

Drugstore products are designed to target some of the most general needs of the skin. The products must be suitable for all ages and different skin types and concerns. The formulating concept behind a typical drugstore skin care product is “one size fits all.”

On the other hand, the majority of products formulated for skin care professionals are made for a narrower range of consumers. Usually, these skin care products are skin type- and condition-specific, result-driven, and designed to yield quick results. These formulations are designed for consumers who are seeking solutions via treatments and products offered by professionals. When creating products for the professional market, formulators mainly focus on targeted issues the product is designed to help resolve. They will choose very specific actives that are often clinically-tested for activity; the percentage used in clinical studies is often referenced as the percentage used in the product. This approach ensures product activity and visible results in the shortest time possible. Consumers purchasing products from professionals also benefit from extended education they receive on the product benefit and usage as proper usage is very important in order to obtain results.

Animal Testing for Cosmetic Products

I happened on a list of cosmetics manufacturers whose products are sold in China. It appears that China REQUIRES cosmetics be tested on animals before being allowed on the Chinese market.

If you believe this cruel practice is not necessary, like I do, this list will be of great interest.

I hope you do not use these brands, or if you do, have a good think about dropping it/them from your cosmetics cabinet.

My Beauty Bunny‘s list of brands that DO test on animals (avoid these brands!!). Updated for 2018!

This is not a complete list but it includes many of the mainstream US beauty brands that are either conducting animal tests or selling in mainland China (where animal testing is required by law).

Algenist
Amazing Cosmetics
American Beauty (EL)
Anna Sui
Aramis (EL)
Avene
Avon
Balenciaga
Bath & Body Works
Benefit
Bliss
Bobbi Brown (EL)
Boscia
Bumble and Bumble (EL)
Burberry
Bvlgari
C. Booth by Freeman Beauty
Calgon
Calvin Klein
Caress
Catwalk
Caudalie
Chapstick
Chloe
Clairol
Clarins
Clarisonic (sold in Sephora China)
Clean & Clear
Clearasil
Clinique (EL)
Colgate
Colorsmash
Coppertone
Coty
Cover Girl
Crest
Curel
Darphin (EL)
Davidoff
Degree
Demeter (Sold in China)
Dermablend
DHC
Dial
Diesel
Dior
Dolce & Gabbana
Donna Karan (EL)
Dove
Dr Brandt (Sephora China)
Dr Jart (Sephora China)
Eclos
Edge
Elie Saab (Sephora China)
Energizer Holdings (Schick, Gilette, Hydro Shave, Playtex, etc)
EOS (mainland China)
Equate
Ermenegildo Zegna (EL)
Essie
Estee Lauder (EL)
Eucerin
Febreze
Fekkai
Fendi
Ferragamo
Flirt (EL)
Freeman
Fresh
Fusion Beauty (Sephora China)
GAP
Garnier
Giorgio Armani
Givenchy
GlamGlow
GoodSkin Labs (EL)
Got 2 Be
Grassroots Research Labs (EL)
Gucci
H2O+ (Sephora China)
Hawaiian Tropic
Head & Shoulders
Herbalife
Hugo Boss
Irish Spring
Ivory
Jergens
J F Lazartigue (Sephora China)
Jimmy Choo
John Frieda
Johnson & Johnson
Joico
Jo Malone (EL)
Jurlique
KAO
Kenzo
Kerastase
Kiehl’s
Kinerase
Kiton (EL)
KMS
Kose
K.Y.
La Mer (EL)
Lab Series for Men (EL)
Lady Speed Stick
Lancome
Laneige
Lanvin
La Roche Posay
Laura Mercier
Lever 2000
Lipstick Queen
Listerine
L’Occitane
Lorac (questionable – here is their latest response “Lorac – LORAC does not support the testing of products on animals and we ask all suppliers to support this point of view and all suppliers state that they do so. LORAC does not use a third party to test on animals. LORAC does not sell in countries requiring animal testing. Please note, LORAC cannot warrant or certify that all suppliers who say they do not test on animals in fact do not test on animals. Additionally, notwithstanding the statements of suppliers to LORAC, LORAC has no way of knowing what the “suppliers of the suppliers” are doing. In regards to the vegan ingredients there is no way to know for sure due to the lack of control over raw ingredients.
L’Oreal
Lubriderm
Lysol
MAC (EL)
Make Up Forever
Malin + Goetz
Mally Beauty (they are working on reformulating to adhere to Leaping Bunny standards)
Mama Mio
Marc Jacobs Fragrances (owned by Coty)
Mark
Mario Badescu (store in Shanghai)
Mary Kay
Matrix
Max Factor
Maybelline
Mentadent
Michael Kors (EL)
Missoni (EL)
Mitchum
Mont Blanc
Morphe
Nair
NARS
Neutrogena
New York Color
Nexxus
Nicole by OPI
Nina Ricci
Nivea
Noxzema
OGX
Ojon (EL)
Old Spice
OPI
Origins (EL)
Palladio
Pantene
Pat McGrath
Pet Head
Peter Thomas Roth (Sephora China)
Pevonia Botanica
Philosophy
Phyto
Playtex
Ponds
PRADA
Prescriptives (EL)
Purell
Purpose
Q-tips brand
Redken
Rembrandt
Revlon
Right Guard
Rimmel London
Roberto Cavalli
ROC
Sally Hansen
Sampar (Sephora China)
Schick
Schwarzkopf
Scope
Sean John (EL)
Sebastian
Secret
Sensodyne
Sephora house brand (including Hello Kitty)
Shu Uemura
Simple Skincare
Sinful Colors
SK-II
Skintimate
Soft & Dri
Softsoap
Speed Stick
St. Ives
Strivectin
Suave
Talika (Sephora China)
Tanda
The Art of Shaving
Tom Ford (EL)
Tommy Hilfiger (EL)
Tony Moly
Tresemme
Trojan
Tyra Beauty
Unilever
Valentino
Vaseline
Veet
Vera Wang
Versace
Victoria’s Secret
Vidal Sassoon
Walgreens house brand
Wella (Sephora China)
Woolite
Yardley
Younique (According to Logical Harmony – Do not verify nor require that their suppliers of ingredients or companies that they work with in manufacturing their products are cruelty-free.)
Yves Rocher
ZIRH (Sephora China)