Beautypedia

[GG84]

Beautypeadia....Do you trust what beautypedia says? I've fallen into the beautypedia worm hole and ive been reading about all my skin care that I use...everything I use isnt reccomended! They either cause premature aging, clog pores etc..I'm confused as I love some of these products. I dont want to use them however if they really arent doing anything for me. Dennis Gross peel pads, Dennis gross ferulic acid moisturizer, dr jart water fuse moisturizer...ahhh!

[RoamingHoliday]

For me it's a starting point. If they take issue with something I'll then look for 2-3 other sources. I think it can be a good reference source for ingredients but I think of it as more a first stop. 

[elthom]

I think that Beautypedia is useful, particularly if you read the detailed reviews and determine if the qualities of the product that cause a drop in rating are really relevant to you or not. For example, products with mild fragrance are down rated, but a mild fragrance doesn't bother my skin at all, so if that is the only factor that takes a product from a rating of 5 to a rating of 4, I completely ignore that. 

The ratings sometimes feel a bit rigid, but I do stay away from products that get very low scores and I have found a number of inexpensive (drugstore) products that have been highly rated and excellent. I really don't think the ratings are biased according to the company that manufactures them because I have seen products from a company be very highly rated and other products from the same company with a low rating.

Some people think that the ratings are strongly biased to the PC products but as @RGbrown has said, it's because the PC products have been formulated so that they do meet the high standards that were set by the Beautypedia founder before the two sites diverged. Other companies often also get very high ratings.

I think the site is particularly useful for finding good products in a specific category (say serums, or retinol, or moisturizers with SPF). It can be really expensive to rely on advertising to make product decisions and I think that a product that is decently rated by Beautypedia can be a good starting point. Caroline Hiron's site is another place to get good reliable reviews.

[RGbrown]

@GG84

Ooohhh, I hadn't seen this thread before...glad it surfaced! I'll give my thoughts on Beautypedia/Paula's Choice 😄

Paula started doing her own research on ingredients, wrote a bunch of books, and founded Beautypedia to rate products using her knowledge. Then she went on to found Paula's Choice using her knowledge and opinions of good vs bad, so it's no surprise that her own products rate highly...the rating scale was her creation, after all, and she created her products to adhere to that scale. Even if the two sites are separate now, the principles behind each are based on the same research and knowledge base.

When I use Beautypedia, it's not to find out more about PC products...I already assume they'll be highly rated. But I do like to get an idea of what they have to say about other items I use or am thinking about. If they give me an fact like "the pH is too high, which means the acids won't work", I take it pretty seriously. But I've also noticed that they seem to be a bit more subjective with some things, like jar packaging and fragrance. Stars are always docked for those, but I've seen them dock anywhere from 1-4 stars, and it doesn't always seem to be consistent across every review. So...while I do read their reviews, I weight some things differently than they do and go from there. 

In the end, it really does come down to what works best for you. More info is always a good thing, but don't let one site be your be-all end-all for decision-making 🙂

[sockmagnet]

@RGbrown I feel the same way - I appreciate their detailed thoughts on ingredients but get frustrated that they will often basically slate a product just because they have a bug up their butts about the packaging. Personally I prefer the kinds of packaging that they seem to hate as it is easier to get all of the product out to actually use and is then easier to repurpose or recycle... I wish they would rate the product separately to the packaging!

[Daygonz]

I am new to Beautypedia and I have noticed most of the Drunk Elephants are the highest ratings. I tried the peek and juju bar and guess are not bad, but they are better in the market. Not sure, it is weird. I will make a better research for my next purchase.

[greeneyedgirl107]

@GG84 I really like beautypedia.com.  I have had success with all of the products I have tried that they have recommended, from NYX mascara to FAB Face Wash to PC BHA.  I have personally found that while the site does rate PC products highly, they also rate a lot of other products highly.  Plus, I have found that they usually do a good job in explaining their ratings.  

According to a post on Reddit, PC and beautypedia.com have separate research teams.  https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddicts/comments/30wwbr/is_beautypedia_unbiased/

I agree with other posters that it is best to look at more than one site when searching for products.  While I personally trust beautypedia, I often look up reviews on MUA, Allure and Sephora.

It's ultimately up to you to determine if you "like" a product or not - even beautypedia and PB have stated that in the past.  Best of luck 🙂  I know it can often feel like there's no one to trust out there, there's misinformation, etc.

[GG84]

Thanks guys...I had a minor internal freak out because I like my products. I've never even heard of Paula's Choice products before but after reading your responses I do see a definite bias.

[kikyochan]

I think they are completely biased. Don't let them sway your opinion about The products you are using or want to use. The site is founded by Paula Begoun, who also founded Paula's Choice. If you look at the reviews for Paula's Choice products, it's almost always 4-5 stars/ excellent ratings while most other brands have poor ratings. I wouldn't trust that site

[6come6]

Hi. I put the site’s expert findings into consideration, but after discovering that all the products I use have something wrong with them, I actually stopped visiting the site. After struggling with tons of skin issues, I have figured out what works for me and have come to the conclusion that I know what’s best. I am certainly open to others suggestions and hearing what’s worked for them. If using alcohol in every part of one’s skincare routine works for them, I give them all the power to continue. I say continue what makes you feel good - and stay beautiful! Good luck!