Do you think luxe skin care is worth the price tag?

[Anonymous]

I'm a strong believer that you can't cheap out on skin care, but what's your guys thoughts??

[pocketvenus]

To be honest, I think the correlation is not so strong. Much of the price for luxury products goes into things like marketing, packaging, and so on. Those things are very important too for some people of course. But a lot of common ingredients in skincare like vitamin C come realllllllllllllly cheap.

[jenniferstmary]

I have found that the more I spend on facial care the better my skin is. I don't buy drugstore products because of the questionable ingredient list. I prefer natural products and "clean" products like the ones Sephora sells. Good purveyors of this type of items are Tata Harper, Herbivore, Josie Maran and Sunday Riley. Not cheap, but not La Mer either.

[WinglessOne]

I don’t judge product quality solely on price. 

I’ve had this discussion many times about wine (especially red wines): price =/= quality. That doesn’t mean all wines with high price tags are bad. I have some pricey wines that are d*mn good. But I also have some cheap Spanish reds and French Rhône Valley reds that taste equally as good or better than their expensive counterparts. 

Skincare is the same way for me. Some pricey products are fantastic and work great for me. But so do some of their cheaper counterparts. Some expensive products make my skin explode in a super flaky/scaly or red bumpy tantrum. So do some cheaper products. Price rarely has anything to do with it.   

[AmyMCFC]

I use a mix of cheap and pricey. I know one thing that I will always buy that is pricey is Drunk Elephant's Vitamin C serum. I tried several different vitamin C serums in different price ranges, but none gave me results as good as DE's and some of them were too irritating on my sensitive skin. I will also stick with Sunday Riley's Luna and Good Genes because, once again, results without irritation. I have a lot of redness/irritation from time to time because of a sun sensitivity (thanks to autoimmune issues) and I find there's just no replacement for Dr Jart's Cicapair line. Nothing works as good (or as fast) to calm it down.

On the flip side, I really love using Cetaphil's face wash for normal/dry skin when my skin is in happy condition. And, I love using cheap (although good quality) face oils that I can get at the health food store as opposed to some of the overly pricey ones (although I will splurge from time to time when they are on sale).

I think for me it really depends on how my skin is acting. If it needs more "help", then I find the specialized lines from the pricier brands are needed. Of course, that may just be because I haven't found similar products in more affordable lines. Always on the lookout! 

[SportyGirly125]

I think it really depends on the person and their skin.  For me I have tried a lot of luxe brands, regular brands, and drug store brands.

When I was in my teens I would use Clinique and drugstore brands with no problem.  When I reached my 20s I was still using Clinique and drugstore brands but incorporated regular brands that Sephora carried.  When I got to my 30s I started changing my skin care routine and incorporated luxe brands.  The best luxe brands I have tried that worked for me is La Mer, Sisley Paris, SKII, and Tatcha.

[grayreb]

 have tried both expensive and unexpensive brands. I have not really seen a big improvement with the expensive brand over the cheaper ones. I have tried La Mer and Amore Pacific and was not impressed. Currently, I am trying out Indie Lee which is around the 30 dollar mark and am loving the cleanser, toner, and facial oil ( I grabbed the discovery kit to try).  

[AmyMCFC]

I agree with you on La Mer and Amore Pacific. Both left me unimpressed.

[flamingolegs]

Another person who doesn't get the hype with La Mer and Amore Pacific.  Nothing wrong with them, but I don't think they are any better than the more mid-range products.

I'm a big fan of Kiehl's.  I also like items from Caudalie, Kate Somerville, Lancome, Laneige, Clinique, Dr. Jart, and more.  I'm going to give Drunk Elephant a try, but it's typically more than I'll spend on skin care, so it really needs to impress me or I won't buy it again.

[Alphaboo]

It’s funny - I find LaMer to be totally overrated but I love AmorePacific. I guess it just depends on your skin. (For example, I keep trying Caudalie but it does absolutely nothing for me).

[quspork]

I definitely don't think skincare needs to be luxe to have better results. Sure there are plenty of expensive products that I've used and prefer because of their formulations, but there are also just as many cheaper options that have worked for my skin and, in some cases, have performed better than their more expensive counterparts. 

[RGbrown]

@AnonymousUnidentified

I believe there are many quality products at all price points. In my book, expensive doesn't always equal good, and cheap doesn't have to mean it's garbage. 

One example:

Nivea Creme? Same base ingredients as...La Mer 😲 La Mer adds a little lactic acid via fermented seaweed and a few antioxidants, but that all goes poof quickly due to the jar packaging. Save your money, buy Nivea and a decent exfoliant. 😋

Ok, one more. I've been test driving Babyfacial for a little over a month now, and it has done next to nothing for me. Why? Because my 14% Glycolic Acid from Alpha Skincare ($19 IIRC) has already done a stellar job. I'm certainly not saying that Babyfacial is bad...I'm just glad to know I get great results from a cheaper product. 

If you're attached to luxe, that's fine and dandy and totally your prerogative. Just keep in mind that price doesn't necessarily reflect better quality...there are some excellent low-cost items out there if you don't need the fancy package. 

[AmyMCFC]

Babyfacial did nothing for me either. I've had better results from the Korean line CosRx and their products at a fraction of the price.

[grizzlymaze]

Absolutely agree with your thoughts on La Mer and Nivea Creme. Ive been switching back and forth on these for a couple of years and am now convinced La Mer doesnt actually have a discernible edge.

[yuline]

I had moderate acne in my mid 20s the kind that was so painful that I’d pop them just to relieve the discomfort but I’d get these terrible scars afterwards until I started using la mer cream immediately after popping a pimple.  That broth developed by some NASA scientist REALLY does work.  I swear by the cream and the serum for wound healing (you need to use it for a fresh wound).  I’d be permanently scarred if I hadn’t discovered la mer in my 20s.  It miraculously healed fresh acne scars completely. That being said it does nothing for me for intense hydration or wrinkle prevention (lol).  It just feels and smells delightful to put on and is soothing but I get more out of cheaper creams granted they don’t feel as nice and luxurious but they work better for me.  BTW I swear by Cosrx pimple patches!  I am prone to a few milia (maybe from my heavy eye creams) and those Cosrx patches ward off my milia and saved me from having to go to the dermatologist.  Expensive isn’t always better.  I do find many products in the mid price point range are just as effective or even more effective than $$$$.  For me the really cheap drugstore stuff doesn’t work.  The higher end drug store stuff can be pretty good if you do your homework.

[Braveheart1]

Wow. I just bought Nivea and so you think they are practically the same after testing it for 4 years??

[grizzlymaze]

I have been using La Mer and Nivea as night cream (because theyre so thick and I apply quite heavily) for several years as I said, and both give equally good results in my opinion, and on my skin. I think is was Beyonce who said if you can afford La Mer then go for it but if not then Nivea will work just as well. There is a lot of chatter comparing the two around the web and I used to think that La Mer simply MUST be better, I mean there is 'miracle broth' in it. LOL!! 🙂 Now for some it may work better, but personally I think Nivea performs as well. Im happy to spend money on good quality skincare, and was always of the opinion that 'you get what you pay for' but I think the reality isnt quite that simple. I can safely say that if I want to nourish my skin overnight, or when it needs some tlc, that I can reach for my huge pot of $5 Nivea Creme and rest assured that Im using a fantastic, quality product, and my skin will look great in the morning!