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Is it worth going high-end for body care products?
Is it worth going high-end for body care products? Sometimes, never? What for? What never is worth it?
I think if you have a particular skin condition or sensitive skin, then yes, you may find that high-end or pricier stuff is better for you. For me, I’ve found excellent body creams, moisturizers, sunscreens, washes, and exfoliators for under $10 and over $50 just as easily.
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I always try to find something fairly inexpensive first when it comes to face and body care products. Like anything, there are great and not so great products all across the board. It just depends on what works and what is worth it for the individual person, IMO.
I agree with you, Christine. if there’s a special circumstance, higher-end products might be worth it, but for me, I don’t see the point in dropping a wad of cash on something that I can get for a lot cheaper. I don’t think I currently use anything that was more than $15.
I have to budget somewhere and this is it. Although my skin can be sensitive, or unresponsive, I try not to spend more than I need in order to keep things smooth and hydrated.
Only when I need to buy body butters for dehydrated winter skin. Even then, I look for deals or sales.
Christine you are right. I have mild rosacea, and use a prescription cream. I’ve tried many “anti-redness” moisturizers from drugstore to Clinique and I find that the ONLY one that works is Dermadoctor’s Calm, Cool, and Corrected for $85. I would rather not spend $85 on a jar of face cream that uses up rather quickly if you use it twice a day, but this cream prevents me from having to use my Rx twice a day – I only have to use it once. I’ve spent around $35 on numerous other creams to try to find a cheaper one that works, but I wind up wasting more money that way because they just don’t work for me. I tried Philosophy’s new “Keep the Peace” line for redness and it nearly burned my face off. So like you say, if there’s a special condition, the higher priced stuff may be better.
For certain skin issues I buy products with special ingredients to target them;they tend to cost more. Can you name some good body creams/butters that you really like and that are really thick/emollient?
i try inexpensive first and all natural but if it’s really not working than i’ll try a more expensive item. i have very dry/sensitive skin. so it can be very hard to find the right formula for my skin. often low end products are just for dry skin and i need super duty moisturizers.
I do have a skin condition, Psoriasis, as well as extremely dry skin, and I actually find drugstore & supermarket brands to be better for my skin, as higher end items tend to be heavily laden with perfumes which aggravate my skin. Not only do I opt for lower end items, but I also find myself reaching for the store brand versions of these items.
I’m extremely lucky, my skin (not face!) is always in a good condition, even if I don’t moisturize or scrub. I’d never spent more than 10 dollars on body care 😉 But my sister has a very dry and sensitive skin. I managed to find her a body lotion that works for only 20 dollar. So it’s not impossible!
It depends on the product. If you want a massage oil or firming oil definiteley yes ! I use Bio Nuxe products or Clarins ( Clarins is really very very good ), otherwise no I use Amande persane from Roger & Gallais ( 21 € ), a very cool Nivea firming cream ( Pure and Natural, around 5,70 € ) or The butters from the Body Shop which are cheap but not so bad in fact. High end creams ( Chanel, others ) are good but prices are high. Clarins is the best, prices are high too but oils and body care are effective.
For every day use, absolutely no.
I use olive oil soap (because gels leave residue)
Then Korres lotion because it has powder finish
Sometimes I use some aloe vera gel (depilation soothing).
For special occasions, I have my perfume skin care (soap, dry oil and cream) but I can’t afford using them just for after every shower). Korres lotion can feel luxurius too because of its finish.
edit:
forgot to mention that if feet and hands are included in this question, I have found neutrogena (hands) and hansaplast (feet) creams just perfect.
As for exfoliator, I use epsom salts (the best ever) and a full body argile mask from time to time.
Generally, I go for chemicals on face and hair but for body, I would choose more natural stuff because the area is too big to use mineral oils all the time and secondly, more vegan products (not fully, i am ok with korres) can feel more spa like 😛
I used to think so because it’s more fun to buy high end cosmetics, I think, but lately I’ve found acceptable alternatives at drug stores and in the cheaper half of Ulta. For example, I’ve been using NYX’s HD foundation, which I got on sale at Ulta for six bucks. It looks as good as my MAC Pro foundation, except that it doesn’t crease and because it doesn’t have SPF I don’t look like a ghost in pictures. I’ve also started using Physicians Formula mascara because it doesn’t irritate my eyes like a lot of mascaras do, since Chanel stopped making cake mascara. I also really like Sephora’s Outrageous Volume mascara when I want something more dramatic. I guess a $15 mascara is somewhere on the border between low end and high end. I like Sephora’s lip gloss as well.
In general I can find most things I need from NYX, Milani, or Rimmel, but I haven’t found an inexpensive eye shadow that I like as much as Urban Decay’s. NYX comes close, but it doesn’t have the rich texture or easy blendability of UD. For everyday use, it seems to me that drugstore eye shadows would be fine, but I tend to wear makeup only in the evening and like the drama I get from higher end eyeshadows and eyeliners.
Gah, it is too early in the morning. I just realized I misread the question.
I use a lot of Dermalogica products, but I tend to also use a lot of products from Avalon Organics and similar brands. My Dermalogica lady isn’t very enthusiastic about it, but they seem to work well enough. In fact, I’m convinced that their Vitamin C serum is a great augmentation to the Dermalogica moisturizers I use.
I love scented products so I always buy my lotions and body wash from bath and body works! But i use coupons and get the sales so I actually pay less than you would going to the drugstore or something 🙂
It depends on how much I like the product. There are several high end body care products that I really, REALLY love (from Clarins, Sephora, La Roche Posay, Kiehl’s) and so I use them and pay the higher prices. But there are also many less expensive products that I also like and use (Olay, Avon, Palmer’s). So price alone doesn’t affect my opinions about whether a product works or not and because I use a LOT of body lotion/cream, it’s always a bonus to find a less costly product that won’t break the bank when I lavish it on.
Which products do you recommend the most for acne prone skin?
When you’re young, I think, you can use anything. Try to be sure that you use something that blocks UVA as it causes wrinkling. Spend your money on vitamins, sunglasses, drink your water and exercise. After you age, it gets difficult. The more prep work you do now, the easier it’ll be later. Especially vitamin D – buy good quality and take it and you’ll thank yourself when no one believes that you’re 40.
I’d say yes, but it depends on what you’re looking for. I think it’s like anything else – you get what you pay for. Sure, you can get great body wash at the drugstore for $3, but what does it have in it? Where was it made? What did it cost the planet to make? Is there a ton of extra packaging involved? What’s it going to do for your skin? Was it tested on animals? What kind of synthetics are used?
All those questions are important to me, so I go for brands that take care of all that, which usually wind up being a bit more costly, but I also find that higher-end brands have less filler and are more concentrated, so I wind up using less product and it becomes a better value for the money.
I don’t really invest THAT much in body care. With that said however, I don’t really use stuff I can find in the supermarket either. My skin could be dry and act up, so I don’t want to take the risk! I like pharmaceutical brands as well as more “natural” ones such as L’Occitane, but they don’t really break the bank!
I think if it depends. I’ve found some amazing body products in the drug store, but i SWEAR by Lush, and think it is worth every penny!!!
I have fairly acute keratosis pilaris on my arms and hips. I’ve used Dermadoctor KP Duty at $48 a small tube, but a body scrub and a drugstore AHA lotion ($20 for a lot more product between the two) works just as well for me.
You’re just talking about body stuff, right? Because I’m seeing a lot of replies that include products for the face and I’m not sure if you meant your question to be all-inclusive. If for the body, then no, I don’t spend much. Maximum is probably about $11 for a B&B scented body cream. For the face, on the other hand, …..
It would be interesting to see the replies — as well as how high people are willing to go — for a similar question focused on face creams and products. Perhaps one day you can do some posts on that, even though it’s outside the normal purview of the blog, because I find people get even crazier about anti-aging products than they do about makeup! (I’m certainly guilty of that on occasion.) But some of the prices involved are just crazy and make my jaw drop.
It was just supposed to be about body care products 🙂
There actually was a question relating to “anti-aging” products probably within the last few weeks. And yes, it was quite interesting.
Thank you for letting me know, Amy. 🙂 I’m new to Christine’s blog, though it’s fast become part of my requisite daily reading. (I’ve even put it on the Favorites list of my elderly fashionista mother who is incredibly impressed by the breadth of Christine’s coverage. Heh.) Anyway, I will definitely look up the post. Thank you again.
Just saying hello, and I don’t have a question really. Happy Easter.
Happy Easter!
For me it’s all about ingredients. I’m prone to large patches of excema on my back and legs, and am super sensitive to petroleum products (like mineral oil and petrolatum). To make things more fun, I’m also allergic to avocado, which is a common moisturizer in more natural based products. So whenever I find something that works, and doesn’t have anything in it that irritates my skin I stick with it, regardless of price.
For awhile I was able to use a Johnson and Johnson lotion, but they reformulated to include mineral oil. They didn’t mark it as reformulated though, so I went through about 2 months of itchy skin before I realized what the culprit was. Right now I have a heavy duty Curel creme that works, though it’s more expensive. When my skin gets out of control for whatever reason (seasonal changes are common) I do default to Lush’s Dream Cream. It’s great stuff, but I don’t need that much healing all the time, and at $25 a tub it gets expensive fast. My favorite trick I learned this winter is to buy the bottles of vitamin E oil from Trader Joes and use it on my legs in the shower after shaving. Cuts down on a lot of irritation.
If I need products for my skin (and especially for my face) then I automatically search for more expensive products. I already have a very sensitive skin so I don’t want to make it worse by buying cheap products. Of course there may be cheap products who work just as good, but I still I prefer the more expensive ones.
When buying just make-up, like eyeshadow, lipstick, blush.. I don’t care what the price is, it all depends 🙂
I have really sensitive skin so I need to use rather specific soap but I can and do use inexpensive lotion sometimes. It backfires every once in a while so if I am trying something new I use it on a small patch out of the way on a day I don’t have to go to work. Most of the time it is fine and the $10 lotion is fine. Sometimes my skin freaks out and I need to go back to the fancy organic one for a while.
Its worth getting the best body products for your skin! I don’t really think that necessarily means you have to go high-end, though. My best moisturiser is actually by Moogoo, which is an independent brand from Australia. Made on a dairy farm!
nope
Nope
No!
I like both, but I prefer high end!! Philosophy is my favorite, perlier honey, soap & glory, bath & body works to name a few 😉
If it makes you feel great, o course it’s worth it!
I am trying to avoid petrolatum and harsh chemicals, I found that even high end products have sulfates & petrolatum in them.
Yes it is!
not in my experience, and I’ve gone both directions.
I use soap free products and no sulfates bc my skin is really sensitive. I’m currently using Shea moisture products
Because of the KP and eczema, I have to be careful which products I use: Cetaphil Restoraderm lotion (mucho expensive for such a small amount) but it works the best and DERMAdoctor KP Duty scrub works better than any cheap body scrub.