📌 What you’ll learn
- What you’re really paying for in a skincare price tag
- Moisturising and caring for fine lines are two different things
- How to read the order of an ingredient list
- 3 questions to ask yourself before buying
Hi, I’m Derrick. When many aunties want to treat themselves a bit, the first thought is: “Go to the counter at the shopping mall and buy a nicer face cream.” One jar costs a few hundred, some over a thousand.
After three months, your skin seems a bit more moisturised, but the fine lines and dullness don’t seem to have changed much.
The problem may not be that what you use isn’t expensive enough, but that what you bought doesn’t match the problem you want to solve.
What does a skincare price actually buy you?
Besides the ingredients inside, the price of a skincare product also covers the brand, packaging design, advertising and celebrity endorsements, shop rental and counter staff.
These aren’t worthless. Nice packaging and a pleasant feel matter too. But they won’t necessarily make your skin better.
So expensive doesn’t mean bad, but it doesn’t mean more effective either. What really decides the result is three things: which ingredients are in it, how much, and whether it suits you.
The most common misunderstanding: moisturising is not the same as caring for fine lines
Many pricey face creams focus on “nourishing” and “moisturising”. They feel lovely, and skin really does feel softer. But moisturising and caring for signs of ageing like fine lines and dullness are two different things:
Moisturising is important — it’s the foundation of skincare. But if your goal is “fewer visible fine lines” or “brighter skin tone”, using only moisturising products is like growing flowers with water alone, without giving them the sunlight they need.
To care for fine lines and dullness, get to know these ingredients first
Sunscreen (the most important, and the most often ignored)
A big part of the visible signs of ageing on the face is linked to UV rays. We’re near the equator, and the sun is strong all year round. Even the most expensive face cream can’t beat applying sunscreen properly every day. For details, read “Daily habits that make your skin age faster”.
Vitamin C, retinol
These two are among the most-studied ingredients for mature skin. A common way to use them is “Vitamin C in the morning, retinol at night”. How to choose and how to start — see “What is Morning C, Night A?“. While using retinol, you must use sunscreen in the day; if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, ask your doctor first.
Niacinamide (vitamin B3)
Niacinamide is fairly low in irritation, so many skin types can use it. In a 2005 study in a dermatology journal, 50 women applied a product with 5% niacinamide on one half of the face, and a control product without it on the other half. After 12 weeks, the niacinamide side showed improvement in how fine lines, dullness and yellowness looked.
Learning to read the ingredient list matters more than the price
Proper skincare products list the full ingredients (Ingredients) on the packaging. The general rule: the more of an ingredient, the higher up it is listed; ingredients in very small amounts can be listed more freely.
So you can make a simple check yourself:
- At the very top are usually base ingredients like water and glycerin. This is normal.
- Where is the ingredient you care about? If the advert pushes one ingredient hard, but it sits at the very end of the list, the amount may not be high.
Before buying skincare, ask yourself 3 questions
- What problem do I want to solve? Dryness, fine lines, dullness, or oiliness? Different goals need different ingredients.
- Do the ingredients in this bottle match my problem? If a product only moisturises, don’t expect it to make fine lines fade.
- Can I afford to keep using it? Skincare takes time. A very expensive cream you are too scared to use may do less than a fairly priced one you apply faithfully every day.
One more reminder: when changing skincare, change only one item at a time, so it is easier to know which bottle works and which one doesn’t suit you. See how in “The order to apply skincare“.
Final words: spend your money in the right place
Being good to yourself doesn’t mean buying the most expensive. First, understand what your skin needs, then spend your budget on the matching ingredients and on daily sun protection. That is truly good-value skincare.
- 6A Multi-Effect Brightening Protection Cream: If your budget is only enough for one item first, I would suggest getting daily sun protection right. 6A is a moisturising SPF20, good for everyday going out; if you are outdoors for a long time, use SPF30 or above, plus a hat and umbrella.
- Rejuvenating C Powder: If you want to add vitamin C, the C Powder uses magnesium ascorbyl phosphate plus tranexamic acid to help improve dullness. Use sunscreen after using it in the morning too.
- No.7 Revitalizing Firming Cream: For fine lines, No.7 is a night cream with retinol, mixed with No.8 and 9A when applying. Use sunscreen in the day; if you are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding, ask your doctor first.
Products aren’t a must. Choose based on your own skin; if you’re not sure, ask me first.
You don’t have to buy. First check whether the ingredients match what you need. If not sure, WhatsApp me for a chat, no pressure.
FAQ
Q: Is cheap skincare always bad?
Not necessarily. Price and results are not directly linked. What matters is whether the ingredients are right and whether you can keep using it every day. Again, look at the ingredient list first, then see if it feels comfortable on your skin.
Q: I already bought a very expensive cream. Should I throw it away?
No need. If it feels comfortable with no discomfort, keep using it as your moisturising step. If you want to care for fine lines and dullness, just add sun protection and the matching ingredients.
Q: The English on the ingredient list is too small to read. What can I do?
Take a photo with your phone and zoom in. Or WhatsApp me the photo, and I’ll help you see what the main ingredients are.
Want to know how to care for your skin?
Tell me about your situation, no pressure 😊
※ This website is run by Derrick, an independent IT’S BEATTIYA distributor, and is not the official website of the IT’S BEATTIYA company. This article shares general skincare knowledge. Cosmetic results vary from person to person and cannot replace medical advice; if your skin reacts abnormally, stop using the product and consult a dermatologist.
