Parenting Pointers: Which Beauty Products Are Worth It?

I had a chance to interview Master Licensed Esthetician and founder and owner of Skin Property Virtual Esthetics, Emily Trampetti, about how to spot which skincare devices are worth the purchase this holiday season. Emily has been featured in The Well + Good, Puckermob, Medium, The Well Well, and more!

Tis’ the season for gifting, but you want to make sure you’re purchasing the right products. There are so many beauty products and devices on the market it’s extremely difficult to know which is right for you without a lot of research or knowledge of the companies you should support. 

1) Why is it important for consumers to know which beauty products are actually worth it?

The beauty industry is renowned for being confusing! Unless you are adept in ingredient chemistry, skin physiology and even the skincare regulatory environment, it's very difficult to truly know what products are worth your time and money. This is why it is imperative that the majority of consumers partner with a reputable and licensed esthetician to help them navigate the industry and help them to find the right routine and treatments for their goals. Estheticians are trained specifically to help you get your best skin. It's also important to have a dermatologist to do annual skin cancer screenings and diagnose conditions that may need more prescription-strength products.

The alternative is truly trying to educate yourself in an online world of misinformation and marketing, or spending potentially wasted time and money on continuous trial and error. The majority of my clients come to me after attempting this and unfortunately seeing a lack of results.
2) What are some products and treatments that are actually dangerous?

Context is important here. Dangerous for whom? Pregnant women? children? certain conditions? In general, there are contraindicated treatments and ingredients for many various skin conditions and health status'. In general, the only things I would say are universally "dangerous" to the skin are:

• Not wearing sunscreen daily
• Overusing essential oils
• Buying certain skincare devices online like dermarollers, chemical peels and microdermabrasion machines
• Clarisonics - very damaging to the skin
• Certain DIY, "natural," or homemade skincare (mainly the issue is potentially harmful bacteria or microorganisms, many small batch, homemade brands don't follow proper product safety protocol)
• Black market Retin-A or Accutane (or ANY prescription for that matter! if it's typically given or performed by a professional, you shouldn't be doing it by yourself for a reason!)

3) For people who are looking to save money, what are some things they can DIY at home?

I typically 100% advise against DIY skincare. The reason why is because foods and pantry items that most people use to make DIY skincare can actually be quite damaging to the skin if you don't know what you're doing. We need to remember that "natural" is not always better. In fact, many "natural" ingredients have very high irritant potential. For example, citrus fruits, vinegar, and even other fruits and vegetables can have incompatible pH numbers, residual pesticides, and barrier stripping qualities. When skincare is formulated as skincare in a lab, it is specifically formulated to inhibit dangerous bacteria and pathogens, and to work safely and effectively with our skin's natural chemistry. For those that are looking to save money, I recommend switching to lower priced drugstore brands like Cerave to cut costs. And I'll leave you with this...

I could also make my own shoes to save money. I could cut out some cardboard and use dental floss to attach it to my foot. But why would I do that when there are simply less expensive, yet properly made shoes, that will work for me just fine. In fact, even a cheap pair of shoes will work better and last longer than a piece of cardboard and dental floss. This is how I look at DIY skincare.

4) What are a few low-effort ways to improve a beauty routine?

For my clients that are low on time, motivation and even money, I recommend just sticking to the basics to keep their skin healthy and glowing and fighting damage. The key essentials to a bare bones skincare routine are below. Everyone 13 and up should be in their routine at the very minimum for healthy, happy skin.

AM:

1. Cleanse

2. Moisturizer

3. SPF

PM:

1. Cleanse

2. Moisturize

Otherwise, skin also responds really well to having a low-stress lifestyle, well-balanced diet, good sleep patterns and consistency.