Cosmetics Counters: If It Sounds Too Good To Be True It Probably Is
I began "researching" (the word "research" is far over-used, it's really just studying, but I'm using "research" so you catch my drift) skincare in my teens, which was more years ago than I'd like to admit. I've always been very interested in skincare and when I started having problematic acne in my late teens, I really delved into finding out why and what I could do to fix it and help others with skin issues.
One of the most important things I learned was that if a claim by a skincare or cosmetic company made about a product sounded too good to be true, it probably was. Many people are under the impression that a claim, such as "diminishes the appearance of wrinkles up to 75%", has to be true because otherwise it's false advertisement. Not true. When it comes to cosmetics there are many loop holes in which the industry uses. The FDA has very little say over skincare and cosmetics. The FDA only monitors individual ingredients, not every product that is on the market. (And how an individual ingredient works on it's own is often greatly different when combined with other ingredients in a product.)
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love skincare and cosmetics. However, the cosmetics industry is all about selling, selling, selling and making ridiculous claims. I've worked for several cosmetics companies and I can't tell you how many times I've been through training and classes where I'm trying so hard not to roll my eyes about how a certain product has "shown to virtually erase wrinkles", "won't clog pores", or "it's natural so it's good for your skin". Because I've done my homework and I know how cosmetics companies use biased studies and pseudo science to get the results they want in a product.
They also have an arsenal of sales tactics such as "oil free" (some oils are perfectly fine for skin and don't clog pores, and some products that have this claim do, in fact, contain oily substances that just aren't considered oils, such as Vitamin E), "non-comedogenic" (won't clog pores, and I've seen this on MANY products that contain very pore-clogging ingredients), "Hypoallergenic" (people can be allergic to practically anything so this one's a whopper). These are just a few of popular sales tactics that a lot of people buy into.
When it comes to erasing wrinkles, some products may give the appearance of doing so, but it's generally because the skin is dry and once the product hydrates the skin, it hydrates it and smooths it out. Or, it causes the skin to plump up (it's actually causing inflammation and really isn't good for the skin) so wrinkles do smooth out. But, these are temporary and when you stop using the product, the wrinkles will come back. The only way you can really "remove wrinkles", is by having chemical peels or cosmetic surgery. And the best thing you can use to prevent aging is a broad spectrum sunscreen.
As for acne, many skincare products that state to address this problem only aggravate acne-prone skin. Many "acne products" contain alcohol, witch hazel (witch hazel is 15-25% alcohol), menthol, fragrance, plant based components, colorants, and many other ingredients that are horrible for acne-prone skin.
So, when you go to a cosmetic counter in search of a product to combat or prevent a skin issue, keep in mind that MOST the people working there are not trained on what is actually good for the skin. Although, no doubt there are a few out there like me, that have "researched" cosmetic ingredients and their effects on the skin, most of them have been taught pseudo-science to back up the claims of their company's products, simply to sell you on it (and they are incredibly convincing!). The best thing you can do is to do the "research" yourself, and be very careful what you read. A lot of information available, especially online and in magazines, is simply advertisement made to look like scientific research.