Or; Can One Person Really Make a Difference?
The Story...
This post is a bit of a rollercoaster ride, so hang tight!
I've been noticing more and more recently, how I'm rapidly becoming a "woman of a certain age". I never worried at all about using anti-ageing products in the past; I always thought that at at certain point (way off in the future) I'd start. It seems like that point is here! Aside from the physical changes (let's not go there!), a sure sign was when I woke up with a jolt in the middle of the night a few weeks ago, and my first thought was, "I need to start using anti-ageing moisturiser!" シ
From Pinterest.
Of course the dilemma is - who do I turn to? With so many different products out there, with so many different ingredients, and - most worryingly - so many ludicrously bogus claims, who do I believe? Which brands and products actually work, and which should I choose to use? Having a strong streak of the thrifty gene inside me, I hate the thought of using products that don't actually work, especially if they cost a lot! But I know that help is at hand. Years ago, I read Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me by Paula Begoun. It pretty much confirmed my view at the time that most cosmetics companies are evil liars! But it also provided hope, because it also listed the products that are proven to work.
From Pinterest.
So, about a year ago when I first became more interested in beauty products, I found Paula Begoun on the internet and her site Beautypedia. The site has scientifically-backed reviews of thousands of skin care and cosmetic products, as well as hundreds of useful articles. Aside from her other credentials as a consumer advocate, I've found no other source that discusses what to do if you have oily/acne-prone skin and ageing concerns at the same time (I'm sure I'm not the only one with this problem!). I also found out that Paula has her own skin care line, Paula's Choice, which she founded in 1995. I was all set to be hard and cynical, until I realised that the products are reviewed alongside hundreds of other brands on the website. Many many products from other brands achieve the 'Paula's Tick' (the highest rating) as well as the Paula's Choice products themselves. As the website says, it's the only brand in the world that recommends products from other brands. I think a little pause is necessary here to let that sink in.....
From Pinterest.
I was really impressed by the honest, open, no B.S. attitude. So naturally I was very interested in trying some Paula's Choice products. But here I ran into some issues. Like many specialty products, you can't just walk into any old Priceline and get one! The products are sold through the Paula's Choice website, and there are different versions of the website depending on which country you're in. So I went to the Australian site and found that you had to join their club to buy the products. I have no problem with that, so I went to join and found that there was a $10 joining fee. What the ...?? That kind of stuff is so old-fashioned! Who does that anymore?? I was really mad! I gave up.
I still subscribed to the email newsletter though, because it had information about new product reviews and articles. A few months later, I received an email asking to participate in a feedback survey. Here was my chance! So in the comments section at the end, I explained that I was very interested in trying the products but was yet to buy anything because I was put off by the joining fee. I submitted the survey and didn't think too much about it after that. (Just in case you were wondering, it technically is possible to buy products from the U.S. site, but the cost of postage is prohibitively expensive to overseas customers. I'm talking over $50 - that stuff is so 2008!)
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago - I was wandering idly around the internet one day and decided to check out the Paula's Choice website again. Behold! I was very happily surprised to find that joining the Paula's Choice club is now free! Did my feedback contribute to that change? Or did they realise some other way that the joining fee was putting people off? Who knows? New members receive 5 free sample sachets for joining, so I signed up straight away. The only took about a week to arrive. And there they are:
I received the:
✰ Hydralight Healthy Skin Refreshing Toner
✰ Hydralight One Step Face Cleanser
✰ 2% Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) Liquid Exfoliant
✰ Resist Intensive Wrinkle-Repair Retinol Serum
✰ Skin Balancing Daily Mattifying Lotion
(The last one is not pictured: I thought I'd lost it but it was just in between some of the brochures that came with the samples!) I tried the BHA Exfoliant this morning; I thought that was the most appropriate sample to start with, as I have a honking great pimple on my chin right now. Something definitely felt different about my skin afterwards, so I think it's working. It's quite exciting, I have to say.
So yes, I'm now Serious About Skincare!
