some chemicals with more expensive plant oils. Remember, these aren’t wholesale prices. We’ll be
paying this much only if we order 4 or 8 ounces of each component. Cosmetic manufacturers buy
ingredients by the tons, and they pay dramatically less.
Any cosmetic product containing beneficial amounts of active ingredients is not going to be cheap.
In this lotion, the most expensive ingredient is provitamin B5, or panthenol, and it sells for $2.50 per
ounce. Obviously, there isn’t a whole ounce of panthenol in 16 ounces of a lotion; this would make
the moisturizer extremely potent and most likely very irritating to many people. To keep it safe,
cosmetic chemists make a 0.5–3 percent concentration of panthenol. Let’s say this particular lotion
contains 1 percent, or 0.16 ounce of panthenol. This way, the price of the most expensive ingredient
would climb to 40 cents—only if the lotion maker bought panthenol online by ounce, like I do, not by
the ton! A little label reading can tell you just how many expensive ingredients are in the skin care
product you purchase.
Decent natural cosmetic products may be expensive. You always get what you pay for, and cutting
corners isn’t the way of ensuring quality. If a product is too cheap, then it very likely contains
synthetic, “natural” ingredients such as cocamide DEA or synthetic jojoba oil. You can buy an
inexpensive, locally made soap or candle, but when it comes to well-performing facial skin care,
ingredients should always come first, and quality ingredients do not come cheap.
When you take a look at the ingredients label of an organic moisturizer for sensitive skin, you’ll
notice that the natural ingredients, such as Aloe barbadensis leaf juice, jojoba esters, calendula
extract, or squalene from olive, not shark liver, remain at the beginning of the list. Some ingredients
are quite affordable even for an amateur cosmetic chemist: $1.60 for 2 ounces of dried aloe vera
extract to $4.50 for 1 ounce of calendula extract, more for certified organic versions and pure juices.
Some ingredients, like finely powdered or liquid extracts of Panax ginseng, licorice, white tea, or
echinacea, can cost significantly more. But these ingredients contain much higher concentrations
because good organic brands aren’t mass-produced and do not need to rely heavily on stabilizers,
emulsifiers, and preservatives to keep formulations stable, safe, and pleasant to use. Plus, most
organic brands do not advertise themselves with massive spreads in glossy magazines. Their fame is
due to word of mouth and voluntary celebrity endorsements rather than millions paid to lucky
teenagers. That leads us to the next lesson: do not let celebrities judge what’s better for your skin.
Lesson 3: Learn from Celebrities; Don’t Copy Them
The celebrity factor is strongest when it comes to beauty. I am no exception. I tried Dr. Hauschka’s
toner when I first saw it in the movie Zoolander; I started buying Jurlique when Madonna said she
was using it; I go gaga over Creed perfumes, not just because of their heavenly compositions and
staying power, but also because of the royal fleur that oozes from their crystal bottles. And if I, a
seasoned beauty reviewer, am not immune to the celebrity factor, let’s admit it: people who are not in
the business are far more vulnerable. Many women buy lipsticks because they look good on an actress
they love, or shampoos because they love her hair. If you are size eight, would you buy a pair of jeans
in size two only because your favorite actress wears them? Following celebrities’ leads in cosmetics
is just as stupid.
Very rarely do celebrities use products they advertise. More often than not, the boatfuls of free
products they receive end up in a stylist’s bag or are given away as gifts. Not a single celebrity who
receives free products—cosmetics, bags, dresses, shoes—will admit that she/he is giving the stuff
away. If this information leaks to the company that sends the product, they will stop doing it. The