My Yahoo! Finance Interview and the TOP 12 LIES Skincare Companies Are Telling You

I am so excited to announce that I had an interview with Yahoo! Finance, and I can't wait for you to see it!

The topic was Confessions of a Beauty Insider: The Best and Worst Products for Your Skin.

You can watch the interview HERE. Trust me, you won't want to miss it!

In the video, I offer skincare tips, clear up some common misconceptions, and talk about skincare ingredients you should and shouldn't use.

However, my interview just scratched the surface!

I actually have more to discuss and expand upon as the beauty industry isn't what you think it is.

I'm here to help you uncover the truth.

Without further ado, I'm exposing the top 12 lies skincare companies are telling you!

1. You Are Ugly -- Use This Product and You'll Look like a 16-Year-Old Model!

First of all, you are beautiful no matter what.

We all have unique features and characteristics that deserve to be celebrated!

But, over the years, marketing and advertisements have specifically targeted women and told us what we needed to change.

From body hair, to dark skin, to cellulite, society has decided that it's OK to tell women how they should look and groom themselves.

Advertisements tell us that a product can "fix" us and make us younger and prettier.

If we don't conform, we're told that we don't fit in, we're weird, or that we're flat-out ugly.

Combined with young, thin, beautiful models used in advertising, and we're left feeling pretty crappy.

Unfortunately, beauties, skincare and makeup products can't turn back the hands of time to make you 16 years old again.

What will deliver results and help you look younger is an effective skincare regimen for your skin type.

One of my personal mantras is prevention vs. treatment, meaning stopping signs of aging before they even start.

This is easier than trying to reverse the damage years after it's happened.

My tip is to start incorporating anti-aging products into your routine as early as your 30s.

And everyone -- even twentysomethings -- can benefit from a good eye cream.

Trust me, you'll thank me later!

2. You Need to Spend a Lot of Money to Get Good Skincare Products

So it’s crucial to know what you’re buying and whether or not it’s actually helping your skin's health!

One of the most common misconceptions in skincare is that you have to break the bank to get the results you want.

Not every product in your arsenal needs to be from a high-end luxury brand in order for it to be effective.

In fact, drugstore products can work just as well (or better).

That's why I want to offer you my favorite budgeting tip, so you're spending your money where it matters!

Find a good drugstore cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen, and allocate the rest of your funds toward a higher-end concentrated product, like a serum or eye cream.

Those products are going to have potent ingredients for your desired results.

3. All Preservatives Are Bad and the Shelf Life Doesn't Matter

Did you know that the FDA doesn’t actually require skincare products to have a shelf life or expiration date?

That's a scary thought.

No one wants to put an expired product on their skin that could potentially yield bad results.

Luckily, most skincare products will have an image like the one below, or a date printed "EXP. 3/19" directly onto the label.

As part of the natural skincare movement we're experiencing, many consumers are advocating for minimal to no preservatives in cosmetic formulations.

But I'm here to tell you that preservatives have gotten a bad rap.

They are not the enemy.

They keep your favorite skincare products effective and fresh and prevent mold, bacteria, and yeast from growing.

If you were to use all organic ingredients, the shelf life of the would only be about three months, and you would have to refrigerate it.

Plus, if you are truly worried, there are natural preservative options available like leuconostoc (one of my favorites!).

Parabens receive the same kind of skepticism as well.

Although I have personally chosen to not use parabens in my own skincare line, methylparaben and propylparaben, for example, are on the FDA's Generally Recognized as Safe list as long as they are less than 0.1% of the product ingredients.

I believe some of the most effective products out there contain a blend of scientific and natural ingredients.

4. Our Packaging Is Sanitized and Cleaned Before We Fill It

This is SO scary.

Since starting my brand, I have learned most skincare packaging comes from China.

My estimate is probably around 90%...like super high!

After talking to most of the major labs that most skincare companies here in the USA, I learned that the bottles are not cleaned, or even sanitized!

It’s like putting something on your face with dirty hands. Not good.

It just simply goes straight to the consumer after adding in the actual product. Yuck!

Instruments, raw material, containers, and filling machines should not cross-contaminate in a cosmetic lab.

Skincare and makeup packaging doesn't need to be sterile, but it does need to be disinfected.

Yes, I sterilize and clean all of my bottles!

5. Other Companies' Ingredients Suck

Posts like the above and similar ads are designed to guilt you into buying their product instead of the competition's because the competition uses "toxic" ingredients.

Beauty brands use buzzwords like “non-toxic,” “clean,” and “safe” to appeal to their existing customer base and target new consumers.

But these terms have absolutely no legal standing ground.

I consider content like this a form of fear-mongering.

This all plays into the all-natural skincare trend that's going on, which I'll explain in a bit.

My advice is to be on the lookout for this type of content and to do your research when you're interested in purchasing a product.

Also, just simply Google the ingredients to figure out if they are all-natural or harmful!

6. All You Need Is This ONE Miracle Product

We might wish that this was true, but it simply isn't. (Our skincare expenses would be next to nothing!)

Most brands have one product that stands out among the rest and is a best seller, so marketing might tout it as a "cure-all" and try and increase the hype.

An example is the All-in-One Facial Set by Hanacure.

But one product can't -- and won't -- save your skin.

As I mentioned in my first point, it takes a skincare regimen of quality formulas meant for your skin type to see results.

For the long-term look and feel of your skin, you need to make an investment.

As I said above, you can use a combination of drugstore and luxury skincare.

7. Organic Is the ONLY WAY TO GO

The popularity of “green” or organic products is at an all-time high, with consumers desiring “natural” beauty solutions more than ever.

Again, it all goes back to marketing.

According to one study, consumer satisfaction is greatest when beauty brands help strengthen feelings of positive emotion by feeding the perception that consumers are “caring for oneself.”

What better way to “care for oneself” than by buying “wellness” products that present themselves as “safe” and “natural”?

But, as I've mentioned, it takes a blend of organic ingredients and scientific ones to truly see results.

Chemicals -- whether preservatives or acids -- aren’t always the enemy.

Even water is a chemical!

So, while organic can be amazing, it isn't the be-all-end-all in skincare.

There's no reason to fear chemicals!

8. Celebrities, Influencers, and Models Use Our Products

Skincare and makeup brands use celebrity endorsements on social media, billboards, TV, magazine ads, and more.

You'll often see and hear how much the celebs love using a particular product and what great results it's given them. (For example, Jennifer Aniston and Aveeno.)

The thing is, celebrities are being paid to say these things.

They're serving as a paid sponsor in an advertisement.

Sure, Jennifer Aniston could be using an Aveeno moisturizer at home because she truly likes it, but trust me, this is not often the case.

The reason that celebrities look so good is that they can afford to!

They have their own team of estheticians, dermatologists, cosmetologists, and plastic surgeons.

Beauties, you shouldn't expect celeb-worthy results from a moisturizer, acne cream, or cleanser, but this is what brands want you to think.

They choose someone who is going to portray the image and demographics of the consumers that they want to buy their products.

Or, they simply want someone who may be super trendy and popular.

This can motivate consumers to buy the product because they want to be like the celebrity spokesperson.

For example, a consumer might purchase an Aveeno moisturizer because they wish to be as beautiful, charismatic, and successful as Jennifer Aniston.

In this article I wrote about celebrities and beauty brands, I dove more into the psychology side of things and why celebrity endorsements can be so successful.

Consumers will associate the good feelings they have about a celebrity spokesperson and transfer this onto the advertised product.

The official term for this is borrowed equity.

9. Our Product Is Organic and Natural

Brands can easily claim that their products are organic and natural when they, in fact, aren't.

This is because there aren't any FDA standards when it comes to using these terms, so brands can get away with using them without repercussions.

That's why false claims and deceitful marketing tactics are such a problem!

As I said in my interview, this really gets my skin boiling because I think about women who are on a budget and don't know that they're buying something that doesn't have any benefits.

There are several reasons that brands flat out lie about ingredients -- the number one reason being sales/money.

My advice is to check the ingredients before buying.

Use Google!

The first five ingredients make up about 20 percent of the formulation.

They are listed in order of quantity on the ingredient list -- check the back of your bottle or box.

This is what matters!

Typically, water is listed as a top ingredient.

Then, look for other beneficial ingredients like vitamin C, antioxidants, retinol, and hyaluronic acid.

Those are all ingredients that you can use to get long-term results.

10. No One Else Can Get This Proprietary Ingredient in the Universe

When a beauty brand claims that they have a proprietary blend or proprietary ingredient in their products, it's usually just a blend of a few normal ingredients.

Brands can request trade secret status for a cosmetic ingredient, but according to the FDA, it's unlikely they'll grant the request.

So, why do brands use the "proprietary" claim?

It can be a marketing tactic, protection against copycats, or to increase a product's perceived value.

However, it's important to remember that brands can -- and do -- disclose their ingredients without giving away the specific amounts used.

I also want to include a note about the term "fragrance."

Many clients have come to me wondering just what "fragrance" was as they saw it on an ingredient label -- is it straight-up perfume?

The FDA says the term "fragrance" doesn't have to be more specific, even though it could contain synthetic or allergy-provoking substances.

This loophole exists because it was originally developed to protect a company's proprietary perfume blend (like Chanel No. 5).

11. This Brand Is Run by Doctors, Dermatologists, and Women

I've learned SO many things from selling my own skincare line on Amazon (and off Amazon, for that matter), which you can read a lot more about the scariness of purchasing off Amazon here.

One of those things is that many skincare brands sold on Amazon claim that they're run by doctors, dermatologists, or women.

This gains consumers' trust and support and persuades them into thinking the brand is effective and inclusive.

In actuality, the brands are usually run by a venture capitalist group that's good at Amazon and marketing strategy.

Unfortunately, they usually know nothing about skincare.

Again, this comes down to doing your own research.

Look on the brand's Amazon page or website.

If you can find any names, I recommend looking them up on LinkedIn or Google to confirm they are who they say they are.

If the brand claims it's "woman-owned" or "dermatologist-founded" but doesn't mention anyone, proceed with caution.

12. Use a Lot of Product

Beauties, it's time to stop slathering moisturizer on your face.

It's a common misconception that more product = more results.

I frequently have this conversation with my clients.

The amount of product you should be using on your face is actually much less than the industry shows in ads and graphics!

Use a pea size amount for your eye cream, and a nickel size amount for your cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen.

Don't worry -- even with these seemingly small amounts, your products will still work.

My mantra is less is more.

And, particularly with higher-end products, you can trust that little quantities are going to go a long way.

The best part?

This will help your budget in the long run as you won't have to replace your products so frequently.

Final Thoughts

It really is a bummer that skincare companies are lying to us every single day.

It's time to expose the truth, and I hope I've brought you some clarity.

If you've read my blog before, you know that I'm big on education.

There is A TON to know about the beauty industry, and I want to share what I've learned from my experience.

My goal is to help you, the consumer, make informed choices before buying skincare products.

For more insight on this topic, don't forget to watch my Yahoo! Finance interview!

If you didn't get a chance to view it at the beginning of this article, you can find it again HERE.

Did you learn anything shocking from my Yahoo! Finance interview or this blog? What did you already know? I'd love to read your thoughts in the comments!