Is expensive skin care worth it?

[Sausagenbacon]

I have bought from SpaceNK, and liked most of the products. But, going in yesterday, I felt out of place (gorgeous young assistants vs overweight old me) and it IS expensive.
So I bought some Superdrug brand cleaner, eye cream and moisturiser instead.
What I want to know is if people think it's worth paying extra for skin care.
The other thing is that I'm going to eat better - more fruit, veg and no sugar - as I have been a binge eater. Do you think that diet is more influential than skin treatments?
Sorry, there's a lot packed in here, but hoping for some advice.

Such good answers here. Expensive skincare isn't really worth it.

Things that matter:

• consistency
• sleep
• sun protection
• genetics
• diet esp sugar

The beauty industry plays on our worries about ageing and has some seriously good marketing. We also often like feeling we have something luxury.

Focus on actually proven ingredients (Vitamin A and Vitamin C)

I started doing monthly Caci facials and gave up expensive skin care - my skin is way better with the facials tbh. I don’t think expensive skin care is worth it but each to their own!

Agree with PP. Genes make the biggest difference. Following that, no amount of expensive (or inexpensive) skincare will make you look good unless you first address lifestyle.

In order of importance: no smoking, avoid the sun (better than high spf), good diet (low sugar, low alcohol, eat a rainbow, leafy greens and healthy fats), exercise in the fresh air, sleep, avoid stress.

Much easier to buy a lovely smelling pot of elemis

As people have said upthread , retinol / tret is the only skincare that really works.
I use Dermatica and as stated you get your first month for less than £3 and with a refer a friend code 25% off your 2nd month. If you use this code I get £5 off as well.
www.dermatica.co.uk/referrer/V3WPNY

@Mercurial123 you are just the person to ask!

I normally stock up on Tret in Bali, but I’m going to Thailand next month.

What strengths do they have? I prefer to use .1 but I’ve only heard .05 mentioned as available in Thailand.

Do you have a preferred brand? I’ll be in Bangkok for a week so can get to Boots or Watsons.

I don't think so. At 55 I now use a very basic gentle cream cleanser and a thick natural Shea butter based face cream from a local woman maker.

SPF if I'm going outside.

My skin has never looked better.

Skincare depends on what suits your skin, your skin doesn't know how much it costs. A brilliant and gentle moisturiser is the Nivea skin soft one. Also the Aldi Xavier is amazing and gives crème de mere a run for its money!
I also rate clarins which is really gentle. Good way to try is to go to some beauty counters and get some samples. If you have sensitive skin steer clear of Cliniquead it's really abrasive x
The Emma hardie morninga gel cleanser is the best I've EVER used and goes a very long way x

Need a lot of nuances that is often missed. Some expensive skincare are definitely outright overpriced for what they are - like La Mer and Augustus Bader due to marketing. And yes you are better off having face transplant in Turkey than La Prairie.

Some due to legacy - like Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair and Skinceuticals vit C, both lovely, but there are already many great budget alternatives for these nowadays. Medik8 has done well with retinol that doesn't involve torching down face.

Ultimately though the above are not that necessary and normal skin can get away with just cleansing and SPF and spots can heal better when left alone than be piled on with aggressive actives, you will always hear stories "my mum never had anything more than Nivea and she looks like a teenager still". Doesn't change that lots of people especially those with dry skin can look less weather-beaten with skincare and SPF.

After dabbling with lots of expensive skincare for fun - I found I like expensive cleansers for sensorial aspect but happy with budget and mid-priced for everything else.

If it is acne/pigmentantion/redness bothering you - definitely better look into Dermatica/Skin and Me for stronger stuff than throw money at SpaceNK stuff.

I think it depends on what you're trying to achieve. So if you're fixing a "problem", it can be worth splurging (but only after checking if the ingredients are actually different to the cheap version).
What is scientifically proven to work is prescription stuff, like skin+me or dermetica, proven medical stuff. Although ironically neither of those worked for me so I am seeing a dermatologist now (roseacea, hard to treat without actually seeing the person).
Generally, expensive stuff makes me more likely to use it, so what actually works is consistency.
Diet wise, I thought that good fats were meant to help, along with all the veg obviously. So things like avocado, oily fish, nuts, avocado, etc.

I went to Boots and they advised they no longer stock RetinA only the generic Tret. .1 is too strong for me so didn't notice if they sold it. There were a couple of brands, but I had no preference as I hadn't used them before.

Re: your question about diet, from what I've observed I think the biggest influence on skin is genetics followed by sun exposure and smoking, alcohol, sleep, diet, skincare (in order of importance. I could be wrong but that's what it seems like to me. I started obsessing over skincare when I turned 30 two years ago but tbh the best thing I ever did for my skin was giving up alcohol last year. The compliments about my skin starated rolling in after a couple of months. I think eating plant based with lots of fruit and veg helps too. I know a few people who both drink a lot of alcohol and eat a lot of salty takeaways and I think it does make their face very puffy.

As for expensive skincare...just what others have said really. Often it has nicer ingredients that will make your skin feel nicer more quickly or it might smell nice/feel silky to apply but ultimately I don't think it's going to work any differently to say cheap Nivea or Superdrug (was is the oatmeal stuff?). I use The Body Shop which I guess are mid range prices? I like that their creams generally aren't too thick as I like creams to absorb quite quickly and I like the scents too. But I know if I ever have to cut back on spending cheaper stuff will do just fine.

I had such high hopes for the Aldo Caviar range but it was far too thick for me. I do like their serum in the white tube though and use it before bed (use a more lightweight serum on a morning). It absorbs well despite being thick.

Oh and Asda do a pretty good Vit C range (Body Shop dupes). Around £2.50 per product.

I've tried all the expensive brands and my skin has never looked better than on Cliniques three step programme / range . Not the cheapest but definitely not the most expensive . I also have ultra sensitive skin so am really wary of trying loads of new products.
I also agree fruit / veg / water have a good effect on my skin , it's definitely clearer with a two tonged approach .

No. Waste of your hard-earned money.
Same with shampoos. The only thing you have to look for is the hair type the shampoo is for (e.g. dry, coloured or normal hair) but within that category more expensive is not better than a cheaper brand. I tried Kèrastase, Aussie, Dove, Herbal Essences etc..shampoos and the more expensive Kérastase was no better than the rest. Con.
Btw when a product claims to have vitamins and proteins in it I just pull a face. You have to nourish your skin/hair with these from the inside.

IMO, no. It's more about active ingredients. Chanel, Dior etc. definitely not worth it. It's full of "plastic", aka ingredients that don't do anything to your skin. Some silicones, perfumes and cheap motisturiser.

I generally don’t spend big money on cleansers or moisturisers, they’re more like the book ends. I do have some expensive ones but only because they feel luxurious and it’s a treat to use them, not because I think they do anything special.
I spend the money on treatments/actives. Well I used to before I started on dermatica, now I’ve got the most stripped back routine I’ve ever had!

I got into skin care about 2 years ago. For full disclosure I have had a lower face and neck lift as I had really, really bad Turkey neck due to losing a lot of weight in my late 40's.

After sorting out the 'scaffolding' with that and some subtle Botox and fillers I concentrated in my skin. As I have heard an aesthetician say it would be like going to the dentist without brushing your teeth if you didn't take care of your skin.

I've tried higher and lower end stuff and whilst I think that cleansing/cleanser can be fairly cheap ( it only ends up down the drain after all ) a good acid toner, serum and moisturiser are essential.

Retinol OR retinal is brilliant for that glow and fine lines.

I've recently got into medik8 retinal and you can start off with a lower dose ( like medik8 3 ) eventually working your way up to medik8 number 10. It's supposed to work much faster than retinol and without the irritation.

I've used dermatica and I rate it but got the irritation so stopped.

One thing I have recently discovered via a beauty advent calendar and I really love is Bioeffect EGF serum. Bloody pricey but it's amazing stuff.

I finish off with Sunday Reily CEO vit c moisturiser which I also got in an advent calendar this Christmas and it's honestly one of the best I've ever used ( smells like oranges too ).

I was going to say also if you are of a 'certain' age that hrt helps with not only your bones but your skin too ( I'm 51 ) I've attached a pic so you can get a good idea of my skin now.

I do use Nars tinted moisturiser for a light coat of colour and to even my skin tone a little but in all honesty my skin has never been better 👌🏻.

I spend a lot of time and money in Space NK and, yes, some of the expensive products are worth it if you’re looking for over the counter skincare. Sunday Riley and Paula’s Choice are worth it and so much more effective than The Ordinary. I adore Sunday Riley (A+ retinol, ICE night cream, CEO day dream and Good Genes (the US lactic acid version is insanely good), Paula’s Choice (vit C booster, BHA and niacinamide) and Ultra Violette suncream. These are my normal products and I have glowy skin that strangers compliment me on. But, if you are prepared to go for a prescription product like Dermatica, nothing you will find in Space NK will beat it. I am currently on a tretinoin + hydroquinone prescription, edging out of the tretinoin uglies and starting to see a difference. Right now I’m not using anything else other than the night and day cream, sun screen and niacinamide as you have to be careful when using tretinoin.

Spot on.

Expensive skin care is worth it to me in that it is nice to use and I am much more likely to stick to a skincare routine with nicer products.

But is it actually more effective at what it purports to do (exfoliate, hydrate, smooth, moisturise etc)? Almost certainly not.

This is such a good point- hadn't thought of it like that! So true.

I’m in the ‘it depends’ camp. For a lot of people the trial and error might be financially costly but alongside this I have rosacea and am very careful about what I use on my skin. I have finally found a regime that works; it isn’t what I would consider cheap but it’s an investment!