Well-thee's 5 Rules for Being Sane about Skincare

I cannot tell you how many Saturday afternoons I have wiled away in the isles of Sephora dreaming of a skincare regimen that would make me look like a poreless, more luminous version of myself.  I have bought countless products with these hopes in mind, and given that the cosmetics industry is a multi-billion dollar per year monster, I know I am not alone. 

In the last few years, I have developed a personal philosophy about skincare that has saved me a tremendous amount of money and time, not to mention preserving the most precious of all my resources: self esteem. 

1.    Skincare should be affordable.  I am not opposed to spending $20 on a good skincare product, it just better last at least several months.  In my mind, high quality means potent and a little should go a long way.  I also think there are a number of great drugstore brands and I don’t for a second believe that a product is necessarily better because it’s more expensive. 

2.    Skincare will never make you look like a different person.  Let’s just all take a second to breathe and make this our mantra. It will save us all a lot of money. 

3.    Skincare should be returnable.  I believe that if someone is selling you skincare that they stand behind, they should offer you a money-back guarantee.  If they don’t, that tells me they don’t have faith in what they are selling or that they are just too cheap to give you a refund if the product doesn’t suit you (or gives you an itchy rash).  I say don’t buy it unless they’ll buy it back. 

4.    Skincare should not contain things that might kill you.  There has been a lot of controversy lately about various ingredients in skin care that could be harmful.  One side says “X ingredient is definitely going to give you cancer!”  The other side says “there’s no causal evidence between X ingredient and cancer.”  These debates are likely to go on forever because the only parties conducting the research, for the most part, are cosmetics manufacturers.  My way of seeing through this mess is to buy products that help me minimize my use of such ingredients.  I use mostly paraben-free products, watch out for sodium lauryl sulfate and avoid deodorant with aluminum in it.  I try not to drive myself crazy about it, but I do try to be thoughtful. 

5.    Skincare is incomplete without SPF.  I’m sorry, but if you are alive and paying attention in 2010 and think you don’t need SPF, you are deluding yourself.  I believe in wearing SPF every single day of the year.  I accomplish this by using products that multi-task and by stepping up my protection if I’m going to be out in the sun intentionally.  Trust me, pale is hot. 

To help you in your quest for sane skincare I have included a list below of my favorite skincare products.  Feel free to add  a comment below if you have found a product worth sharing!

Alba Botanicals Very Emollient Body Lotion, Daily Shade Formula.  SPF 16, beautiful, silky lotion, paraben-free and not a noxious fragrance in sight. (Alba Botanicals)


Enfuselle Hydrating Moisture.  This is the only moisturizer I have ever found that manages to be oil free, non-comodogenic (won’t clog pores) and takes care of my skin when it’s dry and sensitive in the winter. This entire line is also paraben-free. (Enfuselle Skincare by Shaklee)

Elta MD Suncreens.  I love this line of sunscreens because it has offerings for every skin type with very good SPF (both UVB and UVA coverage). I use the UV Clear Spf 46 on my face every day and it has never caused breakouts or sensitivity and is paraben-free. (Elta MD Suncare)

For deodorants, I use Dove brand when it’s going to be really hot out or when I have a special occasion and can't risk being stinky.  They do contain aluminum, but do not contain parabens.  For other days, I use Tom’s of Maine that is free of anything scary and works pretty darn well.
(Dove Deoderant)
(Toms of Maine Deoderant)