Audrey Nevile
With online shopping more accessible than ever, it’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind and the ease of instant, online transactions. But when it comes to buying skincare and makeup, you can’t be too careful. A sketchy website is just as iffy as buying something out of the back of someone’s van: you don’t know where they got the product, what they did to it, and what that product might do to you. Buying from trusted, reputable websites like Activeskin is crucial to your skin health and safety; after all, your skin is your body’s largest organ, so it’s time to treat it right. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t feel free to try new products and experiment with makeup, which is why in this article we break down exactly what to look for, what to avoid, and how to make sure you’re buying from a trusted source so that your skin health isn’t compromised.
1. Expiry Dates
You might not realize it, but even your makeup and skincare products have expiry dates. And these aren’t just guidelines that they suggest you follow: after all, your skin is soaking up and absorbing these expired ingredients, and that could be just as bad as eating them. At least with food, you can usually tell right away if it’s gone bad, but with skincare products and makeup, you’ll have a pretty tough time noticing if anything is off. The problem with buying from sketchy websites or street stands is that you don’t really have the option of looking at the expiry date. Almost any reputable brand will let you return or exchange expired product, especially if you bought it recently, so you can buy with peace of mind.
2. Counterfeit
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. If you spot your expensive moisturiser on sale for significantly less than you normally pay, there’s a reason. After all, the seller would have had to buy it at full cost, so how can they legitimately mark it down so much and still make money? You’ll likely end up with a knock-off product, or an entirely different product inside the box. Common sense will serve you well here: if something feels off, or the sale is being rushed through, walk away.
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3. Unknown Source
The problem with buying online from unknown sources is that you never really know where it’s coming from or being manufactured. The products could be made and labelled in another country where the rules on ingredients and manufacturing process are much more lax. In other words, ingredients that might be restricted here could be going into these makeup and skincare products from another country and sold to you online. With trusted sources, you know they’re buying quality products from quality distributors, because they’d be out of business by now if they didn’t.
4. New Products
You should feel excited about trying new products and exploring your skincare and makeup options. You shouldn’t have to worry that a new face wash might burn your skin and that the website you bought it from has now disappeared. Reputable sources will often stand by their products, so you don’t have to worry about that – and you know you’ll be able to get in contact with a real human being should something happen. This allows you to test out new products, follow the website’s recommendations of use, and know that you’re in good hands.
Good, informative post.