Skin Care
The Real Difference Between Affordable and Expensive Skin CareEye creams, face oils, sheet masks, oh my. Here, what to buy when you're feeling thrifty and what's worth spending on when it's time to indulge |
Save vs. Splurge: Antioxidant Serum
The Save: Paula's Choice Resist C15 Super Booster, $48
The Splurge:
SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic, $162
The Breakdown:
We reach for serums when we want a concentrated dose of nutrients. Usually a serum is one of the last products to touch your skin (after cleansing and toning), so according to Frey, it's worth shelling out slightly more for clinically proven ingredients.
In terms of pricing, it's helpful to think of serums as the wine of skin care, meaning, you can tell a difference between a $10 and a $50 bottle, but between $50 and $500, the difference is mostly reputation.
This SkinCeuticals tonic is packed with ferulic acid, which protects against photoaging (aka, wrinkles caused by the sun), as well as Vitamins C and E, which further fortify that barrier. With the price tag, you're paying for the high concentrations of these active ingredients.
For less than a third of the price, this Paula's Choice serum is quite similar, sporting nearly equal percentages of each antioxidant. The product even boasts the same distinctive, almost meaty scent of the SkinCeuticals. (Weird, we know.)
Though you can find even less expensive products at the drugstore (the "Two-Buck Chucks" of serums, if you will), that's when you start noticing a drastic change in ingredients and efficacy.
SEE NEXT PAGE: Save vs. Splurge: Acne Treatment
SEE NEXT PAGE: Save vs. Splurge: Acne Treatment