How To Know A Skin Care Product Is Worth The Price, From A Derm

Spending your hard-earned money on skin care products isn't as surface-level as it seems. While the result may also make your skin look better, that goes hand-in-hand with tending to your body's largest organ. 

Look, if you have the funds and desire to splurge on every step in your skin care routine, do your thing. However, those trying to save a few bucks should know this: The most important products to invest in are those that contain treatment actives. 

What does this mean? We'll let board-certified dermatologist and founder of Hudson Dermatology and Laser Surgery Dhaval G. Bhanusali, M.D., FAAD, explain: "When it comes to serums or products with 'actives' that help treat a condition (like hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, etc), it may be worth the splurge, depending on the product." 

This is especially important when it comes to ingredients like vitamin C and retinol, as they're more complex to formulate and keep stable. But do you really need a $100 hydrating cleanser? Probably not.

One way to get the most bang for your buck is to look for multiuse and multi-benefit products. 

One prime example that Bhanusali helped formulate with the Rhode team: the Rhode Glazing Milk. "The formula has beta-glucan, which serves as an antioxidant-rich humectant, which helps with the barrier function and helps with redness," he says. 

"It is also loaded with ceramides and a carefully crafted magnesium + zinc + copper gluconate blend, which helps with protection against free radicals," he adds, providing hydration, skin conditioning, barrier support, and antioxidant protection all in one product. 

One huge misconception in the beauty space is that any affordable product with similar ingredients to a more expensive option (aka, a "dupe") provides all the same benefits at half the price. 

However, it's far more complex than simply glancing at the back of your bottle. "I really do think formulation matters, and sometimes 'dupes' may have similar ingredients but nowhere near the same quality," Bhanusali says. 

He adds, "Ingredient quality can range from supplier to supplier, as do the percentages used in a formulation." So even if a pricey serum contains many of the same ingredients as an affordable serum, that doesn't automatically mean the quality is just as comparable. 

All of this to say: If a dupe provides the same benefits as a pricier option, then why not save money? But if you're not loving the cheaper version, it might be due to the quality inside the bottle and how your skin reacts to the different formulations.