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For many women, the difference between luxury cosmetics and mass-market cosmetics lies solely in cost. This is facilitated by the “half price per brand” setting and better availability of products at more affordable prices.
Some brands in the luxury segment can indeed charge a premium “for luxury”, but in most cases the difference in price lies precisely in the quality of the product. This rule applies to perfumes, decorative and care cosmetics. Let's consider what affects the price of a cosmetic product and what you can save on without harm to the skin.
What does the price of cosmetics consist of?
Indeed, the high cost of a product does not always mean its exceptional quality. Very often, the high price is due, among other things, to its positioning and packaging.
For example, a product that is supplied to all chains of mass-market stores and produced in large quantities will always cost less than a product that already includes a budget for marketing, positioning, and sales in individual stores or chains.
At the same time, the set of ingredients rarely affects the cost of the final product - in most cases, about 90% of the composition is water or another solvent, whose cost is minimal. At the same time, the higher the concentration of active substances, the higher the cost of the product, since some components are more difficult to synthesize in large quantities. Since active components are used in high concentrations either in professional cosmetics or in special care products, the formulas of the basic compositions are most often simple and inexpensive.
The more requirements for a cosmetic product, the higher its price, especially if these requirements are reflected in the composition. An ordinary cream for simply moisturizing the skin has a simple formula, since for its care purpose a few fairly accessible components are enough - glycerin, water, preservatives. If this cream also requires moisturizing or a lifting effect, the price tag rises due to the use of special ingredients that will provide the desired result.
Good pigmentation is important in decorative cosmetics - sometimes expensive components or high-quality pigments are needed to ensure it. Saving on foundation or eyeshadow isn't always worth it if you're expecting full coverage.
The organic segment stands apart - for “green” products it is more difficult to assemble a safe formula, as well as to select natural and effective ingredients in the required concentrations. For this reason, organic products can be more expensive, especially those that claim targeted action that solves specific skin problems or hair.
Positioning of cosmetic products is also very important. If for the mass market packaging it is enough to be sealed and at least a little noticeable, then for the luxury segment the appearance is quite important. Hence - additional costs for design development, creation of unique packaging, as well as their promotion.
How to save on cosmetics?
Owners of normal skin are the luckiest of all - they often do not need products with a special effect (for example, mattifying , soothing, or brightening). Formulas that work only with the upper layers of the epidermis will be quite sufficient - for example, simple moisturizing creams and gels for cleansing the skin.
There is also no particular difference in the composition of nail or hair care products - as a rule, similar formulas with common components are used to create them.
You can save money on mascara - their formulas are always the same, and one mascara at an affordable price is usually enough so that it does not fall off prematurely and does not irritate the eyes.
Special care products can be quite expensive - it all depends on how important the effect is to you. A serum with retinol, where it is in one of the last places in the composition, will not create any difference on the skin, unlike a product with retinol in the second line of the composition.
Expensive product ingredients
The most expensive components of any cosmetic composition are considered to be active
substances - ingredients that, at a certain concentration, have a pronounced effect. They are often synthesized in the laboratory or extracted from specific plants - these are quite expensive processes. The more difficult it is to obtain an ingredient in the required concentration and the more components in one composition, the greater the difference in price compared to budget formulas.
The combination of a suspiciously low price and a long composition looks at least
suspicious - it is quite possible that there are active substances, but in such small concentrations that they do not have any therapeutic effect.
Active components that are developed in laboratory conditions or extracted from rare plants are the most expensive in the composition. There are several reasons for this:
- The use of such ingredients requires testing - this also requires time, paid labor of technologists and the purchase of consumables.
- Unique compositions with new components must be patented - this also increases the price tag.
At the same time, natural or “green” ingredients are not always better than synthetic ones. To be effective and safe to use, they must be thoroughly tested and contained in controlled concentrations. If in laboratory conditions it is possible to control the amount of the active substance during its synthesis, then when extracting from plants, the exact result is not always known.
For this reason, it is better to save on basic products for which there are no specific requirements, but at the same time choose high-quality and tested formulas for caring for areas that require special attention at different stages of the beauty routine. Consult with sellers, ask questions, carefully read the ingredients, and also rely on reviews from other customers to choose the product that is ideal for you.
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