We routinely receive emails (lots of emails) from new and longtime readers asking us to review a specific brand or product. It never ceases to amaze us how many brands are out there that we’ve yet to review—given the millions of products available, you’d think no one in the world would have a single skin-care complaint!

Lately I’ve received a series of emails from readers that leave me shaking my head at the audacity some of these cosmetic companies have. These women who write to us have the best intentions of finding products that work for them, but they’re increasingly up against some of the most ridiculous claims and prices we’ve ever seen. I wasn’t a bit surprised when I explored some of the products these women were intensely curious about…and found out that they were terrible in most respects. Good thing they checked with us first, but imagine all of those who don’t and wind up financially and emotionally down when the wow-factor claims don’t show up in the mirror. One more reason why, as Paula states, “You need a Cosmetics Cop!”

 But back to these emails I field daily…the more I thought about it, the more I couldn’t put my finger on why even well-informed, Paula-educated consumers still get curious about products with miraculous claims and stratospheric prices. For example, one of the messages asked about a serum with placental enzymes that cost $200 for an ounce. Not only was the price outrageous, but the formula, quite frankly, sucked. Alcohol was a major ingredient, and it contained irritating plant extracts, too. Of course, placental enzymes (which come from animals, not people) have no effect on skin, but that’s fodder for another blog. This woman must’ve felt that the price and claims added up to something special, because she honestly wanted to know if this serum was worth abandoning the one she normally uses from Paula’s Choice. That’s a hard question for me because after reviewing thousands of products, I know the value of our formulations but at the very least if a woman is going to make a change it should be for the better, not for worse. 

I know women are always looking for the best products. They always want to know if some secret ingredient or formula really exists. The perpetual lure of advertising and dollar signs makes us second-guess ourselves. Is the grass really greener if only we spend a lot more money? With so many products vying for our attention, it’s easy to let our hopeful human nature to take over regardless of how much it costs. That’s not the most rational or pragmatic approach, but in the midst of seeing things we don’t like about our appearance (wrinkles, sagging skin, discolorations) who isn’t tempted to ignore reality and wish for the fantasy? I imagine many women, despite being consistently disappointed by products that don’t work as claimed, remain hopeful because of the boost they get from feeling as if they are doing something to address their appearance. It may not be the best thing and it may cost much more than it realistically should, but simply making the effort and refusing to give up has to count for something, right?

What do you think? Are my theories spot-on or did I completely miss the mark? As cosmetics consumers, how vulnerable are all of us to fantastic claims coupled with jaw-dropping prices?