Am I being a product snob? advice please.
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free skin care · Sat Sep 23, 2006 10:37 am

I got a facial massage yesterday, and I noticed the spa only carried and used "Only Yourx Skin Care" products. I have never heard of them and was kinda displeased at first because prior to this spa, I have only been to ones that have used known brands.

nevertheless i went in and got my facial and the esthetician used the products on me. i thought the products were ok and i ended up buying a glycolic acid product hoping to refine my pores a bit. It was kinda expensive for a product that isn't as well known, $41. I went home and googled the brand but found one review and it was from an esthetician who only used the products on her client, so I don't know how reliability that is.

The product line seems ok, a lot of the products are custom blended to your skin type. But am looking at the product I purchased, it is called exfogel and is 5% glycolic acid in an aloe vera base. I feel a little ripped off and am thinking maybe i should have bought the PSF pumpkin peel instead of this. Should I return it because it isn't as well known a brand? I haven't tried it yet but plan on so tonight.

Lastly, am i being a total skin care product snob?

free skin care · Sat Sep 23, 2006 10:42 am

I don't think so! And even if others think you are, so what?!!! Just do whatever you're most comfortable with. Return it if you don't think you'll use or if you don't trust the product. Otherwise, it'll probably sit in your cabinet collecting dust forever!

free skin care · Sat Sep 23, 2006 11:21 am

Thing is, PSF isn't exactly a well known brand either, Loreal is but then their products are cr@p. I think sometimes smaller brands charge slightly more because they lack the economies of scale even if they don't have to pay for all the advertising. Small companies are also more receptive to customers wanting new and different formulations. PSF is a good example of this.

Could be the brand your facialist used is a new one and one that works closely with their clients, which in my mind is a good thing.

I am a total product snob and would be happy to use a more tailored individual product. You won't catch me with La Prairie or Creme De La Mer. I'm afraid I'm way too elitist now Laughing

Sat Sep 23, 2006 1:20 pm

I believe that the line carried by your facialist is exclusive to estheticians. I've been to a few spas that also carried that line.

I believe that as we educate ourselves, we do become more aware (aka a snob) about products. And personally, I'm ok with that.

T.

free skin care · Sun Sep 24, 2006 12:50 pm

I am a product snob and there is nothing wrong with that. I can no longer settle for drugstore brands because the quality is simply not there. I'm not saying that I don't purchase drugstore brands, but it is very limited. Although some drugstore brands are very good, very basic skincare product. For example, Cetaphil is an excellent basic cleanser, but if you purchased Cellcosmet cream cleanser, you are paying for the luxury feeling and the qualitly. If a spa does not use top of the line skincare products and does not have the best facialist, I will not use their services. Also, I have stopped getting facials years ago and only get a professinal medical asthetics to give me mircro's (I still get) or IPL facials (which I no longer get because personally I found it to be only very temporary treatment).

This also includes Hair Salons and how good is the hair dresser and colourist.

free skin care · Sun Sep 24, 2006 11:54 pm

Hi everyone,

thanks for the replies. you all make excellent points. I went ahead and decided to keep the exfogel even though it's less known. the spa offers a money back guarantee so i don't have much to lose.

yes, PSF is not well known, but there are reviews on it which comforts me. i guess i am gonna be the guinea pig writing the first review on this product.

but i don't think i will be returning to that spa. i sure do miss my old esthetician--she moved away and there's no way i can find out where she is now Crying or Very sad

.

and yup, i am a snob Laughing

.

free skin care · Mon Sep 25, 2006 12:27 am

If you like what it does for your skin then definately keep it.
Very Happy

free skin care · Mon Sep 25, 2006 3:43 am

Ditto to what Emma said... you have to encourage younger companies to grow by trying and buying their products!! There is no other way to GET KNOWN otherwise lol..
I use a little known brand too (a french one called Astrali) and honestly it beats anything I've tried hands down... but if I hadnt made that leap of faith and given it a go, then I would be missing out now!
You might find they are an up and coming HUGE name... you never know. You trust your beautician dont you? They surely wouldn't just use "lesser" products! They have their pick and choose of all the names. Wink

I am a brand snob too in many ways but also realise the importance of encouraging small business, bigger doesnt mean better.
ps. I don't know of PSF either in this country!( not that this means much ..Australia is product impaired!) Rolling Eyes

free skin care · Mon Sep 25, 2006 4:02 am

muzzie wrote:

ps. I don't know of PSF either in this country!( not that this means much ..Australia is product impaired!) Rolling Eyes

Don't I know it.
Rolling Eyes

free skin care · Mon Sep 25, 2006 4:07 am

Even worse here in Adelaide! lol.. Smile

free skin care · Mon Sep 25, 2006 6:20 am

muzzie wrote:

Ditto to what Emma said... you have to encourage younger companies to grow by trying and buying their products!! There is no other way to GET KNOWN otherwise lol..
I use a little known brand too (a french one called Astrali) and honestly it beats anything I've tried hands down... but if I hadnt made that leap of faith and given it a go, then I would be missing out now!
You might find they are an up and coming HUGE name... you never know. You trust your beautician dont you? They surely wouldn't just use "lesser" products! They have their pick and choose of all the names. Wink

I am a brand snob too in many ways but also realise the importance of encouraging small business, bigger doesnt mean better.
ps. I don't know of PSF either in this country!( not that this means much ..Australia is product impaired!) Rolling Eyes

Can you type up a review on Astrali? Can you give us an attachment of the website? I like to hear more about it. Very Happy

free skin care · Mon Sep 25, 2006 6:51 am

Hi Skincare, Yep! I did that on the Product review forum on August the 8th actually.(its on page 5 at the moment) Its under the subject heading of "Astrali Skincare- lovely!" if you do a search on Astrali as a word, it will come up as the 3rd topic. All the info was there... www.astrali.com.au for the Australian site but there are others too in France justwww.astrali.com I think ( its in English as well as French)
When I wrote it up there were a couple of comments requesting ingredients as the only reaction to my post ...someone mentioned preservatives and in fact I rang the company and ( yes it's the last one on the ingredient listing) ..it is so infintisimal ( oh dear, its late at night, that looks very incorrectly spelled..sorry!) in amount that people with very sensitive skin to preservatives don't seem to react (apparently)to it at all. I have found them all incredibly soothing and gentle personally and still can't recommend them highly enough! Smile

Thanks for asking!

free skin care · Tue Sep 26, 2006 6:20 am

Hope you dont mind me popping in again ... just wondered if you had taken a look Skincare? Smile

free skin care · Tue Sep 26, 2006 2:22 pm

I have but not for long because I am studying for a test that I have this week.
I know I can't order it but just to have the knowledge is good to have.

free skin care · Tue Sep 26, 2006 10:33 pm

Hi skincare, No worries! Ooh good luck for your test at work... thanking being self employed these days...I dont have to do things like that anymore! Smile

free skin care · Wed Sep 27, 2006 6:38 am

I am self employed, I have a test at school.

Fri Jun 25, 2010 3:15 am

Only Yourx is a professional product line available to estheticians and their clientele.
They were using natural and organic ingredients years before it became "trendy". It is a 33 year old company and has been copied in the commercial skin care market by companies like Prescriptives & BioElements--mimicking it's custom blended products approach. I use them in my professional practice and my clients love that not only are their products hand blended with targeted ingredients for their skin but, THEY PRODUCE RESULTS YOU CAN SEE/MEASURE. Find what you love, use what you like, but if it doesnt produce results.......come see me:)

free skin care · Fri Jun 25, 2010 4:17 am

I wouldn't return it just because its not a well know brand. It may very well be a great product.

free skin care · Fri Jun 25, 2010 5:43 am

GirlieGirl wrote:

I wouldn't return it just because its not a well know brand. It may very well be a great product.

Let's hope after 4 years it either was returned or used? Smile

free skin care · Fri Jun 25, 2010 8:32 am

DarkMoon wrote:

GirlieGirl wrote:

I wouldn't return it just because its not a well know brand. It may very well be a great product.

Let's hope after 4 years it either was returned or used? Smile

OMG

I didnt even notice the date.

free skin care · Fri Jun 25, 2010 10:20 am

GirlieGirl wrote:

DarkMoon wrote:

GirlieGirl wrote:

I wouldn't return it just because its not a well know brand. It may very well be a great product.

Let's hope after 4 years it either was returned or used? Smile

OMG

I didnt even notice the date.

LOL I read about half way before I noticed then read down anyway! I think we have all had that happen? Shock

free skin care · Fri Jun 25, 2010 11:01 am

LOL! That's so funny.

I'll tell you. It's an interesting subject however.

What constitutes a product snob today in 2010?

If you look in my cabinet, there is vitually nothing in there main stream. Ok... some Juice Beauty! And a few arbonne products.

But I LOVE my NCN products... and I've recently fallen in love with a line of oil based soaps and such.

And although I don't spa too often, when I go, it's like... ummmm what's IN that lotion? In fact, I don't even bother with facials... I'm a massage girl! I don't want any freaky chemicals put on me...

free skin care · Fri Jun 25, 2010 5:00 pm

ClaudiaFE wrote:

If you look in my cabinet, there is vitually nothing in there main stream. Ok... some Juice Beauty! And a few arbonne products.

I have very few main stream products too. My MIL always says 'you always have brands I have never heard of, where do you get.....'.

free skin care · Sat Jun 26, 2010 3:09 am

I don't look at brands too much for skin stuff.

I usually like to try a sample or at least a tester in a store if possible.

But then I also buy random soaps from the farmers market-so I usually try and go by ingredients and not brand as some companies as just starting out or very small and might still me good.

I'd say the weirdest thing for me was I bought a bar of olive oil soap from a furniture store that sold mostly arabic made chairs and decorative tables.

But then they had this table with huge bricks of soap that seemed good.

so I know I can be a bit of a product snob sometimes, but am trying not to be!

free skin care · Sat Jun 26, 2010 6:01 am

The one thing I've learned from being a member here is that it's the ingredients that count, not the brand name. Price is indicative of nothing - except, perhaps, packaging and marketing.

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