Making the Case for Inexpensive Skin Care Products

Table of Contents

by Fayne Frey, Board Certified Dermatologist

Skin Care Products: Expensive Does Not Mean Better

There are many good inexpensive skin care products available on the shelves these days. Still, on a daily basis, my female patients talk to me about the enormous amounts of money they spend on “essential” skincare products. They clearly believe these “magic potions” reverse the signs of aging on their faces. After almost 30 years of studying skincare product ingredients and the research behind these formulations, two things are clear to me:

There is absolutely no need to purchase expensive skincare products as no correlation exists between cost and results.
The “fountain of youth” cannot be found in a bottle; the effectiveness of over-the-counter (OTC) “anti-aging” creams depends solely on their ability to hydrate the skin, temporarily decreasing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. (Note: More pronounced facial wrinkles and folds have not been shown to be corrected by the use of moisturizers.)

Once I explain the science behind over-the-counter moisturizers, many stop spending a fortune on “hope in a jar” creams. At my recommendation, these women instead turn to effective, affordable moisturizers available at local pharmacies. I love saving people money.

The Skin Care Industry Has Gone Mad

Cosmetic companies are very good at convincing people their expensive skincare products are absolutely necessary to keep them looking young. In an effort to help educate the public, I developed an educational website called FryFace.com. This online resource provides detailed information about skin and skincare products, sun facts, and aging. It also gives access to a full database of affordable quality OTC skincare products from which they can select products based on their personal preferences and skin conditions. My goal is to enlighten consumers by sharing accurate and unbiased information; I, therefore, have no financial interest or connection with any specific product or company.

Skincare-Related Anecdotes

Below are skincare-related anecdotes shared by my patients.

#1: For the last thirty years I’ve used:

Elizabeth Arden
Perricone Mario
Badescu
Peter Thomas Roth
Kinerase
La Roche
La Mer
Channel
La Prairie
Oil of Olay

Two mortgages on the home later… PHEW! And now – Cerave night and day cream drug store brand $12.99 EACH. Vacation to Hawaii every year looking better than ever!!!! Dr. Frey, Love ya!!!!!!
This patient chose to stay anonymous.

#2: I feel so stupid for wasting so much money over the years on moisturizers and anti-aging creams:

For years, I used on my face the Estée Lauder Resilience Eye Cream and Elastin Refirming Lotion, Clinique’s “Dramatically Different” moisturizing lotion, and most recently spending $106 for an ounce of Nerium AD. When I casually asked my dermatologist (Dr. Frey) what she recommended, I was stunned to learn that all I need is a moisturizer with sunscreen that I can buy at CVS. She recommended a few big-name products (Neutrogena, Aveeno, Olay, Eucerin) that are as good or better than the expensive products that I had been using. Sure enough, months after simplifying my skin care regimen and spending far less, my skin looks just as good. Incredibly, even though I know better, I am still tempted by anti-aging ads in stores and in magazines!!!!! I have to stop myself from reaching for these products on the shelves!!

Sharon C. – Ridgewood, NJ

#3: When I hit 30 and was finally able to afford it, I took myself to a well-known upscale department store and bought myself the entire Erno Laslo skincare line:

Back then, it was the pinnacle of skincare, and the packaging was gorgeous black and white, clinical, European. The soap was black too, very chic! I had to have it! It had been developed, as the white-coated saleswomen explained, at the world-renowned Laslo Institute. I used Laslo until they stopped carrying it. My skin was always good, so I never thought about it. After that, I used Kiehls, strictly based on reputation. I used the whole line from moisturizer to sunscreen. Then, onto Estée Lauder, I read their ads, liked what I read, and switched. I really wouldn’t have changed again if it had not been for a mini- breakout and my rosacea. I went to see Dr. Frey, told her about my skin and she asked what I used. Dr. Frey told me I could do just as well or better with drugstore products, I went to the drugstore and bought Eucerin and Dove and as they say, the rest is history! Same good skin, a whole lot less money, lesson learned!

Elyse H. New City, NY

Please share your experiences with skincare products in the comment section below!

About the Author: Fayne Frey, M.D.

Fayne Frey, M.D., is a board-certified clinical and surgical dermatologist practicing in West Nyack, New York, where she specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer. She is a nationally recognized expert in the effectiveness and formulation of over-the-counter skincare products, and, as a speaker, has captivated audiences with her wry observations regarding the skincare industry. She has consulted for numerous media outlets, including NBC, USA Today, and, the Huffington Post, and has shared her expertise on both cable and major TV outlets. Dr. Frey is the Founder of FryFace.com, an educational skincare information and product selection service website that clarifies and simplifies the overwhelming choice of effective, safe, and affordable products encountered in the skincare aisles. Dr. Frey is a fellow of both the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. Recently, Dr. Frey published her first book, “The Skincare Hoax: How You’re Being Tricked Into Buying Lotions, Potions & Wrinkle Creams”

What is “The Skincare Hoax” About?

Dr Frey’s book, “The Skincare Hoax: How You’re Being Tricked into Buying Lotions, Potions & Wrinkle Creams” is chock full of honest and enlightening information about skincare. Below is the review from Amazon.

Feel Empowered and Beautiful at Any Age with This Groundbreaking Guide to Skincare. We all want to have young and healthy skin, yet the beauty industry is so mixed in its messages that most consumers have no way to tell which skin care products helpful and which claims are pure hype. In The Skincare Hoax, skincare expert Dr. Fayne Frey explores the “essential” product categories that are entirely unnecessary, exposes how many well-known skincare ingredients have no scientific basis, and recommends truly effective skincare products and regimens that are easy and affordable.

Key points include:

Why an over-the-counter wrinkle cream that removes wrinkles would be in violation of federal law.
The one and only true anti-aging product
What moisturizers actually do

Reviews From Readers of “The Skincare Hoax”

“This book really changed the way I view skincare products. I used to spend so much on stuff that did nothing. I thought there was something wrong with me, but now I know it’s the products, and it’s not something on my part. Cutting a lot of the items out really helped my skin improve in just a short time. I really recommend this book for anyone who is putting in the time and money with skincare products and just isn’t getting the results they want.”

“This book is full of great information from a skincare professional. We often fall for claims of skincare needs from people selling expensive monthly ‘skincare systems’ when our greatest skincare routines are simple and cost friendly.”

“A very good book about cosmetics what to buy/what not. What works/what does not. Pay close attention to which few items Author says you should buy. I will agree!”

“Uncovers the truth about all the so-called anti-aging creams and lotions on the shelves today and how women believe in them. Reading this book will stop you cold from spending anymore $ on them.”

You may also like:

originally posted Jan 9, 2020
updated June 9, 2023