Beauty And The Blog

A few months ago I was contacted via email by a woman who had a product she wished me to try and review for her. And then, of course write a post about it.

The product was a microdermabrasion cream. The cream is a manual exfoliant, you apply the cream to wet skin and massage it over your face in a circular motion. The tiny aluminum oxide crystals in the cream remove the layer of dead skin cells and reveal a fresher brighter complexion (there are various things in these types of creams ranging from ground nut shells -BAD- to tiny plastic beads to aluminum oxide crystals). The action of the massage with crystals also helps to stimulate cellular renewal deep within the layers of the skin.

The woman who initiated the correspondence was very personable, she told me the story of how she came to have this product. Who created it for her and why. Now, I am not going to tell you what the product is, who the woman is or who created it. Why not….?

Because I am not posting a review. Nor am I happy with the way I was treated by the person who created the product when I had valid questions that needed answering.

I used the microdermabrasion cream for a month as requested. I usually use a chemical exfoliant but I stopped and switched to the cream. Since I do use the chemical exfoliant on a regular basis, I didn’t expect to see great changes in my skin. And I didn’t. My skin felt just a bit smoother right after use but no “wow” factor after the full month.

But I treat my skin very well, so there wasn’t going to be a major difference in appearance. A person who wasn’t using any type of exfoliant on a regular schedule probably would see a significant result.

At first my only issue with the product itself, if you could really call it one, was that the product needed to be used every day. In the shower, for a specific amount of time. My favorite chemical exfoliants, a BHA gel and an AHA gel, I just smear it on… done.

Okay… So after the month of use I was ready to write the review. But I had some questions about the product. The woman I had been in contact with felt they could be better addressed by the creator of the product. So I received an email from the man, introducing himself and inviting any questions.

First off, I wanted to know why jar packaging had been chosen over a tube. Packaging is important. The product contained antioxidants, two of which degrade quickly when exposed to light and air (vitamins A & C). So every time that jar got opened, well you get the idea. If the antioxidant degrades in a matter of a week or so, why even have it in the jarred product?

The answer I got was about how the product remains stable in the jar for at least 5 years, he had tested it (No he didn’t, 5 years? Come on…). But that would be a jar that had never been opened in those 5 years. He actually said he had left product in the jars for 5 years and then tested it for potency.

So yeah, of course. No light, no air, no degradation. I told him that I wasn’t interested in a jar that had not been opened in five years. I wanted to know how he kept the antioxidants stable in a jar opened daily in a warm, steamy, light and air filled environment. Well, that made him angry…

He completely ignored, or chose not to address my actual question. How do the antioxidants remain stable after opening the jar?

I also wanted to know why these antioxidants were even in a product that is rinsed off. They would not be on the skin long enough to really do anything. Most people don’t realize that and think that if a product includes an antioxidant it must be great for their skin, regardless of what the product is, such as a cleanser.

Next I wanted to know what forms of vitamin C and A were in the product as some are more stable than others. Some are more effective than others, even though in this case it was rinsed right off, I wanted to see if he actually knew the differences. Know what?  I don’t think he did. He never answered that question either.

My questions bothered him.  And he really let me know it. He said I appeared to have too much interest in their “business” and was refusing to answer any more questions. Seemed every question I had got him upset. Maybe he thought I was trying to find out their formula, like I was going to mix up a batch in my kitchen sink…uh-huh, right.

I explained to him that I had posts here on my blog where I had made true statements about product packaging. As well as recommendations as to the most effective forms of vitamin C. And I wouldn’t/couldn’t write a review for a product that clearly contradicted what I believe about skin care products and what I have presented here for my readers.

I kind of laugh about the whole thing now… I really would like to try and review some cool products now and then, but this guy was a real piece of work and I am glad to be rid of that particular situation!

I have always wondered about product reviews though. If a blogger is given a product to review, and they don’t like it or can’t get enough information to speak intelligently about it, what do they do? Wing it?

That isn’t going to fly with me. If I don’t like it I will either not do the review or tell the truth. Which would most likely upset the manufacturer. So what’s a girl to do? What do other bloggers do? Anybody know?

The lesson here for you? When you are shopping for your skin care products and have questions about ingredients, stability or packaging, and you can’t get a straight and believable answer, do not buy it. Really, it’s your money, your face. Don’t get sucked in by fast talk and pretty packages…

Photo by JohanKarlsson