Drugstore product or luxury cream?

Crisis mood in the bathroom: Until now, there has only been one when a good perfume bottle has fallen into the sink. But since the world economy has been going for a swim, it can grab you just by looking into your empty beauty bag. “Nevertheless, only 16 percent of German women save when buying cosmetics,” says Martin Ruppmann, Managing Director of the VKE Cosmetics Association in Berlin.

We don’t buy less, but differently

However, every second German woman says that since the economic crisis she has been taking a closer look at what she is getting for her money. In contrast to the “cheap is cool” phase after the changeover to the euro, during which the main thing was cheap!”, attention is now paid to quality at the same time. This is shown e.g. B. Slogans like the Syoss, which addresses exactly this need: “Professional hair care that you can afford!” Hairdressing salon feeling at a drugstore price.

This changed purchasing behavior is causing movement in the beauty market. While 65 percent of the cosmetics companies had losses in the first half of 2009, at least 30 percent were able to record growth. The winners include established brands such as Kneipp. “Sales from our pools have increased by 28 percent,” confirms spokesperson Angela Kreipl. “We assume that we were able to score with the mix of natural ingredients and medical know-how.” By the way, German women save the least on care products for the face – because that’s dear to them. Is it really worth shelling out a few more euros for it? Which factors determine the price of a cream anyway?

Quality ingredients

If you look at the ingredients of luxury creams, you will quickly discover the first reason for the higher costs. The active ingredients in them are usually the finest: gold, diamonds and caviar are all the rage – and of course they are expensive raw materials. It goes without saying that this is also reflected in the price. In addition, fine cosmetics are often found in designer jars, and the brand image also has to be paid for. So much Hollywood flair consoles some horror reports about the global economy. But are luxury active ingredients just as good for the skin as they are for the soul?

The fact is that gold – similar to silver, which is even used in neurodermatitis care – works against inflammation and free radicals. Diamond dust reflects light to reduce wrinkles and has an exfoliating effect. Caviar tightens mature skin due to its high protein content. But the fact is that there are a lot of cheap active ingredients that can do the same thing. Has proven itself z. B. Coenzyme Q10, which is now the central active ingredient in many affordable anti-aging creams. It was not always like that.

In 1997, anyone who wanted to smooth their face with the Q10 care product “Rejuven” from Juvena had to shell out 60 marks for it. How did this proud price come about? “This was mainly because we were the very first to use this active ingredient,” explains Inge-Maren Risop, International Brand Director at Juvena. Ten years of development work and research costs of more than 1 million marks were necessary before the new star in the anti-wrinkle heaven could rise. In addition, there were high costs for education and advertising. Inge-Maren Risop: “When we launched ‘Rejuven’ on the market, nobody knew what coenzyme Q10 actually was and how it works.”

Today, the active ingredient has established itself, is also produced synthetically and in larger quantities, so that the products are cheap. Juvena, on the other hand, no longer has “Rejuven” in its range, but continues to concentrate on discovering new cream ingredients – currently e.g. B. those that support the skin’s own stem cell activity to form new cells.

extraction

One anti-wrinkle ingredient that has made a name for itself in recent years is orchid extract. What is striking is the large price range. The front runner at over 300 euros was Guerlain’s Orchidée Impériale cream. The highlight: the roots of four types of orchids are used, from which a “molecular extract” is produced – a concentrate with extremely small active ingredient particles. To produce 1 gram you need kilos of orchid roots, so extraction is very expensive.

On the other hand, for Garnier’s “Tolfioow Reconstruction Care”, which can be had for as little as 10 euros, the seeds of an orchid species that also grows on the edges of German forests are used – and placed in the microwave. With this method, polyphenols can be extracted quickly and inexpensively, which provide excellent protection against wrinkle-promoting free radicals.

Characteristics of a good cream

The price arguments of the cosmetics manufacturers are plausible, but there is a catch: although the ingredients of a cream must be listed on the packaging in the order of their quantity, one cannot tell exactly how much caviar or coenzyme Q10 is in it as an active ingredient. If a 50 ml cream with an exquisite active ingredient like diamonds costs only 5 euros, you should definitely be suspicious. It is easier for you to assess the base of your cream, which accounts for about 80 percent. If the terms “Paraffinum Liquidum” or “Dimethicone” appear in the upper quarter of the list of ingredients, your cream contains a lot of paraffin and silicone, which are cheap but hardly have any care effect of their own. They then have to deliver the added active ingredients.

A base with lots of vegetable oil, which is naturally rich in skin-related fat and vitamin E, is of higher quality. Some, such as Olive oil, for example, also has a high content of polyphenols, so that they naturally slow down skin aging. If the basis is right, it is a good cream. It is up to you whether you prefer inexpensive, proven coenzyme Q10 or expensive gold as the active ingredient.

Respect the environment

PALM OIL is found in almost all bars of soap and many body care products . For cosmetics alone, 29 million tons are produced every year, as it contains nourishing ingredients such as e.g. B. PALMITOLEIC ACID is great for the skin and also unbeatably cheap: 1 liter costs an average of 70 cents! Unfortunately, this is often at the expense of our environment: In order to grow oil palms, large areas of RAINFOREST are burned, which supplies 30 percent of the oxygen on our planet. TIP: NATURAL COSMETICS and organic soaps are more expensive, but do not use palm oil from rainforest areas.

Products for every budget

WITH DIAMONDS: e.g. B. “Refining Facial” by La Mer, 100 ml approx. 103 euros, www.cremedelamer.de; “Eyemulsion eye care” by Julisis, 30 ml approx. 215 euros, www.breathe-cosmetics.com; “Cellular Microdermabrasion Cream” by La Prairie, 125 ml approx. 240 euros; “Diamant de Beauté Crème” by Carita, 50 ml approx. 500 euros, www.carita.com

WITH GOLD: e.g. B. “Diadermine Age ExCellium Gold day care” from Schwarzkopf & Henkel, 50 ml approx. 15 euros; “Gold Day Cream” from Aquabio***, 50 ml approx. 45 euros; “Acti-Vita ProCGen Gold Serum” from Monteil, 30 ml approx. 125 euros, www.monteil.com

WITH ORCHIDS: e.g. B. “Orchid organic anti-aging day cream with Q10” from Alterra, 50 ml approx. 4 euros; “Tolfioow build-up revitalizing care night” by Garnier, 50 ml approx. 10 euros; “Huile Orchidée Bleue” by Clarins, 40 ml approx. 39 euros; “Orchidée Impériale” by Guerlain, 50 ml approx. 335 euros

WITH COENZYME Q10: e.g. B. “Anti-Wrinkle Day Cream Q10” from Florena, 50 ml approx. 7 euros; “Q10 Plus Anti-Wrinkle Day Care” from Nivea Visage, 50 ml approx. 11 euros; “Pura Soft Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Cream” by Annemarie Börlind, 75 ml approx. 16 euros; “Q10 Age Control Creme” by Declaré, 50 ml approx. 35 euros, www.declare-beauty.com; “Power Eye Glow” by Laveré, 15 ml approx. 35 euros, www.lavere.de

WITH CAVIAR: e.g. B. “Caviar Mask Aquamarine” by Fette**, 15 ml approx. 2 euros; “Caviar Nail Serum” by Microcell, 9 ml approx. 10 euros; “Caviar Gel” from Biomaris, 15 ml approx. 31 euros; “Perle de Caviar Night Anti-Wrinkles Cream” by Ingrid Millet, 50 ml approx. 114 euros

** Pharmacy *** Health food store