Which Skin Care Products make the Most Sense? And What do the Experts Think?

With the beauty industry promoting its scientific credentials more and more everyday, you do want to know where the science really lies with all the products they advertise. Let's look at what the experts say for each one of these products that you actually use everyday.

Without a doubt, there are serious subjects of debate all around that need your attention - should you vote conservative or liberal, should your child go to a private school or a publicly funded one, should you get moisturizer with SPF or not? Certainly that last one doesn't seem to really belong in that line of profound issues of debate. But some women swear, when they find themselves faced with a skin care decision, that it certainly does seem that difficult, and just as important. The good news is, there is expert opinion to be had in matters of skin care; okay, the experts often find themselves divided over which way to go. Whichever side you choose though, you can tell if you've made the right choice, with no more than a couple of weeks following it. Let's go on and take up some of the most hotly debated skincare issues there are, and see where expert opinion lies.

Okay, let's start with the basics - shaving. Do you or do you not use cream to shave? Shaving cream is an idea that does have its merits. Think of it as the lubricant that greases the blade and smoothes your experience. Without the smoothness, the blade could possibly catch on your skin and cause tiny abrasions and nicks. But even so, there are those who disagree. The perfumes and fragrances they use in the cream could conceivably make sensitive skin break out. There is a case to be made for mild soap-free cleansers to use in place of shaving cream; or alternatively, you could try simple bathing soap of any kind you prefer in the shower. But all said, the experts do believe that a lubricating product when you shave is pretty much indispensable.

The pimple - the bane of feminine existence. So what should you do when you get one? Should you let it stay, and walk around pretending there isn't a big red spot on your forehead? Or should you just take the bull by the horns and pop it then and there? You have to admit that there is a certain rightness about the idea of popping. If you leave it be, it could permanently distend the pores in the area, and some experts believe that popping it would be the best thing in your long-term interests. But the naysayers have a point too - popping a pimple can sometimes work against you; and the bacteria that cause it can get into your skin and make things worse. But there is a happy compromise to be made - you can pop it, but just not yourself. Go to a skin care specialist and have them do it the right way so that there won't be any scarring or further infection. And if it appeals to you the idea of keeping your skin healthy enough to prevent pimples altogether, use a salicylic acid cleanser.

While we are on the subject of cleansers, what do the experts say about the new cleansing oils that seem all the rage now? The believers in skin cleansing oils love the fact that they have great powers at dissolving any remnants of makeup, pollution and other skin dirt. And they do it without stripping your skin of its natural oils. The opposing camp believes that since oil is what causes pimples and blackheads in the first place, how could it be safe to douse your face in the stuff every day? There is something to be said for each side of the debate; but if you do need to make a decision, here's the middle-ground. You can use cleansing skin oils if you don't have a problem with acne or oily skin to begin with. If you happen to constantly have a breakout of something or the other, use a foaming cleanser with salicylic acid instead.

Face creams can be a delicate issue when it comes to skin breakouts. These contain a certain amount of oils too. Should you go for the products that use high-quality stuff that doesn't grease up your pores? Or should you go the other way and use the affordable stuff? Certainly for many people, the expensive skin creams do work; the exotic ingredients in there do work a certain amount of magic on you - they have peptides that help plump up your skin by inducing collagen production for instance. These do sometimes work to keep your skin soft and radiant as advertised. And there are experts who believe that there is no one answer for everyone. If your inexpensive skin cream has been doing a good job so far, it's possible that your skin gets all that it needs from it. Those expensive creams have special ingredients for skin with special deficiencies. If your skin doesn't have those problems, you would just be throwing money away.

And finally, with the skincare business trying to aim younger and younger with its products, do you or do you not use Botox as soon as you turn 29? The experts who weigh in, in support of this move, say that letting a wrinkle stay only makes it deeper and more difficult to care of later. The more reasonable ones however, feel that Botox hasn't been used long enough that we would feel safe using the stuff any longer than necessary. And of course, no one has an unlimited supply of money; what you would spend on Botox would be much better applied elsewhere, say on great face packs, sunscreens and more fruit in your diet. Botox as a preventative makes little sense.