Dermatologist Dr. Fayne Frey doesn't believe people have to spend a lot of money to take care of their skin.
"There's no correlation between how much you pay and whether the product works," Frey said.
Dr. Frey is about to release a book, "The Skincare Hoax: How You’re Being Tricked into Buying Lotions, Potions & Wrinkle Cream."
"I primarily treat skin cancer, but as a student of chemistry for many, many years, skincare formulations, skincare ingredients, I became very interested in over-the-counter skincare products," Frey said.
She says the high cost of many skincare products is due to marketing.
"Anti-aging is the biggest myth, in my opinion," Dr. Frey said. "Anti-aging is a brilliant marketing term. Why? Science hasn't found a single ingredient, a single product that can reverse the aging process."
She says that by law, skin products cannot change the function of your skin. When it comes to taking care of your skin, Dr. Frey says it's more simple than many realize.
"Healthy skin in a healthy individual mimics a healthy body," Dr. Frey said. "And this isn't the sexy answer everybody wants. But healthy skin, again, mimics healthy life. And we know that it requires a good night's sleep, a healthy diet, regular exercise."
Ria Kim has been researching and working for years to have healthy skin.
"I think I've been trying skincare products for almost like since I was maybe 13, so almost ten years now," Kim said.
Kim is very passionate about skincare.
"I had pretty bad cystic acne all the way through the beginning of college," Kim said. "And it was really stressful and I just wanted to do anything to fix my skin. So I did a lot of research. I tried anything and everything that was within a high school budget."
Every day, she says she cleanses her face, hydrates it, and protects it from sun damage. Kim says sunscreen is one of the most important skincare products. Dr. Frey agrees. She says sunscreen and a moisturizer are the two essential skincare products to consider. In terms of cleaning your face, she says all you really need is water.
"I actually surveyed about 500 women and half of them, remember these are women with healthy skin, half of them only used water," Frey said.
However, if you wear oil-based makeup instead of water-based, Dr. Frey says you may want to consider a cleanser.
Kim says her trick is buying in bulk from Korea.
"With such like a high standard in Asia for these products, there is so much competition and that lowers the prices," Kim said.
When it comes down to it, you don't need to be that savvy of a skincare shopper. Frey says cheaper products may work just as well, if not better, than the expensive products.