Your skin-care routine can be as simple or as complex as you want. Find a good cleanser, a nourishing moisturizer, and a solid sunscreen and you’re good to go. But if you want to expand your routine, you want to make sure you’re getting products that are actually worth your money. And according to Lindsey Zubritzky, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, there are three beauty products you don’t need at all.
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3 beauty products you don’t need according to a dermatologist
1. Cellulite cream
“First up is cellulite cream—this is an absolute scam,” says Dr. Zubritzky. Cellulite is what happens when skin lays over fat cells. “If you understand what cellulite is, it’s gonna make sense that a topical cream is not going to cure cellulite. It may help temporarily, but it’s not gonna give you any long-term results. Save your money.”
2. Eye cream
“Number two, and this might be controversial, but eye creams,” she says. “Most of the time, eye creams are formulated exactly like other skin care products, like a moisturizer, for example. Instead of an eye cream, just extend the other topical skin-care products onto the eyelid and around the eye, as long as it’s safe for eyelids.” This one is totally controversial—one derm swears by a $118 eye cream that she’s used every day for over 15 years. But again, if you’re looking to keep your routine efficient and costs down, an eye cream is a great thing to skip.
The skin around your eyes is the thinnest, most delicate, and most sensitive skin on your face, so you have to be careful with the moisturizer you choose to use. Any moisturizer can technically be an eye cream, but if the skin around your eyes is pretty sensitive, you’ll likely want to avoid applying moisturizers with active ingredients like retinol or vitamin C which are even more potent on this thin skin.
3. Cleansing devices
“Finally, you absolutely do not need it, and I don’t recommend using a cleansing device,” says Dr. Zubritzky. Fancy cleansing devices can cost hundreds of dollars while the ones derms love most—your hands—are totally free. “Not only do you not need it, but it can actually destroy your skin and strip your barrier.” That’s because many of them use hard bristles that are rough on their own but can be even more damaging when you introduce human error and press down too hard.”
If you considered using a cleansing device as a form of exfoliation, you can use gentle exfoliating cleansers instead. Look for one that uses alpha-hydroxy acids or enzymes to deeply cleanse and remove dead skin and debris without damaging your barrier.