Figuring out skincare is pretty fucking hard. I’ve past the age where I’m no longer just concerned about whether or not my giant, crater of a pimple will prevent me from being asked to the high school dance. I’m now at the age where my mother keeps telling me about the importance of eye cream, and even uttered the dreadful words “you look really tired” a few times over winter break, when she saw me without makeup on.
It’s enough to drive a girl crazy, which, according to my mother, also causes wrinkles.
I’ve walked into Sephora, and various skincare stores multiple times, after a particularly self-conscious skin day. As soon as I walk through the entrance, I’m met with instant hope. Jars and bottles of creams, ointments, and products with names I don’t care enough about to pronounce line the walls. It’s easy to think that with so many options, something must be the answer to perfect skin. The sales associates usually don’t make it better either. While simultaneously smiling and nodding at you in a pitiful way as you explain your skin woes, they’re quick to sell you a product that only increases in price depending on how hormonal and hysterical you come across.
This exact process is what has led me to buy so many unnecessary products. My bathroom looks like that of a skin care hoarder, but my face still looks like that of someone who doesn’t like to spend money. The problem is that with so many of these masks, washes and scrubs, I either don’t know specifically what they do, why they’re supposed to work, or, more importantly – what differentiates them from them from the others.
Instead of figuring out what differentiates one chemical from the seemingly hundreds of others that claim to do the exact same thing, or experiment until I go broke or literally drown in face masks (whichever comes first), I decided go with the skin care ingredient I have the most trust in: gold.
Boujee? Ridiculously. Effective? I think so…
It’s well-established that I am a sucker for any beauty or skincare for anything considered “trendy.” I’ll fall into any trap, thinking “this might be the product that finally turns me into Gigi Hadid.” While I’m yet to find it, I’m still holding out hope that it exists… somewhere. When I started to see face masks, washes, primers and elixirs containing real gold, I thought I might as well try it. My logic was simple, while the products were still ridiculously expensive, they weren’t any more expensive than the products that had been repeatedly been sold to me time and time again. The only difference was, this time, I actually knew what the gimmicky ingredient in the products was. While I wasn’t entirely sure if gold would be any more effective than the various acids, extracts, and even nuts that had been in some of my past purchases, at least I had a better general understanding of what gold was.
According to dermatologist Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank, gold does have an array of skin care benefits:
Gold is used as an anti-aging ingredient, as it can help reduce inflammation, which is a cause of acne and hyper pigmentation. When applied topically, it also helps brighten the skin.
Unlike Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank, I’m not an expert. After using an array of gold-infused products, I can tell that my skin has gotten better. Admittedly, that might also be because, as a result of spending so much money on products made from actual gold, I’m much more regimented when it comes to washing, pampering and prepping my skin.
The real benefit though, besides the potential of my mother making less shady comments the next time I see her, is its ability to instantly make me feel like a boujee bitch. I caught myself just before I sent a Snapchat of my golden face to everyone I know with the comment “treat yourself,” and subsequently wanted to stop being my own friend.
When someone commented that I had beautiful skin and asked what I used, I felt like an extra AF housewife, who hires a nanny so she can get daily facials, when I responded back saying “gold.” While the price tag is steep, you have to spend money to earn money. I’m currently unsure of how better skin is going to earn me money, but I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to my current daydream of it landing me a hot billionaire. After all, I’ll need someone to buy me my next round of products..
[via In Style]
Image via Shutterstock
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crazygirlfriend
Hiding from my mother and standards, both of whom would disown me if they heard most of these stories. Aspiring law school student, with a chihuahua named Bruiser and a head of unnatural blonde hair. Email me your "crazy" stories or any mixed drink recipes that taste like juice, but have copious amounts of vodka in them at crazygirlfriend.tsm@gmail.com Watch the bitch behind these stories at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vrp2D9h3SMk&t=67s
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