What Happened to Cosmetic Brand Loyalty?

By Rae Kat Switzer

Women worldwide love cosmetics.  Whether makeup, anti-aging skin care, natural cosmetics, mineral makeup, makeup brushes, or gadgets, we love it all. To us the adage “Too much of a good thing cannot be wrong.”

According to our ongoing research, cosmetic companies are working harder than they did just 2 years ago to keep the consumer coming back and reusing products they have already purchased.  Often women are switching makeup and skin care brands bi-monthly.  Most cited the reasons as being:  so many new cosmetic products, beauty magazine ads that resemble reviews, not acquiring the results they read about, products no longer working for their needs, and last but not least, trying to make themselves look and feel better.

The majority of cosmetic companies are putting out new products every 3 months now as opposed to once every year or two.  Central is the need to bring in higher sales. Hope being that their newly derived cosmetic brand products will once again offer them repeat clients.

The consumer’s need of changing cosmetic brand product loyalty has pros and cons and in some cases can have dramatic or devastating results on skin itself.  Delicate dermal surfaces are not meant to be assaulted by changing skin care or makeup products daily, weekly, or monthly. 

Most dermatologists, estheticians, and other skin care experts with whom we spoke offered, “It takes 4 weeks to 3 months for skin to see a noticeable ongoing change, good or bad, to a new skin care or makeup product.  By not allowing skin the time it requires to adjust to any new cosmetic product the consumer doesn’t realize they are causing skin damage.  Skin that is damaged will develop acne, product-caused rosacea, tiny bumps, flaking, itching, and in some cases staphylococcus. Consumers also subject skin to damage by using unclean application products like makeup sponges, wash clothes, or makeup brushes that require daily washing.”

As word gets out and the cosmetic consumer spends more time reading factual information, we’re sure they will be staying away from forums not run by cosmetic-industry experts or physicians, and ignore the hype in advertizing promotions, often disguised as medical research.  The change in how the cosmetic consumer researches for facts will hopefully stop the abuse to their skin and allow cosmetic products the chance to show the results they are capable of and designed for.

Cosmetic brand loyalty is evident with consumers that have spent the time researching the facts like those stated above.  Their patience and determination is apparent in their great skin and the added bonus of additional savings that normally would have been wasted on more products. 

In conclusion the cosmetic consumer needs to take the time to truly ask themselves why they would waste money on more products when what they have works great.  I know my husband is a lot happier now that I’ve discovered that it’s true, “if it’s not broke, why fix it?”  I help him in doing those fix it jobs he used to make excuses for not doing when I was online or at the mall shopping.