Why I Broke Up With Green Beauty - Part Two: Budget

Okay, so I don't know about you guys, but I live on a pretty strict budget and I'm no stranger to being broke when unexpected expenses rear their ugly heads. Also, in case you weren't aware, sending my inconsequential thoughts into the blog-o-sphere (do people still use that word? Am I still relevant?) doesn't really pay the bills. Actually, it doesn't really pay anything. I occasionally will get a couple of free or discounted samples, but that's about it. I don't mind, though, because I do this for fun! It also helps me keep track of the products I'm using and how they work for me, and I can always hope that I'm helping out some misguided soul looking for a new product out there.

Which brings me to the second reason I "broke up" with green beauty...

Budget

Look, I know that quality skincare costs money. Quality ingredients cost money. Testing, packaging, certification, advertising... it all costs money. But I've gotten to the point where I both want to care for my skin and also still have some cash left over for things like food, traveling, and more food.

AM I JUST CRAZY FOR WANTING IT ALL?! 

Well, maybe. Or maybe I'm just tired of "luxury" products that break the bank while offering nothing of substance as far as skin improvement and product enjoyment goes.



I don't think I've made any secret of my distaste for super-expensive products. I don't think there's anything wrong with buying those products if you have the spare cash, but to be perfectly honest, I don't have that spare cash, and if I do, there are other things I'd like to spend it on. Especially knowing that there are less expensive products out there that will do as good a job -- or maybe even a better job -- I can't really justify spending over $30 on a serum.

Beyond the simple issue of only having so much spare cash to throw at beauty and skincare products, I FEEL LIKE IF I SEE ANOTHER GODDAMN GREEN LUXURY BRAND HOCKING THEIR $100 FACIAL OILS AND ~*~revolutionary~*~ HYDROSOLS, I'M GONNA SCREAM.

Seriously... is it just me, or is every brand I see these days luxury? Considering that green beauty started out as being aimed at crunchy hippies, it kind of boggles my mind to see a bottle of herb-infused plant juice selling for more than my monthly student loan repayment. Who are the people that keep buying this stuff? I mean, it's awesome that they're able to do that, but who are they? It seems like the only option for folks looking to buy more affordable products is to scour Etsy for products. Now, I love Etsy, and I've found some wonderful brands there, but it's definitely hit or miss. You also never know exactly how hygienic an Etsy seller's facilities are, if they're using preservatives, if they're following proper safety procedures... You know, silly things like that.

Finally, having DIY'ed it a couple of times myself, I've become somewhat familiar with how much certain common ingredients cost and how easy they are to find. Stuff like this cream kind of makes my blood boil:

WTF

Sorry to call you out, S.W. Basics. I'm sure you guys are great people who are super proud of your products. In fact, I know plenty of people who use S.W. Basics products and enjoy them -- plus, they're available at most Target stores, which is pretty awesome. Good for them.

But let's be real here -- this is a brand focused on using five ingredients or less in all of their products. This cream is made up of shea butter, coconut oil, and olive oil. You can buy large amounts of all of those ingredients for five to ten bucks a pop and make a bathtub full of this cream (okay, maybe a bathtub is a bit much). A full-sized jar of this cream will set you back over $30. That just doesn't add up to me. Maybe you're paying for the hip vibe. Maybe you're paying for the apothecary-style packing. Maybe you're paying for the cool factor of saying you bought something that was hand-made in Brooklyn. Who knows? Comb through a couple of green beauty shops and you'll inevitably find even worse offenders, touting a tiny bottle of common plant oils for ungodly amounts of cash. 

I want to reiterate that if this is how you want to spend your money, then by all means, spend it! Especially if you're supporting a small business! But this is not how I want to spend my money. For $30, I could get almost three jars of my new favorite face cream, Mizon All in One Snail Repair Cream on Amazon. I love my Juice Beauty CC Cream, but it costs almost $40! A similar BB cream (that works better for my oily skin, actually) from Mizon costs me less than ten bucks. Don't worry -- I'll thoroughly review all of these products in the near future.

Now, I'm not saying that cheaper will always equal better. But sometimes, you can't shell out that much money on skincare and beauty products. Sometimes, those cheaper products might even work better, or have more actives and beneficial ingredients! With the money I save, I'm also able to try out MORE products to better discover what works best for my oily, finicky, 29-year-old skin.