Brad Schwartz

by Brad Schwartz

A few years ago I used to let my wife spend money quite freely on beauty products.  I didn’t really bat an eye when she would spend $300+ per month on various skin treatments and products.  With the economy booming, my investment properties increasing substantially each month, and my portfolio at an all time high, I barely felt the impact of increased spending on things that I really didn’t see as necessary.  I guess I can look back and say those were the “good old days.”  Times were easy, and anyone who had similar investments in place can agree with me that the glass was always more than half full.

Well, those days are well behind me, and I’m working harder than ever to get back to where I was financially. I took a 60% haircut on my financial portfolio, and lost multiple investment properties due to foreclosure.  While this hurt me in the short and long term, it also made me re-evaluate a lot of the purchases I make on a daily basis.  Unfortunately, I had to have a serious talk with my wife about what types of beauty products were absolutely necessary, and what types of products could be avoided so our money could be better spent.  Being an analytical type, I started to do the research, and had constructive, two-way conversations with my wife about exactly which products fit in each category.  Based on multiple discussions, this is what we decided on.  Keep in mind we are both in our mid-30′s and live in the Southern United States, where the sun is always shining.

1.  Eye cream. (Or Serum or gel, depending on what product line you select and the marketing terms they choose to use.)  We felt an eye cream was essential.  For starters, our eyes are basically the focal point of our faces, and our whole body if you really want to break it down.  Furthermore, the skin under our eyes is the most delicate on our body – it thins and loses elasticity as we age.  It’s important to help restore and promote collagen in this area – I can’t stress this enough.  Getting rid of puffiness, dark circles, and bags under the eyes can help us look much younger, and for this reason, we felt an eye cream product was something we simply can’t afford to be without.

Note: Most of the best eye creams are for sale from $49 – 159.  Of course, it all depends on how you value the use of an eye cream and how much you spend on other skin products as part of your budget.

2.  Daily Moisturizer. Our skin needs constant protection and nourishment, and this is exactly what a moisturizer works to do.  Moisturizing the skin is among the most important things we can do on a daily basis.  A good moisturizer brings hydration to the skin cells and keeps them strong.

Note: Moisturizers range from $9.99 – $200.  There are many high end moisturizer products that sell the “luxury” of skin care.  While my wife really enjoys trying one of these brands every so often, it’s not always in the budget.  (Actually, these days, it’s NEVER in the budget but once in a while I find a receipt for one!)  I tend to side with the side of science, and look for something with some clinical data to back it up.  A simple product that is sold at the local drug store usually is something I tend to avoid – I think since this is a daily use product its best to spend a little more money here and less elsewhere.  A $59-79 department store moisturizer is usually in line with what I think is acceptable, and most important, effective.

3.  Sunblock. This is a must for us, since we live in the South and take in some serious sun.  Between pool parties, rounds of golf, and bar-b-ques, we’re in the sun quite a bit.  A sunblock of high spf is a must, and for my money, I look for one with anti aging properties.   I’m at the age where I want to prevent wrinkles, so for me, I choose an spf of over 30.

Note: Sunblock can be purchased from $5.99 and up.  While there are some very expensive sunblocks available at Sephora and other online skin care outlets, there isn’t much difference in sunblock brands, unless of course, the sunblock has anti aging properties, which is always preferred.

Depending on how much money you allocate to buying skin products, you can effectively take care of your skin by purchasing the above three products.  Keep in mind, this routine fits us perfect, as we live in the South.  If you live in the North, where it’s snowing and cold for most of the year, you will use much less sunblock, and perhaps you can spend the money on either an anti wrinkle cream, (it’s NEVER too early to start using one) or just use the product on something that is more of a targeted treatment, such as a cellulite cream or neck cream.