We’ve all experienced it – our efforts to help our clients put their best face forward thwarted by another flash-in-the-pan consumer skin care product. Yes, these mass-marketed sensations that promise the world in a bottle, but really only deliver ho-hum results at best, and a mess to clean up at worse, have challenged skin care professionals since the beginning of the profession.

The reality is, they aren’t going away, so it’s important we know how to talk to clients about them and communicate the impact these ineffective products can have on the skin.

Misinformation surrounding ‘flavors of the month’

They’ve been around for decades and there are dozens of them – the “miracle” multi-level marketing (MLM) skin care products that promise to completely transform the skin. Chances are your clients have inquired about a Rodan and Fields, Arbonne, or Nerium product. Perhaps they even used it. And they may have even come back to you with their tale between their legs after having dismal results.

The truth is, a tremendous amount of misinformation surrounds these products and it’s imperative clients know and understand this. For one, representatives who sell them are not required to undergo any professional skin care training. In large part, they are primarily trained on the “art of the sale” rather than the “art of skin care.”

While there are certainly exceptions to this, your clients can count on the fact that you, a licensed aesthetician, have taken the time to go through the proper training to earn the right to consult them on their skin. You understand what makes their skin unique and how different ingredients are either going to work in harmony with their skin or work against it. They don’t get that level of expertise in a department store or MLM environment.

The one-size-fits-all of skincare

Another important value lacking from these products is the customization. Most MLMs and over-the-counter brands follow a more one-size-fits-all approach. When acne, aging, dehydration, and hyperpigmentation occur for different reasons in different skin types, these products simply can’t be expected to live up to their promises. And an ingredient that works well for one skin may be disastrous for another.

Simple dialogue with your clients can help them understand the level of care you put into your product selections. For instance, you might say something like, “I have researched and selected my retail products very carefully. I could offer any product available, but I chose this one for several important reasons.” Then go on to list those reasons.

Many professionals using Rhonda Allison products will highlight the use of cutting-edge science, quality ingredients, choices and customization for all skin types, and the longevity of the products. As well as the fact that they were developed by a licensed aesthetician with a background in cosmeceuticals. These are things that resonate with consumers.

Finally, any product that is sold in mass on the internet, in a mainstream store or as an MLM, is going to have some restrictions on the level of active ingredients that may be used. This is simply due to the risk. They have to make these less active so that anyone can simply open the package and start using it without any sort of guidance by a skin care professional. They simply won’t deliver the same results a quality cosmeceutical formula will.

Stay positive

Don’t be discouraged. Remember, fad buying and flavors of the month will always exist, and women will always have their eye out for the next thing that promises to turn back the hands of time. Skin care is an emotionally driven purchase – most want to look better, younger, fast. But it’s how you educate clients that will make the difference.

Keep in mind, sometimes it takes them venturing out on their own to test those products and learn for themselves. Inevitably, they often do come back with a half empty jar of a product that cost several hundred dollars to show you the culprit behind an undesirable outcome.

Don’t be tempted to conform to these products either. Stick with the brands that are about the health of the skin and transformations without false promises!