Selecting the right skin care products can be overwhelming to anyone, particularly in this information age and due to constant inundation by brands and their messages. It is difficult to sift through all of the advertorial content to determine truth from marketing fantasy. Finally, when one has decided upon products as being the right choice, an overwhelming majority still choose the wrong skin care.

When choosing skincare products, it is always best to consult a professional. Dr. Lisa Keefe and her qualified, expertly-trained staff know how important the right skincare products are to the health and beauty of your skin. Unlike department stores or websites, the professionals of Gilbert Perfect Skin have only one interest in mind. That is, of what is best for your skin, not the in the interest of particular brands, paid advertisers, commissions or quotas.

Online Pricing Scams

When buying skincare from a clinical professional, patients are assured of quality. But, many patients who buy skincare products from their dermatologist or aesthetician’s office later shop online to gain the “cheapest” pricing for the same products. By doing so, patients do not realize that they are often not getting the same quality as they do when buying from a designated clinical professional. In fact, they may not even be getting the same ingredients or formulation, at all.

For patients who get their Botox treatments regularly, some may notice an increase in duration.
Most patients note that Botox will last 3-4 months on average.

If you stop your botox treatments, you skin will just return to it’s previous state—muscle contractions return along with your wrinkles.

Counterfeit items were not the only issue associated with online low pricing by the retail giant.

Ms. Toms explains further, “Our company was competing against itself to catch bargain shoppers without compromising our primary company name or risking loss of brands. This is called the ‘grey market.’ When I started with the organization, I kept hearing that we were not to speak of our use of the grey market, but I had no idea even what that meant.”

“One of the grey market tactics used was for certain executives and some lower staff to list products on bidding sites and other retail catch-all web portals. They did this specifically to bypass vendor agreements and minimum pricing standards. I found all of these tactics and the prevalence of counterfeits, as well as the knowing purchasing from overseas dealers, shocking.”

That company has since changed owners and moved its operations to another state. However, such issues are not unusual. Even major online retailers trusted by consumers for years can have such lapses in integrity, which in turn provides patients with poor quality product.

When buying from a dermatologist or skincare professional, product quality is more of a given. Ms. Toms explains how patients can be assured of skincare product quality when buying from their dermatologist or aesthetician.

“When buying from your skincare professional located in a local skincare practice, you are buying product which has come directly from the hands of a brand representative. That representative essentially obtained that product from the point of manufacture. Quality is assured, as only designated individuals and companies can sell most quality skincare product lines.”

In trying to find a lower price online, skincare patients are often chasing after inauthentic, reformulated, repackaged, stolen, used or even expired product. To take the best care of your skin and actually gain the product you think you are buying, the safest point of purchase is your skincare professional.

Ms. Toms’ statements are not news to many major skincare brands. Individual brands have been aware of counterfeiting of their products for years. While they try to fight the sale of fake goods under their image, this is an ongoing, giant undertaking.

Identifying Skincare Products as Fake

Skincare product counterfeiting has become such a widespread and expensive problem for consumers that the Federal Bureau of Investigations has issued tips for consumers to identify their products, or some they are considering purchasing, as counterfeit or stolen.

Here are some ways you can identify your purchased skincare products as possibly counterfeit or stolen:

• The product offered is a sample size, yet is being sold online or through other means. Samples are free giveaways for designated retailers to incentivize customers, not for sale.
• Packaging of the product looks slightly different than the typical container of the authentic brand. Colors, fonts or text may be different.
• Package labels or wrapping appear skewed or misaligned.
• Advertisers are calling the product a “limited edition,” yet the brand, itself does not offer such a “limited edition.”
• Products are not listed on the brand’s authentic website.
• Pricing is much lower than the MSRP, or much lower than is offered anywhere else.
• Product color, consistency or texture seem different than authentic product of the same brand.
• For scented products, the scent or color is slightly off from authentic versions.
• The products are being sold by unauthorized sellers, such as at flea markets, online bidding sites, discount stores or websites with wide collections of products.
• Labels are missing lot number, bar codes, manufacturer address, expiration date or other key information.

Quality Assurance at Gilbert Perfect Skin

To ensure you are provided with the right skincare for you skin and continue your best skin health, consult with Dr. Lisa Keefe and her expert staff at Gilbert Perfect Skin and GilbertPerfectSkin.com.

When you are buying skincare products, Gilbert Perfect Skin will always provide you with authentic products direct from the manufacturer. Your skin is an important asset in your life and, as such, your skincare should be of the best quality.