This is a picture of how an octopus sucker works. This is a story of a sucker who bought a new skin cream product: me.
About a week ago the local news did a feature on how you could get really good skin products for much less money at your local drug store. They had a dermatologist interviewed as she shopped, and she especially liked the ProX line made by Oil of Olay, an old time company of dubious value. The dermatologist was so perky and cute as she loaded her little shopping cart.
Then I saw in the L.A. Times an ad signed by three yes three dermatologists certifying that using this cream would make a big difference in six weeks. Or rather if you buy the three creams together. They love to do that.
And Clinique has gotten so pricey. I fell for the line. I bought two of the three products. They cost more than Clinique when you combine them. And Oil of Olay? It's not just a weird old time product. It's part of Proctor and Gamble.
Pro X.. oh yeah...
The products have way too much surround packaging. Deep red seems to be the new color of beauty virtue products.
Today on the way to the track I kept rubbing my hand over my face- it felt strangely sticky, as if a thin layer of glue that hadn't quite dried was all over it.
And then I thought, could it be?
That they've created some kind of "high tech" appealing glue that holds the wrinkles together until you stop using it? That's what it feels like. It doesn't soak in, it's just this weird gel glob on top.
Sucker! me! yes I admit it. Make your own shopping choices, but don't trust the cute dermatologists on tv, even if it seems to be tv news.
13 comments:
Oye vey! For what it's worth, I've been using Neutrogena *Healthy Skin* face lotion (spf15)- "a Multi Vitamin Facial treatment with Alpha-Hydroxy" for the past 4 years or more and my skin is amazingly smooth and wrinkle free (almost)-- I'm 56.
I've been trying various Neutrogena and will look for this one. The Clinique "three products" made me sort of break out in a rash.
I bought a store brand knock off of the Oil of Olay voodoo trio. Never quite mastered how and when I was supposed to use them.
As you suggested, those skin product hucksters are masters at entombing a few ounces of product into showy layers of packaging.
I LOVE this post!!! Hilarious and so human--so true. (And so false.)
Is anyone interested in participating in a Six-Week Sucker Experiment? Send me a very recent photo of your face. Choose a product. Use it for 6 weeks. In 6 weeks, send me another photo of your face and any thoughts about your product.
linda at lindadavick.com
I have been using the Olay Complete moisturizer for a long time now with a wimpy spf 15 sunblock. When I think about it I slather on the neutrogena spf 3 billion or something but that's only when I think about it, because when I do it leaves a strange taste in the back of my mouth like it leaches right in. Ew. But I can't say I'm amazingly smooth and wrinkle free. I don't know whether my genes have damned me. My grandmother smoked like a chimney and wound up having the skin of an alligator. With gulleys and crevices so deep it was scary. And at the same time, blackheads. Weird. My mom smoked like a demon too, but she's 76, has emphysema, and wrinkles, but not like her mother so much. I never smoked a day in my life but sometimes I look at myself in the mirror and think,
"George Washington?"
Mars Tokyo, does it have that old Neutrogena smell? I'd have a hard time if it did, brings back bad memories of teenage acne.
Namowal, they have Oil of Olay knock offs? Did it have that glob of glue feeling?
Linda, sounds like a scary experiment.
Mimi, hysterical comments.
Years ago I took my daughter to a dermatologist and he stressed: NEVER use any product made by Oil of Olay. He explained why, but I forgot that part.
The best non-wrinkle treatment is stay out the sun and don't smoke.
Not worrying would be good as well.
Fabulous blog and sort of expected given your animated films. Thanks for livening up my day.
Mean Jean, EEK! What you don't remember!! Maybe he knew what an Olay really was.
Ian, glad you stopped by, and thanks for the lovely post on your blog.
I don't remember the bogus O of O products being gluelike, but it's been awhile since I've put them on. Maybe I'll do Linda's before and after test...
It's still sticky, Nam, but I'm expecting to get carded at the track today.
Sally, I love this one! Brings back memories of all the creams I have been suckered into using over the years. I always go back to my favorite--Clinique's yellow moisturizer, both the lotion and the gel one. No SPF, but it works well for me, and if I get the lotion in my eye it doesn't sting. I hate the ones that smell. Some of the really expensive ones Costco sometimes sells. I have experimented with theirs, and have always returned them--the ick factor is so great!
prb, I've used Clinique almost since it was invented, but it's hard to get in Colorado. It actually soaks in, as you know, unlike this weird Elmer's Glue effect I'm currently using.
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