P&G beauty scientist Laura Goodman explains whether or not good creams come in expensive packages.

• FOF: Why are some skincare brands so much more expensive than others?

  P&G beauty scientist Laura Goodman explains whether or not good creams come in expensive packages.

  • FOF: Why are some skincare brands so much more expensive than others? Is an expensive department store brand better than a drugstore brand?
    • Having worked on developing numerous P&G brands—inluding SK-II, a department store brand, and Olay, a drugstore brand—I know that a lot of the price has to do with ingredient technology. I spent 10 years in research and development looking for the next great ingredient. The cost of developing and refining and testing that new ingredient has an effect on the price of the end product. For example, SK-II has a proprietary, exclusive ingredient called patera—a yeast fermentation filtrate. We own the patent rights, so no one else can reproduce it in the world. The technology behind extracting and using patera is costly, which drives up the price. So that’s really for a luxury user who wants to indulge in something very special.
  • So are the less expensive brands without those ingredients less effective?
    • Our Olay brand, which is less expensive, has been clinically tested and proven to make the skin better, stronger and improve skin barrier, which is a top issue with aging skin. In the end, when you compare the data, the prestige brands, such as SK-II, do really well, and perhaps better for one particular measure we’re looking at. But at the same time, our Olay formulas do just as well if not better for another measure. It’s sort of like the difference between a $300 dress and a $3,000 designer dress. There are differences that you may see and feel. What type of shopper you are will determine the level of luxury you will indulge in. Bottom line is you can look great in either one!

  Links:

  Aargh! What is happening to my skin?
  Soap Opera: Cleansing FOF skin
  Dream Creams: Moisturizing FOF skin
  Road Test: One Fab Woman Tests Olay Professional Pro-X and Reports Back