THE BEAUTY INVESTMENT: WHY COST PER USE MATTERS MORE THAN THE PRICE TAG

THE BEAUTY INVESTMENT: WHY COST PER USE MATTERS MORE THAN THE PRICE TAG

I used to think a beauty “investment” meant one thing: expensive.

You know the kind of product. Beautiful packaging. Fancy name. A price tag that makes you hesitate before clicking Add to Cart.

But the longer I’ve been around beauty, the less I believe price tells us much about value.

Recently, I bought a Madamua Detox Oxygen Cream on Amazon for less than $4. I wasn’t expecting much at that price, but it surprised me. My skin felt hydrated and soft, I liked the texture, and my skin still felt good the next morning.

And the packaging? It looks nicer than products I’ve seen costing five times as much.

Then I picked up a package of Intense Repair Nail + Cuticle Masks at Dollar General for around $2.

I’ve only used them once, so I’m certainly not ready to call them a miracle treatment. But after that one use, my cuticles looked noticeably less ragged.

Two dollars well spent.

At the other end of my bathroom are my Earthling Co. shampoo and conditioner bars.

They cost considerably more upfront than my little Amazon face cream or Dollar General nail masks, but I also consider them money well spent.

Why?

Because I’ve stopped looking only at the price tag.

I’m looking at what I actually get for my money.

THE REAL PRICE OF A BEAUTY PRODUCT

Here’s a question I think we should ask more often:

How much does this product cost me to USE?

Suppose you buy an inexpensive beauty product, use it twice, decide you don’t really like it and toss it into a drawer.

Was it actually a bargain?

Now imagine spending more on something you use several times a week until there isn’t a drop left.

Which one gave you better value?

That’s why I’ve started thinking about cost per use.

You don’t need to pull out a calculator every time you walk into the beauty aisle. It’s really just a different way of thinking about what you buy.

How often will I use this?

How long will it last?

Does it do something noticeably better for me?

Does it make my routine easier?

Would I buy it again?

Those questions tell me much more than the price printed on the shelf.

MY SHAMPOO BARS CHANGED THE MATH

My Earthling Co. shampoo and conditioner bars are a great example.

One set lasts me approximately six months.

I should add an important disclaimer here: I don’t wash my hair every day, so my six months shouldn’t be treated as a promise of how long the bars will last for everyone.

But for me?

That means I’m buying shampoo and conditioner roughly twice a year.

Suddenly the upfront price looks very different.

There’s another reason I continue using them, too: I like what I’m seeing from my hair.

People have actually started commenting on how long my hair has gotten.

I’m not claiming my shampoo and conditioner bars caused my hair to grow. Hair growth is far more complicated than that.

But I am happy with how my hair looks and feels while I’m using them—and I keep reaching for them.

That combination of performance, longevity and actually enjoying the product makes them worth the money to me.

And it brings us to something else about my routine that may be contributing to how long those bars last.

THE HAIR FILE

DO YOU REALLY NEED TO WASH YOUR HAIR EVERY DAY?

Short answer?

Not necessarily.

But there isn’t one perfect washing schedule that works for everybody.

Your scalp produces sebum, a natural oil that helps protect your skin and hair. How quickly that oil builds up varies from person to person.

Hair texture matters. Your scalp matters. How much you sweat matters. The styling products you use matter.

Someone with an oily scalp or fine hair may feel and look better washing frequently. Someone with dry, curly, textured or chemically treated hair may find that frequent washing leaves the hair feeling too dry.

And then there are those of us whose hair simply doesn’t need washing every day.

That’s me.

One advantage of washing less frequently is pretty obvious: I use less product.

But depending on your hair and scalp, less frequent washing can also mean less exposure to cleansing, hot water, blow drying and heat styling.

That doesn’t mean “the longer you go without washing, the healthier your hair becomes.”

There is such a thing as waiting too long. Oil, sweat, dead skin and styling products can build up on the scalp.

The goal isn’t to see how many days you can win against shampoo.

It’s finding the washing schedule that keeps YOUR scalp comfortable and your hair looking and feeling its best.

For me, that isn't daily.

And apparently my shampoo-bar budget is very happy about it.

HOW I USE SHAMPOO + CONDITIONER BARS

If you’ve never used solid shampoo and conditioner before, I’ll admit they can feel a little strange at first.

We’ve spent our entire lives squeezing shampoo out of bottles. Suddenly somebody hands you what looks like a bar of soap and tells you to wash your hair with it.

There is a little learning curve.

Start by thoroughly wetting your hair and the shampoo bar.

You can work the wet bar between your hands to create a lather and apply that to your scalp. Depending on the particular bar's directions, you may also be able to glide it over very wet hair to deposit product.

I concentrate my shampoo where cleansing is actually needed most: my scalp and roots.

Then massage and rinse thoroughly.

Conditioner bars can take a little more getting used to because you may not get that giant handful of slippery conditioner we're accustomed to with bottled formulas.

Wet the conditioner bar and apply the product primarily through the lengths and ends of your hair rather than concentrating it at the scalp. Give it time to distribute, then rinse according to the product directions.

And here's one step that matters with solid bars:

Let them dry.

Leaving a shampoo or conditioner bar sitting in water is a good way to shorten its life. I want mine somewhere they can drain and dry between washes.

When I'm trying to make a product last six months, I'm not letting it dissolve in the shower between uses!

DOES WASHING LESS MEAN DIRTY HAIR?

No.

This is one of those beauty ideas I'd happily retire.

Hair doesn't become morally superior because it was washed this morning.

If your scalp is itchy, uncomfortable, very oily or has significant buildup, wash it.

If your hair and scalp still feel good on day three, you don't have to wash them simply because the calendar says you should.

Your routine should serve you.

That's pretty much the Beauty Quips philosophy in one sentence.

SO…WHERE SHOULD YOU SPEND?

This is where I disappoint anyone hoping for a list titled “10 Beauty Products Worth Splurging On.”

I don't think that list can exist for everyone.

I'd rather give you a better question:

Where does spending more make a meaningful difference in YOUR routine?

I’m willing to spend more when I know I'll use something regularly, when it lasts, when I can genuinely see or feel a difference, or when it makes my life easier.

I'm happy to save when the inexpensive version does the job beautifully.

My bathroom is proof.

There can be an under-$4 face cream sitting next to shampoo and conditioner bars that cost considerably more.

Neither one has to justify the other.

They just have to justify themselves.

BEFORE YOUR NEXT BEAUTY PURCHASE…

Try this little Beauty Quips test.  

Don't ask yourself only:

“Can I afford this?”

Also ask:

“Is this worth this amount of money TO ME?”

There is a difference.

Maybe you'll use it 100 times.

Maybe it will save you ten minutes every morning.

Maybe it performs so much better than anything else you've tried that you happily repurchase it.

Or maybe you're mostly being seduced by a gorgeous jar.

No judgment. I've met some very persuasive jars.

The point isn't to always save.

And it certainly isn't to always splurge.

It's to know why you're doing either one.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The older I get, the less interested I am in having a bathroom full of products just for the sake of having them.

I'd rather have products that work.

Sometimes that's going to mean spending a little more.

Sometimes I'm going to find something fantastic for $4.

And sometimes a $2 package of nail masks from Dollar General is going to stroll in and make my cuticles look better.

Beauty doesn't have to be expensive to be good.

Expensive doesn't automatically mean wasteful, either.

The best beauty investment is the one that earns its place in your routine.

You don't need to spend more everywhere.

You just need to know where it matters to you.

Beauty should fit your life—not complicate it. Because confidence is always in style.

💕

Heather | Beauty Quips

P.S. Want more Beauty Quips?  

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It’s filled with practical beauty advice, honest product talk, five-minute upgrades, The Beauty Quips Edit, a little encouragement from Quip, and plenty of real-life beauty that doesn’t require an overflowing makeup bag or an overflowing budget.

It’s free, and I’d love to have you join us.

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See you Thursday!

Heather | Beauty Quips 

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