Are Brands Benefiting from Our Need to Be Aesthetic?
By Naomi Galas
Edited by Anna Kate Mereness
Recently, I had a conversation with my sorority little about whether or not eye patches are purely for looks or if they have recognizable effects. It got me thinking that we fall into patterns of consuming without doing our own research. Beauty brands have experienced extreme benefits since the day society got comfortable with wearing at home items, eye and pimple patches, out in public. We have started to do our skin care on the plane and let all the goods soak in during long flights. When seeing these new habits, I start to wonder are there truly benefits and does that make them worth the buy? Which brands have hopped on the bandwagon with no real beauty gain? How many individuals have hopped on that same wagon due to seeing others wear them in public?
Focusing on eye patches, it can be difficult to find your favorite item that changes your skin. There are different targets such as sensitive skin, depuffing, dark circles, instant brightening, etc. We tend to purchase based on how many pairs come in the pack, budget and reusability rather than ingredients. After focusing on pure impact to the skin so I could reach more of a generalized conclusion, the best eye masks to buy are Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming and Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch. I had conversations with a few girls who attend Miami University and realized Skyn Iceland is not a brand on our radars. However, the eye masks combine great ingredients including mineral-rich glacial water, peptides, antioxidants, and CoQ10, which can all be found on their website. It directs to de-puff, boost collagen and support cellular energy under our eyes. Taking a look at Hero Cosmetics the company adds key components such as tri-hyaluronic acid blend, niacinamide and retinol that drive cell communication, skin renewing agents and multi-depth hydration. With a small amount of time two brands that have similar lasting benefits were found. Unfortunately, they are often missed due to being lower on the purchasing poll, lacking popularity and attractiveness. When looking up what the most beneficial options are, Google will tell you specifics, but not all of us care to put that effort in. Women steer towards companies that are well known, Rhode or Rare Beauty, but the masks might not attack all the aspects that they should. They work well for temporary cooling and de-puffing the under eyes but don’t target fine lines and dark circles that lower mainstream businesses do.
With a college student budget it is essential to interpret the difference between products that have valued lasting effects and cheap products just for “show”. It is also ideal to know your preferences compared to the companies you’re purchasing from. Brands love to take the popular over-consumption habit and keep the ball rolling. Which is why trends don’t last for much longer than a week. I understand the appeal of buying the cutest thing on the market, and the ingredients don’t have to be everyone's priority but it may reflect positively on your skin and ultimately you can get bank for your buck.
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