Things I Wish I Could Tell You in the Skincare Aisle

A skincare formulator’s honest take on ingredient claims, expensive creams, and choosing products you will actually use.

By Kristin Mutchler, founder and formulator of Pickle’s Potions.

Before I started making skincare, I was easily swayed by a lovely bottle. The colors. The packaging. The beautiful advertisements suggesting that somewhere inside this particular jar was the skin I had been waiting for. I bought it, used it, and waited for something wonderful to happen.

Often, nothing particularly wonderful happened.

You would think this would have cured me of getting excited about skincare ingredients. It has not. Now I get excited about them professionally, which means more research papers and considerably less shelf space. Let’s not look at all the boxes of ingredients I have.

Or, let’s. We’re all friends here, right?

But learning to formulate changed the questions I ask. Sometimes, when I look at skincare marketing, I wish I could stand beside you in the aisle and have a little conversation. I like lovely things too. There are just a few things I would want you to know before you get to the checkout.

That lovely ingredient needs to earn its place.

An ingredient can be in a product without the product delivering everything you have heard about that ingredient.

Perhaps you have read about a botanical extract, or seen an advertisement describing the remarkable things it can do. Then you find a moisturizer with that ingredient printed proudly across the front. It is understandable to connect those dots, but there are some questions in between.

I want to know how much was used in the research, what form of the ingredient was tested, and whether it was tested on actual people using a topical product. A laboratory result can be interesting without telling us how your moisturizer will perform. I also want to know whether the research was on the ingredient or on the finished product you are holding.

Sometimes the ingredient story is doing more work than the evidence behind the product.

It reminds me of an apartment that’s been freshly painted, where everything looks clean and lovely until you get closer and realize the landlord painted straight over a dead fly on the windowsill.

I suppose a painted fly is an unfortunate image to introduce into a skincare discussion, but I hope you understand what I mean. A convincing surface impression is not the same as a job done properly.

Before we all start demanding higher percentages.

A small amount isn’t automatically useless. Some ingredients work at very low concentrations. Research on a specific retinol formulation, for example, has found benefits at just 0.1 percent. That doesn’t tell us what every product will do, but it does show why we shouldn’t automatically dismiss an ingredient because it is used in a small amount.

The goal is an appropriate amount, supported by relevant evidence. More is not automatically better.

And although I love an ingredient list, it cannot tell you everything. In the United States, cosmetic ingredients above one percent are generally listed in descending order. Ingredients at one percent or less can appear in any order after those. You cannot reliably calculate a formula by counting how far down the list something appears.

You won’t always find detailed information about concentrations or testing, and you don’t need to reverse-engineer every bottle. Look for clear explanations of what a product is intended to do, realistic promises, and a company willing to answer questions.

When I formulate, I review available research, supplier testing, recommended use levels, and whether the ingredient makes sense for the product I am developing. A supplier study is evidence to examine, not a promise I can automatically transfer to my own bottle.

You should not need a research folder open beside your bathroom sink. I have enough for all of us, believe me.

If you enjoy getting into the details, my introduction to facial oils explores why oils that sound similar can bring very different things to a formula.

You do not need the newest thing. I am also telling myself this.

I get enticing emails from ingredient suppliers, and they know exactly what they are doing.

There is something NEW. Something EXCITING. There are documents. There are graphs. They offer a persuasive explanation of why I should get interested right away.

And I do.

Sometimes I order the ingredient, full of ideas about what I am going to make with it.

Then it sits on my shelf.

I am going to use it someday. Probably. I have wonderful intentions.

So please understand that when I say you do not need every exciting new skincare product, I am speaking as someone with ingredient shelves that could reasonably be submitted as evidence against her.

Curiosity is useful in my work, but interest in an ingredient is only the beginning. I still need to work out whether it offers something worthwhile and belongs in a formula.

You can apply the same pause to your shopping. If you already have a product you enjoy and it does what you need, a new launch doesn't obligate you to replace it.

You can be interested and leave it on the shelf.

Apparently. I’m working on that one.

Expensive is not a skin type.

A beautiful bottle can make a product lovely to use. There is nothing wrong with enjoying it. But the price does not tell you whether the product suits your skin. The American Academy of Dermatology makes the same point in its guidance on affordable skincare. Products don’t need to be expensive to work, but it is easy to assume that spending more gets you more.

At the same time, a raw ingredient’s price isn’t the whole cost of making a finished product. Formulation, testing, preservation, packaging, and production all matter. I wouldn’t judge a serum solely by how much its headline ingredient costs, and I wouldn’t assume a very expensive serum must be doing something extraordinary.

Consider La Mer. Its Crème de la Mer ingredient list places mineral oil second and petrolatum third. Petroleum-derived ingredients, in a very luxurious jar with fantastic marketing and a world-renowned name.

Now, those ingredients can serve a purpose in skincare. But I don't choose them for Pickle’s Potions. My brand is built around natural skincare, and we do not use petroleum-derived ingredients. Personally, at that price, I would want a different ingredient list.

An expensive product does not automatically reflect your preferences or priorities. You can look past the beautiful jar and decide what's inside isn't what you want.

I want to know whether a product does the job you need, whether you enjoy using it, and whether it fits your budget comfortably enough that buying it doesn’t feel like an event.

You do not owe your face the most expensive option.

And if you are a die-hard La Mer fan, you do you. No judgment.

You may already have enough in that basket.

We have told our staff that their job is to make helpful recommendations. The goal isn't to sell someone as many products as possible.

The other day, I watched Marissa, one of our awesome skincare consultants, put that into practice. A customer kept adding products to her purchase, and Marissa gently pointed out that it was a lot to buy before knowing whether she'd like or use them. She suggested starting with the selection already in the basket and seeing how it went. There would always be the option to come back or order online later.

I loved that.

There is something reassuring about hearing someone who works in a shop tell you that you probably have enough.

It is also one of the reasons we make minis of most of our facial products. You might like the idea of something and discover you don’t enjoy the texture, the scent, or how it feels on your skin.

I would much rather you discover that with a mini than with a full bottle you feel obligated to finish. Or one that sits on your shelf for two years before you finally throw it away. Or one you pass to a friend, hoping their skin will like it.

Our mini skincare kits are grouped around general skin concerns, and we number the steps to make them easier to follow. They give you a manageable place to start, without committing to full sizes of everything.

They are an introduction. You don’t need to graduate to owning every single product I make.

Although I would absolutely be so excited if you did.

I love these products, and I made them for you. But I want you to have what you’ll actually enjoy using, whatever that looks like.

Your face does not need homework.

Some people love a long skincare routine, like me. They enjoy the steps and the quiet time. Others want to wash their face, apply moisturizer, and get on with their evening. I want to help you find something that fits how much time and attention you actually want to give it.

For everyday care, a simple foundation of gentle cleansing, moisturizing, and sun protection is a sensible place to start. Add products that serve your needs. If your skin has been feeling unusually dry or reactive, my article on understanding your skin barrier explains why those basics matter.

There is little point in recommending a collection of products that makes you sigh every time you look at the bathroom counter, or knock another one over into the sink. If you want something uncomplicated, tell us. If you love experimenting, tell us that too. We can help you choose without making it feel like a course you accidentally enrolled in.

Tell us what you need, try something that makes sense, and let us know how it goes. And if you DO enjoy the science, reach out. We’ll chat about all the things.

That is what I would want to say to you in the skincare aisle.

And if you see me getting excited about another new ingredient, feel free to ask whether I have used the last one yet.

About the author

Proof of my ingredient addiction. One of MANY boxes full of fun new ideas.

Kristin Mutchler is the founder and formulator of Pickle’s Potions, a natural skincare brand based in Winthrop, Maine. She has been developing skincare formulas since 2015.

Further reading

American Academy of Dermatology. Skin care on a budget. Practical advice on keeping a routine simple and affordable.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Cosmetics Labeling Guide. An explanation of ingredient labeling, including the rules for ingredients used at one percent or less.

One-year topical stabilized retinol treatment improves photodamaged skin in a double-blind, vehicle-controlled trial. A study of a specific 0.1 percent retinol formulation, illustrating why a low concentration does not automatically mean an ineffective one.

La Mer. Crème de la Mer product information. The brand’s published ingredient list for the cream discussed above.