The Internet has revolutionised the way that we obtain and spread information, so much so that we (including myself), can’t even imagine a single day without it. The ease of having all the information in the world at the fingertips, is something that I have easily grown accustomed to, and utilise everyday.
All this is great, but it has its downsides. One of which, is the increase of The Misinformed Shopper.
The Misinformed Shopper in beauty is like any other beauty shoppers, who are concerned about:
- Certain social/ethical standpoints of the cosmetic company
- Product safety
- Performance of the product for its intended use
Queries relating to one of more of the above, include animal testing, nano-particles, comeogenicity/allergenicity, vegan and general product/ingredient queries.
All important issues, but it’s important to do your research if you are passionate about it, in order to understand what each of them mean. The Misinformed Shopper watches one or two substandard “current affairs” program, or a one-sided article on the Internet about it, and believes that it’s the whole truth. Worse still, the Misinformed Shopper looks out for other articles or certain parts of discussion forums – not to get a well-rounded perspective on the issue, but to further fuelled the misinformation.
Sometimes, the Misinformed Shopper will ask the cosmetic companies for answers, or be provided with the other side of the story from other consumers. But it’s somewhat futile, as the Misinformed Shopper has already made up her mind, and believes these opposing voices are liars. To me, that’s just a cynical way to live. I’d like to believe that most companies conduct themselves with integrity, especially those in the customer service role, who really have nothing to gain by lying to the consumers.
The truth is sometimes an ambiguous answer – there is no 100% certainty in life, and a manufacturer can only control what it and its 1st line suppliers do. The problem is, when I’m dealing with The Misinformed Shopper, a somewhat ambiguous answer is automatically classified as a lie, which in turn means I have something to hide.
Another common occurrence is the reading of ingredient listing. It’s great that consumers are getting more savvy about ingredients, but remember ingredient listing contain chemical names. Taking one word out of a 2-3 word ingredient is NOT an indication on what it actually is. For example, an ingredient that starts with ethanol does not mean it’s even anything relating to alcohol, formaldehyde resin is not formaldehyde, and silicon is not silica.
In terms of product performance, I stand by a previous post, in which I state no company would spend the dollars to launch a product with no perceived benefits to the consumers. If you have a problem with a product you purchased, let the manufacturer know – it could very well be an anomaly, and not a representation of the product in general or the entire range.
I apologise if this post seems vague and somewhat ranty. It’s not my intention to get into the specifics of the queries that I listed, as that would make too long a post and they all contain myriads of sub-topics that cannot be explained simply.
What I do ask is that, if you do need answers on them, ask the manufacturer and/or take in what may seem to be the “opposing views” before jumping to conclusions. I welcome queries as it’s an opportunity to educate the consumers about issues they care about. I always answer them with honesty and integrity, and my intention, along with many other cosmetic company representatives’, is to help.
Incoming search terms:
- back side of NP Set Day to Night Palette
I so agree with you. I saw that when I was in the healthcare industry. People know more than they used to because of the internet, yet not enough to make diagnostics obviously, and so they draw false conclusions on their health issues and it makes your work so much complicated to re-educate them (explaining why they do NOT have what they think they have etc…)!!
Musing on Beauty recently posted..Foundation Review #33 : Clarins Ever Matte (and powder, as a bonus)
Musing on Beauty: It must be the worst in the healthcare industry! I have to admit that I’ve been guilty of “self-diagnosis” which involved me scaring the crap out of myself – but I listened to the doctor and trusted her opinion instead. People need to understand that a professional has been trained for years in their roles, and trust their advice.
Totally agree with this, it’s been on my mind a bit lately.
Peta recently posted..Social Media Activism – I don’t hate, but not sure if I love
Peta: Our posts are very similar and coincidental to what’s just happened!
Amen sister. It bugs me, especially when I blog about skincare, when I get comments like “omg you’re actually using something with SLS? What’s wrong you with?” or “how can you recommend something with alcohol in it?!” (we’re talking about fatty alcohol here) or worse “I can’t believe you’re blogging something with oxybenzone. It will give you cancer!!”.
Look, I know there are certain risks we take in using these products, but it’s my conscious decision to do so, and if these products are really that bad, they wouldn’t even pass those strict regulations to be launched to the public.
/end rant
Tine recently posted..List of Lusts: Dreamy Bedrooms
Tine: See you’ve touched on one particular ingredient that I have a problem about – alcohol. I personally don’t see anything wrong with having alcohol as one of the ingredients, in fact, it works beautifully on my skin as it removes the oiliness and leaves a very nice, barely there but still there finish. And I haven’t had any adverse reaction to it. Allergic reactions are personal – everyone’s skin is different. And any ingredient still used are there within the safe amount, and/or because there has been no proof that it’s harmful. A lot of people wouldn’t want to believe that, but it’s true.
I think that to avoid being a misinformed shopper we must gain knowledge about the products from different sources. We must not just read online reviews but also find out from our friends and social circle if anybody has used the product or not. There is a plethora of information around and you need to decide what you have to absorb.
Marie Duplanty recently posted..Achat home trainer
Marie Duplanty: Agree – and it’s important to keep an open mind to listen and absorb the opinions that appear to be opposite to what’s presented by the initial article. And please do ask the brand itself as they are a good source of information too.