It’s a well known fact that celebrity endorsements sell products. Brands have been using the celebrity to help sell their products for decades. Think high end handbags, watches, perfume (the list of celebrities is too long to mention), cars (Jude Law for Lexus) even coffee (George Clooney for Nespresso), food (Katie Perry for Menulog) or Pringles (can you believe – Brad Pitt).
When people buy these products they are heavily influenced by the idea that just by having that product, they could be like the celebrity who is endorsing it. Buy this perfume and you could smell like Scarlett Johanson or buy this Gucci handbag and be as attractive as Harry Styles or maybe even attract Harry Styles. It’s not always that obvious but the influence of celebrity endorsements on what we buy and what is popular is undeniable. Brands spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to photograph celebrities with their products and then market them to you.
And now we are seeing something different emerging. Celebrities have taken back the power by creating brands they can endorse for their own gain. And for some reason, skincare seems to be the biggest trend for celebrity products in 2022..
We’ve compiled a quick list of celebrities that have created their own skincare brands recently: –
Brad Pitt
Jared Leto
Kim Kardashian
Hayley Bieber
Pharell Williams
Rihanna
Jessica Alba
Selina Gomez
Travis Barker
So why are these celebrities who are famous for acting, modelling, singing or just because – suddenly touting themselves as skincare gurus?
I have a few theories and – spoiler alert! – none of my theories point to them being experts in skin.
Here we go…
Brad Pitt has launched a genderless skincare line (Le Domain Skincare) Image Credit: US NEWS Prices in the range vary from $130-$600 US.
They are vain as f&%k…
Theory number one is that they are just super vain and love seeing pictures of themselves. What better way to zoom in on their perfect airbrushed skin than to have a campaign about skincare featuring their own face?
People love talking about themselves and celebrities even more so. Imagine the gamut of press opportunities where they get to talk about how clever they are with their new skincare and then how great their own skin looks because of their skincare. Look at me, look at my skin, aren’t I amazing?
Their current skincare does not match their bathroom renovation
Oh no – they’ve just spent hundreds of thousands on their new bathroom and realised the skincare products they have don’t match their bathrooms. I know, let’s take control and make our own line of skincare with packaging that will perfectly offset my new bathroom aesthetic. Then when we advertise it, we can use my new bathroom as a backdrop too!
They are just plain greedy or is it their agent?
Celebrities have been selling their faces and bodies to other brands for years. They aren’t stupid. They see how much money these brands make off their blessed genetics and fame. Why not jump on the bandwagon and cut out the middleman?
It’s either their or their agents’ idea to make a lot of money by preying on people’s desire to be more like their favourite celebrities. You have to admit it is pretty genius!
SKKN – By Kim Kardashian. Image Credit: Harpers Bazaar
They aren’t stupid but they think we are
Celebrity skincare isn’t about your skin. They are selling a lifestyle not skincare.
If these celebrities really created skincare themselves, having done research into what the market was lacking and developing products that are revolutionary I would expect their marketing to be filled with regular people using their products, some before and after shots of how it can improve their skin and more information about the ingredients.
Want to be as cool, beautiful and confident as me – use my skincare and you might be!
Think about a Rolex. It’s a watch. It tells the time just like any other watch. So why would someone buy a Rolex instead of say a Casio?
It’s more about what wearing that watch says about the person. It’s about showing status and wealth in the flick of a wrist.
The same could be said about celebrity skincare. It is a mark of status (albeit naively) and a talking point.
What are the dangers of using celebrity skincare?
‘High end’ skincare is expensive because of the marketing they employ. When we say ‘High end’ we are talking about brands that have been around for decades. Usually the ones you see in big department stores. Using celebrities to endorse their products comes at a huge cost as well as full page magazine advertisements and TV campaigns. That cost has to be recouped somewhere and that is why a ‘high end’ moisturiser costs what it costs. Don’t be fooled into thinking that it is because of the ingredients or the research. The same can be said for celebrity skincare. So I guess the biggest risk is that you will be spending a lot of money on a product for the marketing. You could spend the same amount or less on a product that values the quality and potency of the ingredients, is more effective and more suited to your skin.
You could be missing out on using a product that has really potent and effective ingredients for your particular skin concerns.
Why it’s important to buy skincare from experts
Skincare experts won’t recommend a skincare product without doing an analysis of your skin to make sure the product they are recommending will be suitable for your skin and your skin concern. Whether this analysis is done during a facial or a consultation, the skincare expert will have a greater understanding of your skin than Brad Pitt.
Your skin is your largest organ and has an important job to do. Trust the experts and leave the acting and modelling to the celebrity.
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