'I try beauty products for a living. Here are 7 ways I can tell if a product is worth the hype.'

I try beauty products for a living. I do! And yes it's a real job, Mum.

As a beauty editor and co-host of You Beauty podcast, a lot of what I do depends on new launches in the beauty world. It's a never-ending spinning door of buzzy products and trends. 

And if everyone's talking about it, you're going to bet I'm trying it.

The beauty industry is a big business, after all. Brands want to keep pulling you back with better, more 'innovative' options that make you feel like whatever is around the next corner is a step up from what you already have in your bathroom cabinet. 

Y'know, the Next Best Thing.

And while there are some sweet, unexpected gems that are actually well worth the hype, there are many others that are a straight-up disappointment. Honestly, there is. And there's nothing worse than spending money on mediocre s**t that doesn't work. 

And with platforms like TikTok and Instagram making it very hard to distinguish what's actually good, the beauty market has become cluttered. Loud. Uncomfy. And just really bloody confusing. 

Like, did it actually go viral? Or is it just some very smart marketing? 

Is the product really life-changing? Or is it just another influencer pulling a fast one on us?

It's really... tricky.

I've experimented with hundreds of products over the years, burnt my skin barrier more times than I can count and spent more money than I have (hahahelphaha) to help find out what's really worth your pennies – and what's just fluffy marketing and nice packaging.

Just because it looks good and costs a lot of money, doesn't mean it's actually worth it.

So! Because all good beauty girls never gatekeep their secrets, below I'm pulling together all the top tricks I use to find out if a product is actually worth the hype.

Read on to find out exactly how I find out if a product is actually any good – including the one rule that changed the way I tried skincare.

1. Follow the 'one per cent' rule.

Sometimes you feel like you have to be an actual scientist to decipher wtf is going down on the label of a beauty product. But there's one sneaky trick that helps me navigate skincare products. 

Lab coats on, please.

It's called the 'one per cent rule' and it has to do with the ingredients list.

Here's the deal. Usually everything is listed in order of concentration and the closer an ingredient is to the front of the list, the more of it that's actually in the formula.

The first ingredient usually makes up the biggest amount of the product (usually water), whereas the last ingredient makes up the least amount. 

Now, this is where the 'one per cent rule' comes in. It's a concept in cosmetic chemistry where any ingredient listed to the right of this 'line' is basically non-existent.

This is important because if you’re paying for ingredients like vitamin C or niacinamide if they’re listed to the right of the line, they’re not really in the formula, and it’s basically a waste of money.

Are we still following? 

Now, to figure out where the one per cent line is, you have to look out for a few specific ingredients.

According to cosmetic chemists, ingredients such as phenoxyethanol, parabens, disodium EDTA, sodium benzoate, and potassium sorbate will never be listed at a concentration higher than one per cent. The same goes for ingredients like fragrances, essential oils, and extracts.  

This means that anything listed after these ingredients are formulated at less than one per cent, too. 

So, if you're buying a niacinamide serum and the word 'niacinamide' is listed after one of the above ingredients... then you're getting ripped off.

I keep this list of ingredients in the 'notes' section of my phone to make sure the ingredients marketed in a skincare product are actually legit.

2. Consider skin type.

Your skin type! Because when it comes to beauty, here's the thing – what might work for someone else, might not work for you. 

As someone with sensitive skin that loves throwing a tantrum/a flaky patch, I get sent a lot of products I can't actually... use on my face. 

Sad, I know. 

But if nearly a decade of messing with my skin has proven anything, it's that burning your acid mantle to try a product everyone is talking about is never worth it. 

Rather than just slapping stuff on my face willy-nilly, I'll take a proper look at the ingredients (see: number one), and work out if it'll play nice with my face. 

For example, I usually steer clear of any spicy acids at a high percentage (lactic acid is fine, as it's gentle enough for a sensitive Susan like me).

3. Have a system.

When you're trialling eleventy million different products at once, having a system in place to keep your beauty cabinet organised is a very smart thing.

Much to my husband's disappointment, I keep most of my 'to try' products in my study/WFH space at home. 

I have a system set up where the things I'm currently trialling are shuffled from a box into a small cosmetics trolley (the 'trial trolley') in the bathroom.   

For makeup, I have a specific 'trial' makeup bag where I keep all the new products, alongside my 'everyday staples' makeup bag.

Sounds finicky but it's what works for me!

When I'm finished trailing a product, it makes its way back into the study room and is placed in a separate box. It then ends up distributed to friends and family to ensure nothing is wasted.  

The products I can't get enough of slide their way into the 'keep' pile and are introduced into my everyday routine. 

They'll either end up in my skincare cabinet in the bathroom (full of my Holy Grail products) or my 'everyday staples' makeup bag.

4. Choose what to trial based on skin needs.

When it comes to skincare, I like to choose what to try depending on how my skin is feeling and what it needs. 

For example, if things are feeling dry and dehydrated I might pick out hydrating serums and creams or makeup with added hydrating benefits. If I'm battling congestion, I'll opt for clay masks or new concealers.

For uneven skin tone and dark spots, I'll bring out the big guns and incorporate serums with acids or vitamin C into my routine.

5. Take notes.

While the trial timings between products differ (things like serums usually take longer to trial), I'll usually take notes on how the product performs throughout the day/how my skin is looking and feeling. This is a great tool for when I'm producing written content and reviews on Mamamia.

When it comes to makeup, I'm looking for things like longevity and staying power. For skincare, I'm looking for how products absorb and how they make my skin feel as the day goes on.

If my skin doesn't feel irritated or dry, I'll generally use it again. If it immediately makes my face feel soft and happy after the first application, it's definitely ending up in my routine and going straight into the 'keep' pile.

6. Results take time and consistency.

Sometimes I find it tough to leave a solid trialling window and not swap and change too much, but one thing I've learnt is not to give up on skincare products too easily. 

That's why I try to leave at least four weeks for things like serums in order to see the best results. 

In saying that, I've also learnt that if my skin is reacting in a bad way (redness, irritation, etc.), to stop using the product. Immediately. Because it's only going to get worse.

There's also an awful lot of marketing hype out there. And while skincare can do lots of good things (hydrated skin! plumper texture!), it does have its limitations. 

I've learnt to be realistic about results and expectations because at the end of the day, skincare cannot change your facial muscles or the structure of your face.

7. Look at the reviews.

Whenever I'm trialling a product, one thing I *always* do is trawl through reviews on the website to see what other people are saying about a particular product. 

Whether it's having a perv on Adore Beauty, Sephora, Mecca or Chemist Warehouse, it gives me a good idea of how the product works for different people. 

What beauty products are you trialling right now? Share with us in the comment section below.

Feature image: Supplied; Mamamia.