If you are a frequent consumer of beauty & skin care products, this is something you should bookmark and share with your friends, as it will not only make you a better consumer, but it’ll also save you some money in the end, as well as save you some gruesome headaches.

First, here are the “Do’s” you should follow when you buy eye creams….

DO: Research the product you desire to purchase online.  Visit various sites and read information about the product where consumers speak up.  Amazon.com is a favorite of ours because 1) it’s a global marketplace and 2) it allows anyone to leave reviews, good, bad, or mixed.  It also has a top sellers list, makes product suggestions, as well as provides a little bit of information to you as to how long the product has been available.  Always a great place to start a search when you encounter a new product.

DON’T: Cross a product off your list because you read one bad review.  Every business has bad reviews, and not everyone is happy.  Some of the best companies in the world have very bad public reputations, and not every review will knock your socks off.  Try to read into the reviews and see if they are constructive, or if they say something in particular that may or may not pertain to your situation.

DO: Look for products that are mentioned by the media.  A media mention is a sign of credibility and sustainability.  Fly-by-night companies won’t ever place an advertisement or do anything that shows a sign of investing in their business for the long run.  Anyone can put big logo’s on their site of all the places they advertise, but do they show you the advertisement?  If they don’t, there may be a sign to dig deeper.  Ask them what issue the ad was placed in and where they can find it.  Usually a digital version is available in a PDF format.  Look for quotes made by the media to ensure it was something that actually happened, otherwise you can assume the company is just tooting their own horn because they placed an advertisement.  (Or didn’t, and is committing fraud)  Editorial reviews are powerful and endorsements are even more powerful.

Note: An advertiser here at EyeCream.com, Elite Skin, was quick to point out their ads are all on the up-and-up.  Not that we ever questioned them, but you know, they don’t want to be grouped with some of the Florida Scam Companies out there using hype to sell products that may be of lesser quality.

See the Miami Living PDF and editorial here.

Also, hats off to Dr. Perricone, who we have wrote about in the past. He points this out on his site….

http://www.perriconemd.com/display.do?ruleID=100023&itemID=5&itemType=LANDING

DON’T: buy a product just because of an advertisement.  Large companies spend money on print advertisements for many brands that range from household products to cleaning supplies to soaps to skin care products.  For this reason they have a lot of pull with print media and their buying power allows them to introduce a brand through this channel with relative ease.  They make bold claims yet sell for $14 in a local drug store.  At $14 the active ingredients just don’t add up to anything that will be as successful as other brands.

Lastly, DO check out the organization you are buying from at their local Better Business Bureau.  Anything lower than a C rating should be avoided and crossed off your list.  The BBB says something about the company and their desire to honor their return policy or claims made on their website.  It’s important to really dig deep into companies offering guarantees, because more often then not, they don’t honor them.  There are some companies out there claiming to have great customer service yet have F Ratings in their State’s BBB.

Last tip for the smart consumer.  If you are shopping for a brand online, before you click submit and make your order, visit Google and type in the brand name + “discount code” or “coupon code.”  This will potentially unlock a current discount code or promotion the company offers which you should be able to find posted on a site or blog.

Here is an example:  “ABC Company Coupon Code”

Armed with this information, you are now a smarter consumer!

Now, you can research, study, and buy eye creams at the web’s leading eye cream portal.  Your satisfaction is guaranteed and you may ask any questions to our seasoned eye cream research team before buying.  What more could you ask for?