We are bombarded with an insane number of beauty products in the market. The number can be quite overwhelming and if you're impatient and impulsive like me, you can become a victim of pretty packaging and nice words and end up buying crap that's not necessarily suited for you.

To guide everyone in their pursuit for perfect (or better) skin, it's imperative that we are all aware of some skin care misconceptions to avoid falling into the consumerism trap.

•  Natural and organic products are always better. Buyer, beware! Many natural and organic products are not as they claim. Plus, many times, active ingredients have to be synthesized to be bioavailable and efficacious. Synthetic compounds can actually be identical to those found in nature and be more effective. Natural vs. laboratory-processed should not lead to an up or down decision about whether a product is good or bad. Not all chemicals are bad, and not all natural or organic ingredients are good.

• Using larger quantities of a product will yield better results. Less is more. Normally, a pea-sized amount of facial product will do the trick. Excessive amounts can cause skin problems and waste money.

• Packaging is not important. Packaging in skin care is vitally important—not for aesthetic reasons—but to protect the efficacy of the ingredients. Wide-mouth jars, transparent containers and pumps that are not airless all pose problems in keeping ingredients safe and potent.