When Luxury Skincare Stops Working: Why Consumers Are Turning to Treatments That Deliver

The luxury skincare market is changing.

According to a recent Business of Fashion report, even top-tier skincare brands — once thought immune to economic slowdowns — are seeing consumers lose interest in expensive jars of cream that promise the world and deliver little.

Instead, a new wave of beauty enthusiasts is choosing evidence-based treatments that deliver visible, measurable results. The rise of medical aesthetics — everything from microneedling and laser facials to regenerative treatments like PRP — has outpaced the growth of the luxury skincare segment itself.

At CLEO Skin + Laser, we’ve seen this shift firsthand. More clients are investing in what works — professional-grade treatments that rejuvenate skin from within, supported by science rather than slogans.

Proof Over Promise

For years, ultraluxe skincare brands built their appeal on mystique — exotic ingredients, high-gloss packaging, and aspirational storytelling. But as BoF notes, today’s consumer wants proof over promise.

Even the most loyal luxury skincare buyers are realizing that a $600 moisturizer can’t stimulate collagen or repair photoaging the way energy-based treatments can.

That’s where modern medspas like CLEO come in. Our patients are replacing entire vanity shelves with targeted, clinical-grade procedures that actually transform skin structure and tone.

When you invest in your skin at the cellular level, you see — and feel — the difference.

The Rise of Results-Driven Beauty

Skincare innovation today isn’t happening in a lab behind a luxury counter — it’s happening in the treatment room.

At CLEO, we combine dermatology-grade technology with holistic skin health for results that go beyond what topical products can achieve.

Here’s how our clients are making the switch from creams to clinical treatments:

Pico Laser Facial

Targets pigmentation, sun damage, and dullness using ultra-short pulses of light to restore clarity and radiance. Where brightening serums fade, Pico Laser actually breaks up pigment and refines texture from beneath the surface.

SkinPen® Microneedling

Instead of surface hydration, microneedling works deep within the skin to rebuild collagen and elastin, softening fine lines, acne scars, and uneven tone for lasting firmness and glow.

Glass Skin Laser Facial

Inspired by Korean aesthetics, this laser facial creates that smooth, poreless “glass” finish luxury serums can only mimic. It enhances texture, tone, and hydration for a luminous, photo-ready complexion.

CLEO Contour Laser Facial

Combining laser and radio frequency energy, this facial firms and lifts — sculpting the jawline and tightening skin without injectables or surgery.

Together, these treatments deliver the kind of transformation that no luxury skincare regimen can match — smoother, brighter, tighter skin that actually improves with time.

Science Is the New Luxury

As BoF put it, “the brands that demonstrate real efficacy — while maintaining aspiration — will win.”

That same philosophy drives every treatment at CLEO. We believe true luxury lies in results, not rhetoric. Our technology is carefully curated for both performance and safety, offering clients treatments that look natural, feel elevated, and work at a biological level.

Luxury beauty isn’t disappearing — it’s evolving. Today, the most discerning clients are redefining luxury as evidence-based care and long-term skin health — not just another cream with a promise.

The Future of Skincare Is Clinical

As global trends shift, one thing is clear:

Consumers are tired of marketing myths and are ready for results they can measure.

At CLEO Skin + Laser, we’re proud to be part of that movement — bridging science and artistry to deliver a more meaningful kind of beauty. Book your consultation today at one of or Minneapolis (Edina + Maple Grove) and Detroit (Birmingham) studios and see for yourself why results-driven treatments are becoming the new definition of luxury skincare.