Skincare products being in viral TikToks does not equate to quality.
If you are on social media, you are bound to come across ads and sponsorships from influencers because there is really no way to escape them or filter them out.
Advertisements and sponsored content may easily persuade viewers into thinking they’re missing out on holy-grail products.
The average American comes across 4,000-10,000 ads a day in 2022, according to WebTribunal, an independent review site dedicated to providing accurate information on tech, financial and business services.
Valerie Vo, San Jose State sociology senior, said her skincare routine is long, but effective.
“It was definitely a lot of trial and error that I had to play around with,” Vo said. “Out of all of the billions of products I bought, I only use about eight of them in my daily routine now.”
She said she bought any item that had good ratings from Sephora, a French multinational retailer of personal care and beauty products, because her skin started to break out when the pandemic started and her acne was exacerbated by impulsively trying new products.
Vo’s nightly skincare routine consists of an oil cleanser, face wash, toner, serum, gua sha, under eye cream, retinol and face oil.
A gua sha is a traditional Chinese healing technique that uses a smooth-edged tool to stroke on skin with pressure. It is believed to help blood flow and lift one’s face, according to an April 14 Allure magazine article.
Although there are no studies to prove that it makes a difference in one’s routine, many believe that it sculpts the face, according to a Oct. 14, 2021 Insider article, an American online media company.
“I’ve been consistent with my current routine and I really do see a difference from 2020 until now, but I think I was baited by so many ads and whatnot on social media when my skin first started to break out,” Vo said.
She said she knows her routine is long and can become costly when she needs to resupply her products.
Taking a break from your skincare routine can let your skin rejuvenate and breathe according to a Nov. 19, 2019 Well + Good article, a website focused on reporting about wellness.
What if your skin doesn’t really need skincare after all?
Finding new products to suit your skin’s needs can be difficult because of the time period you have to wait to see results.
Essentially, you are spending money on products and gambling on whether or not it actually works.
You may also be at risk of damaging your skin’s barrier if the current state of your skin is just fine.
Bryan Nguyen, a De Anza College business major, said their skincare routine has changed their skin completely.
Their morning skincare routine consists of face wash, moisturizer and sunscreen, while their nighttime routine is composed of an oil balm, face wash, toner, niacinamide, serum and moisturizer.
Niacinamide is a trending skincare ingredient that is considered a solution for many skin issues including acne and helps minimize and refine pores, according to a Feb. 21 Vogue article.
Nguyen said they will occasionally do a sheet mask, a popular Korean face mask, every one-to-two weeks to hydrate their skin whenever it’s dry.
“I used to only wash my face and then put on moisturizer,” they said. “Once I started incorporating exfoliants into my routine, my skin started to change slowly.”
Exfoliation is the process of removing dead skin with several different techniques including a granular scrub, chemical exfoliant and exfoliating tools, according to an Oct. 18, 2018 Healthline article.
Nguyen said their routine isn’t as long as actress and media personality Shay Mitchell’s, but they understand that some people go the extra mile to achieve their ideal skin.
“I’ve spent a lot of money trying to find products that actually work for me. I’ve thrown out a lot of products that were a miss for me because I realized my skin wasn’t reacting well to them,” Nguyen said.
They said having to wait several weeks to months to know whether or not to keep a certain product in their routine was annoying.
The combination of persuasive ads and putting products to the test can become damaging to one’s skin and wallet.
Global skincare market size was $98.83 billion in 2020 and predicts that it will increase to $200.25 billion by 2026, according to Fortune Business Insights, a market research report seller.
With how many brands are constantly coming out with new products and technologies, it is unlikely that Fortune Business Insight’s prediction will be incorrect.
