On A Screen Vs. In Front Of The Mirror: The Upbringing Of Skincare From Social Media
By Abby Kornele
Everyone has their own set routines. You may wake up, go to the bathroom, brush your teeth, then wash your face. Or you may wake up, go to the bathroom, brush your teeth, then spend fifteen minutes doing your ten step skincare routine. Everyone does what they think is right for their skin. But are they really doing what’s best?
Recently, the popularity of skincare and perfect skin on social media is harming our younger generations, and enabling unnecessary habits.
For many years using just a simple block of soap has been more than enough for a skincare routine. But since the upbringing of social media, there has been an added pressure to having “the best skincare routine.” Everyone needs the most expensive products and the more you have, the better you’re taking care of your skin.
This has created a negative outlook on the stigma of a “skincare routine.” If you don’t have perfect skin then you’re doing something wrong. Everywhere you look there are things being advertised to be able to fix everything. If you have pigmentation then use this toner. You have to double cleanse your face for it to actually be clean. What is face slugging? Do I use retinol to prevent wrinkles? Why can’t my skin look normal? It is all so overwhelming.
I am someone who has always been interested in skincare and I want to make sure I’m taking care of my skin. Because of this, I take everything I see on social media with a grain of salt.
Everyone has different skin types, and one person can’t suggest the same products. A huge phenomenon that is happening is the want to prevent wrinkles. I can’t go 10 minutes without scrolling on Tik Tok and seeing a 10 year old applying retinol to their face, or I’ll at least hear about little girls ransacking sephora for unnecessarily expensive products.
Tik Toks about the ten-year-olds in Sephora, photo creds: https://www.hercampus.com/style/10-year-olds-sephora-tiktok-discourse/
As a seventeen year old girl, thinking about wrinkle prevention is still far down the road. So am I already behind with taking care of my skin?
Retinol is a kind of vitamin A that is used to reduce signs of aging and sun damage.
The Healthline said, “retinol increases collagen production in the dermis to provide anti-aging benefits.”
Since it is increasing collagen production, it is unnecessary for younger ages to use. They already have ten times the amount of collagen in their skin as a thirty year old. So there is no need to add more. Applying retinol can also make skin more sensitive to sunlight, so if your ten year old is worried about wrinkles then give them a bottle of sunscreen instead.
Popular retinol products, pic creds: https://nypost.com/article/best-retinol-cream-serum/amp/
The need to prevent wrinkles at a young age goes beyond just products. Botox and fillers have become extremely popular which according to dermatologist Dr. Morgan Rabach, is extremely unnecessary.
She said, “One of the most requested treatments? Injectables, including Botox and fillers. Once a procedure mostly favored by older adults as a way to smooth out forehead wrinkles and plump up skin, injectables are now becoming appealing for a much younger set.”
She believes the cause of this is from the pressure to have “perfect skin.” We get those ideas from social media because of the millions of different filters and facetunes being used on the daily. It is getting worse as younger and younger generations are becoming more active online.
While trusting an influencer online may not be the smartest move, Hyram Yarbo, @hyram on Tik Tok and Instagram, is someone who knows what he’s talking about.
Hyram Yarbo, pic credits: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/hyram-announces-selfless-by-hyram-skin-care-brand.
According to the British newspaper, The Observer, “Across his social media platforms he deciphers ingredients, debunks skincare myths and lifts the lid on the formulations of brands riding the empty wave of hype.”
Hyram is different from your typical beauty influencer, because he goes into the details of what ingredients are going on your face. He also doesn’t recommend products just to benefit himself, almost all of his recommendations can be found in any drugstore for less than twenty dollars.
What really solidified my trust in him was how he swore by products my own dermatologist recommended to me. Things as simple as “Cerave Hydrating Facial Cleanser and Daily Moisturizing Lotion.”
Although he is not a certified dermatologist or aesthetician, he studies the ingredients in every product and can accurately predict how it will impact each skin type.
But just because a face without any acne or dark spots on your screen is recommending certain products or procedures, doesn’t necessarily mean you have to listen to them. It’s okay and normal to have imperfect skin. You don’t need the most expensive products or procedures to look flawless.
Remember when you’re online to take everything with a grain of salt and make sure you are properly taking care of yourself. For more stories check out @jenkstrojantorch on instagram or click here.
