Viral Skincare Trends (and if you should actually be participating)

Skincare trends have been blowing up on Tiktok and Instagram. These trends seem to make social media influencers’ skin look radiant and flawless, but do they really work? And if they do, are they actually good for your skin? Let’s dive into some of the internet’s most popular skincare trends and see if you should really be implementing them into your skincare routine.

Contouring your face with self tanner

Influencers like Abby Baffoe, Poppy March, and Juliana Shiel have captivated Tik Tok with their unique contouring technique: they dab self-tanning mousse onto their cheekbones, forehead, and nose with a beauty blender to create a contoured effect. The stunning results have led millions of people to follow their lead in creating bronzed-up looks even during winter. However, leaving tanning mousse on your face overnight isn’t always the best idea. Dihydroxyacetone is the ingredient in tanning products that gives you a tan and is present in most tanning mousses like St. Tropez Gradual Tan Classic Everyday Mousse. Prolonged use of Dihydroxyacetone, especially on the more sensitive facial skin, alters collagen production and can result in premature wrinkling. Coupled with UV radiation from sun exposure, the facial skin will wrinkle and age faster. It would be better for the skin to simply use a contouring stick or bronzing powder in the morning to achieve that glowy look. However, if you insist on contouring with a self-tanner, make sure you lather up with SPF each morning to prevent the premature aging effect.

Retinol.

Retinol is everywhere in people's skincare routines today, with everyone including 10-year-old Sephora girls lunging for retinol products. While some experts say kids should avoid retinol, others say everyone past 20 should be using it, and others believe it shouldn’t be touched at all, we need to deep-dive into what retinol is to understand the benefits and dangers. Retinol is a form of Vitamin-A, and it functions on the skin by increasing cell turnover and collagen production. Essentially, it helps to exfoliate and get rid of dead skin cells to smoothen the appearance and tighten up the skin to reduce aging symptoms. However, using retinol when natural collagen production is still high can lead to tolerance development for collagen boost. Over time, the epidermis will fail to produce collagen alone. Therefore, you should only be using retinol if you are noticing skin sagging and wrinkling, or if your doctor recommends it.

Double Cleansing

Double cleansing has blown up on all social media platforms as a way to properly clean your pores. Double cleansing is a popular Korean technique where you first go in with a cleansing oil and then follow up with a water-based cleanser. With two cleansing steps, you might be hesitant to try it out if you have dry skin. But with the nature of double cleansing, you should give it a shot–no matter what skin type you have! The oil-based cleanser will go into the pores to remove all the non-polar gunk (ex. oils from skin and makeup), while a water-based cleanser will remove all the polar dirt (ex. air germs, and debris). This will ensure that all dirt is removed from your face. Concerns about dry-ness are valid, however, an oil-based cleanser is rarely stripping because it emulsifies the skin barrier to hydrate. Double cleansing is definitely a yes from us! Just after 1 week of double cleansing with the Skinfix cleanser and Youth to the People cleanser, I’ve noticed a dramatic difference in the texture and complexion of my skin. If you try it out, leave us a comment down below to tell us how you like it!

Shaving your face

We all have peach fuzz all over our faces, but are there benefits of removing it? Shaving your face removes the hair, but also removes a thin layer of dead skin and acts like a physical exfoliant. With this, you’re essentially smoothening the texture of your skin while allowing new cells to resurface. Many experts say that shaving the peach fuzz off allows for better skincare and makeup application. Although this is true, it’s also important to note that harsh physical exfoliants aren’t for all skin types. If you’re interested in shaving your face, you might want to start with super gentle micro razors for sensitive skin. Otherwise, this technique is great if you’re looking to amp up your skincare routine!

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