If there is one thing we can say about the beauty industry, it’s that it will always succeed in providing questionable solutions to perceived problems. Add social media into the mix, and it’s easy to be led into dubious territory.
This is certainly not a new phenomenon, as history is full of problematic and even downright dangerous health and beauty trends. Even Queen Elizabeth I fell victim to (literal) toxic beauty standards when she began painting her face with “Venetian ceruse,” a poisonous mixture of vinegar and white lead, to cover her smallpox scarring.
With so many skincare products, techniques, and trends entering our lives, it can be difficult to tune out the noise. The temptation to explore the latest thing (whatever it may be) can be hard to ignore and too often results in disappointment and, sometimes, disaster.
Given this, it’s important to examine the pros and cons of these trends. Their impermanent nature makes it easy to dismiss them as harmless, when the truth can be quite the opposite.
Here are seven popular skincare trends you should consider avoiding:
Dermaplaning: Dermaplaning is a minimally invasive treatment that uses a scalpel or razor to remove the uppermost layers of the skin. This procedure also temporarily removes vellus hair (or “peach fuzz”) and can help reduce the appearance of acne scarring. Dermaplaning can help makeup look smoother and more natural, make skincare products more effective, and refresh and brighten the skin’s appearance.
While it has its advantages, dermaplaning is a trend that merits closer examination. The reality is that dermaplaning focuses more on hair removal than on skincare, and, like many trends, it has its downsides. Dermaplaning can have significant side effects, including breakouts, redness, irritation, discoloration, infection, and disruption of the moisture barrier. It’s less effective than traditional exfoliation techniques and may cause nicks, scratches, or deep cuts, increasing the risk of infection and scarring.
Icing Your Face: Ice rollers have become extremely popular in recent years, designed to constrict blood vessels, calm irritation, soothe redness, and reduce inflammation. However, it doesn’t take much for the purported benefits of this practice to backfire.
While this trend may not necessarily be dangerous, it can be damaging. Those with sensitive skin or rosacea may find that this practice creates the opposite of its intended effect, causing irritation and redness and aggravating underlying skin conditions. Cold temperatures can cause capillary damage and easily burn the skin as badly as heat.
Skincare Smoothies: Who doesn’t love a good smoothie? Unfortunately, there’s very little to appreciate about the “skincare smoothie” trend. A technique introduced by beauty brand Drunk Elephant, “skincare smoothies” are a mixture of skincare products, such as serums, oils, and moisturizers, applied to the skin all at once. The problem is that combining products in this way can significantly reduce their efficacy. In addition, this technique may affect the stability of the formulas themselves, causing adverse interactions between ingredients.
What to do instead? A simple and proper layering of your skincare products works best. Start with clean skin and then layer your products in sequence from thinnest to thickest, with sunscreen being your final step.
Beef Tallow: Tallow is rendered animal fat, largely derived from sheep and cows. Because it’s rich in fatty acids (including oleic, palmitic, and stearic acid), tallow has become a popular alternative to more traditional moisturizers. However, there is little clinical evidence to suggest that tallow is beneficial for use on skin or in skincare.
Tallow is not currently FDA-approved, and there is no definitive standard for sourcing or recommended use. This means that risks to health and safety are still unknown. Using beef tallow on the skin could also result in adverse side effects like sensitivity or allergic reactions. Some research suggests that using tallow on the skin can increase sensitivity to sunlight.
Although it’s been touted on social media as a cure for acne breakouts, the facts reveal the opposite. Tallow is highly comedogenic, so it’s very likely to cause acne, especially in those with oily or acne-prone skin.
“Eating” Your Sunscreen: This one seems especially harmful. Some research suggests that certain foods (blueberries, carrots, cauliflower, watermelon) can provide protection and repair from UV exposure when ingested. While I would never discourage a healthy diet containing lots of fruits and vegetables, relying solely on eating these foods for sun protection would be a huge mistake.
Sunscreen has had its share of controversy in recent years, so it may be understandable that some choose to seek alternatives. But it’s important to point out that sunscreen is still the most reliable way to protect skin from sun damage and skin cancer.
Glass or Glazed Skin: Of all the harmful beauty trends that have surfaced in recent years, this one takes first prize for being the most insidious.
For the uninitiated, glass skin is a Korean beauty technique that involves achieving skin that looks crystal-clear, poreless, translucent, and luminous — like a piece of glass. Similarly, glazed skin, popularized by models and influencers, is centered around smooth, soft, even-toned skin that appears glowy and radiant.
The problems these skincare trends create are twofold. For one, they create unrealistic, often unattainable standards and expectations that can lead to frustration and bad feelings about your natural skin texture. The other is that glass or glazed skin often involves product overload, which can lead to skin irritation, clogged pores, and a damaged skin barrier.
It’s natural and normal for skin to have texture. Your skin does not need to look like glass or a glazed doughnut in a pastry shop window. Now, take a deep breath, close your eyes, and repeat that to yourself.
Sunburn to Cure Acne: This particular trend has been around for a while, and I’m embarrassed to say that I’m guilty. In my late teens, I began to experience hormonal acne for the first time. As luck would have it, one of my worst breakouts came one week before high school graduation. Desperate to find a quick solution, I had heard that sunburn can help eliminate acne breakouts. Thinking I had the solution to my problem, I spent a full day outside with no sun protection. Given that I am fair-skinned, it didn’t take long to acquire the sunburn I thought would clear my skin.
Unsurprisingly, the sunburn did nothing to clear my breakout and only made the situation worse. My skin was red, inflamed, itchy, and flaky. The worst part was that my cap and gown for graduation were red, and with my face being nearly the same shade, I looked like a boiled lobster. All I can say is that I did learn a lot from the experience and have used SPF diligently ever since.
It may seem reasonable to camouflage breakouts with a tan, but think twice. While you may experience a short-term “drying up” of breakouts after being in the sun, excessive exposure will only cause acne to worsen. Sunburn can cause further inflammation, and flaky skin can lead to dead skin cells clogging pores. Even after blemishes have healed, sunburn can cause dark spots and scarring.
Final Thoughts
Trends come and go. And while it can be exciting (and even beneficial) to try something new, it’s important to remember that what skin craves most is simplicity and consistency. Introducing a new product or technique into your routine can work wonders, just as long as you avoid extremes and don’t stray too far from your good sense.