Anyone who is conscious of how they look and wants to present to the world the best version of themselves wants to follow the best beauty advice and the latest trends.
We live in the best era of information technology, so any new research, tip, or advice is easily accessible and tends to ride the web to our proverbial digital doorstep. However, this advancement of tech also means the existence of AI.
So, while people should naturally be wary of any beauty advice they receive from their friendly LLMs, they should also be careful about what advice they choose to believe in online.
With so many online aestheticians, skincare experts, and beauty influencers out there, how can you be absolutely certain that some beauty advice is not a sham?
When someone is giving beauty advice on social media or in an article, there are a few common claims, language usage, etc., that are almost always fake. Here are some of those common red flags, which, when spotted in advice, should be an indicator that you should avoid it.
Over-the-Top Claims
There are a few types of claims and language use in beauty advice that are highly likely to be either exaggerated or simply don’t work.
When a skincare hack or even a specific product is presented as an “overnight cure,” “ erases wrinkles,” “detoxes skin,” or “works for everyone,” it should be avoided, because no such claims can be true.
Real skincare is regular maintenance of your skin’s health. It won’t work overnight, and one ‘magic’ thing is highly unlikely to fix your skin problems. It’s the practices that you regularly do to ensure your skin stays healthy, clear, and hydrated.
Some claims are particularly scary, especially when they are about a product that claims to be “FDA approved,” “chemical-free,” or “100% natural = safe,” without any scientific research to back it.
If something is preservative-free and water-based, it carries the risk of contamination and may end up harming your skin. Such claims should be backed by research, and even then, for any good effect to occur, it might take months.
Odd Language
When you are reading a social media post or an article online about beauty tips and hacks, check the language carefully.
Does it sound robotic or too casual? If it’s robotic, there is a high chance it was written using AI. Consider using an AI writing detector before you decide to try it out. Any AI-written content should be avoided because AI tends to hallucinate and make things up.
If the language is too casual or seems very unprofessional, it might be amateur writing and should be mostly avoided.
DIY Hacks
You will find people on social media and video-sharing platforms giving out DIY kitchen hacks that are dangerous for your skin.
They may say lemon juice reduces black spots, baking soda removes blackheads, toothpaste minimizes pimples, undiluted essential oils are antibacterial fixes for your skin, and so on.
A trained dermatologist will tell you that these can do some serious damage, often breaking the skin barrier, triggering irritation, and making the problems they claim to solve worse.
Here’s How Some Commonly Advised DIY Ingredients Can Harm Skin
Facial skin has a slightly acidic PH level of around 4.5 to 5.5. Lemon, which has a PH level of 2, can chemically burn the skin, while baking soda with a PH level of around 9 can mess up the balance, making your skin more sensitive and dry.
Any organic chemical compounds produced by citrus fruits applied to the skin and then exposed to sunlight can cause a chemical reaction with the UV rays, causing phytophotodermatitis.
This is basically direct damage to the DNA in your skin, which causes hyperpigmentation that lasts on your skin for months or years, and causes a lot of irritation when newly formed.
These are only a handful of examples of how DIY situations can weaken the barrier, increase breakouts, and cause pigmentation.
Avoid Anything That Burns
Any topical skin application advice that is accompanied by “if burning means it’s working,” just steer clear of it because persistent stinging is a sign of irritation or skin barrier damage. Any DIY hack or product that burns persistently or leaves skin tight and red should be stopped immediately.
Hidden Ingredients
If an influencer is claiming that a certain product is the most effective and trendiest skincare item, but you find the label to have a few ambiguous ingredients, rest assured that it’s a red flag.
If the ingredient is vague or hidden, you would be putting something on without knowing what it is.
Labels that use terms like “fragrance”, “parfum,” or “proprietary blend,” without listing the full scientific ingredient names or don’t mention what percentage of the ingredient has been added are risky.
This is because they make it impossible to ascertain whether the product is safe, an allergen risk, or if the key actives are actually there in the quantity that matters.
You need to be more cautious about any product that claims to include potent ingredients like retinoids, peptides, or Vitamin C
If the label hides the ingredients or buries them under vague language behind fragrance in products with actives, there is a high chance that the concentration of the actives is too low to actually work.
Transparent labels list ingredients in descending order of concentration and use the standard scientific names of the items.
Cheap Pricing for Expensive Ingredients
If the pricing of a product you found people promoting online sounds too good to be true, it generally is. If it claims to have top skincare ingredients like hyaluronic acid, retinoids, etc., but the pricing seems too low, then the product might be ineffective, poorly formulated, or even a fake.
Potent actives need careful formulation, quality raw materials, and stability testing, all of which naturally add to the cost. When a treatment or a serum claims to contain these high-performing ingredients but is priced far below the established, reputable brands.
You need to carefully dig to understand whether the actives are actually present in the right quantity, properly stabilized, or present there at all. Extremely low prices might indicate fake products or expired stock, depending on who the seller is.
If the price seems unrealistically cheap, cross-check with the seller, carefully notice the packaging, check the batch codes, and read the label thoroughly before buying the product.
Overwhelming Routines
Trendy elaborate skincare routines like 10-step Korean skincare routines or skin cycling are red flags as beauty advice. Not only are they demanding, they often require the layering of numerous strong actives, which can damage the skin barrier.
The worst part is, you would be layering on so many products that it will be difficult to understand what is working and what is causing problems, like breakouts, redness, and inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
If any advice asks for endless steps, multiple detox cycles, or stacking several actives at once, do not follow it, because no dermatologist will suggest this.
Effective skincare is not overwhelming. It will generally be something simple and consistent. And it will have four to five steps at max, so try not to follow any other top routine that is too demanding.
Check For Credentials
Who is the person giving the advice? Is it a dermatologist or an aesthetician? Is it even a nutritionist? If the person writing the article or the influencer promoting a product or a hack has no education or experience to back up the advice, do not follow it.
Your skin is not something you should experiment with. A person with no experience posting shady advice online is not a good source of information. Always check the credentials before you choose to follow any advice.
Final Thoughts
Only take advice from skincare experts. If they don’t have the credentials, it is better to avoid such hacks and tips, as they can cause serious long-term damage to your skin.
Remember that a momentary mistake can cause you a lot of trouble. So, keep an eye out for fake beauty and skincare advice online. Remember that real skincare is simple and not a fifteen-step, complex regimen.
Try not to follow every trend that goes viral to ensure your skin stays healthy and your beauty stays intact. The risk is often not worth the reward.
