Why ‘skinfluencer’ trends may be harming your skin more than helping, according to experts

“This was eventually bound to happen,” shares Shamika Haldipurkar, founder and CEO at d'you. She’s referring, of course, to the ubiquity of 67567365836-step skin care routines across social media channels that are changing the face of skincare altogether. You can love it, you can hate it, but you can’t ignore it. If the content creators are using all the actives, then they must be important. At a consumption level, it may or may not not lead to an impulsive purchase, but on a more subconscious level, with all the ballyhoo content with claims of crystal clear complexion that the brain is incessantly fed with, it is bound to cloud the clarity of our judgment, to an extent.

Not a skin-deep issue 

“With so many products flooding the market and with all the content around these products, skincare has become a flirtatious category. Earlier, skincare was functional, now it's indulgent and trend-based. So, you tend to use what you see on social media, and it may not necessarily address your skin concern. But skin is a living tissue, and it should not be taken lightly,” Haldipurkar explains. 

Expert dermatologist, cosmetologist, and trichologist Dr Bindu Sthalekar agrees with this sentiment. “It’s wonderful that skincare is being openly discussed, but it can be confusing and, at times, misleading. People are layering actives without understanding their skin type or what their skin truly needs. I see many patients who come in with irritated, inflamed skin caused by following a routine they saw online. It’s a persistent issue because the volume of content is growing, but its credibility isn’t always clear.” 

For beauty and lifestyle journalist Anjan Sachar, identifying credible information online is the key. “Not everything you see on the internet is true or verified. For instance, people who are mainly fashion content creators may switch to talking about beauty once they've a certain number of Instagram followers. And, simply put, it is only because there is money in the beauty space, as the beauty industry in India and globally continues to boom. These content creators believe that with their 50k, 80k, or 100k followers, beauty brands will reach out to them, as many brands do not deliberate over who they should collaborate with or what sort of voices they should be talking to. And the end consumer may or may not be able to distinguish between these voices. And it's concerning that people, especially those of a younger, more impressionable age, start to take that advice seriously and experiment with it."  

Content is (not) king

What’s the best way to ensure that we’re consuming the right kind of content, then? 

“It's as simple as reading someone's Instagram bio. If it is a generic bio that says everything from fashion, beauty, travel, and lifestyle, the person may not necessarily be coming from an informed place,” explains Sachar. She recommends following a dermatologist instead. “A lot of dermatologists are creating informative content, and you can trust it when it's coming from an expert. Skincare is not as simple as picking up a viral moisturiser—there is a lot more science that goes into it,” she says. She also emphasises the importance of following credible thought leaders. “The right people to follow are senior editors, senior journalists, and senior beauty writers who are working with publications and who've been writing on beauty for a very long time. I can’t speak for the entire industry, but most editors and writers value editorial integrity. Even with paid ads, they only endorse products they have personally used and trust—never ones that don’t work or aren’t genuinely deserving of their hype,” Sachar continues. 

“Be wary of posts that claim instant fixes or promote layering multiple actives without explanation. Also, any content that heavily pushes products without addressing skin types or concerns should raise a red flag. Skin is not one-size-fits-all,” warns Dr Sthalekar. 

Skin streaming and de-influencing 

Ironically, the skincare information online has proved to be counterproductive as consumers are unsure what to believe. Finding products that work for you in this cluttered content market is akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Dr Sthalekar shares a case study of one such patient who succumbed to misinformation. “We had a 16-year-old patient with recurring mild to moderate acne. She was addicted to buying skincare based on social media recommendations. She tried to self-treat acne with salicylic face wash, a layering of niacinamide and azelaic acid in the morning, benzoyl peroxide at night, and chemical peels at home twice a week. She came with a burning sensation on her face due to a damaged skin barrier and could not tolerate any application. Even though all the actives she was using are instrumental in treating acne, she didn't need every product on that list. In fact, too many actives at once can be counterproductive. The key to treating such cases is extensive counselling and de-influencing, finding out the root cause of the acne, repairing the skin barrier, and if required, adding oral medicines and treating the cause rather than spot correction.” 

In such cases, skin streaming or a minimal approach to skincare is an effective solution. Dr Sthalekar advises, “Start simple. Look at your skin in the mirror and ask—Is it dry? Oily? Breaking out? Dull? Then begin with a basic routine: cleanse, moisturise, protect. If you’re still unsure, speak to a professional. Even one appointment with a dermatologist can save you from years of trial and error. Your skin doesn’t need trends—it needs care that’s tailored to you. Sticking to the basics truly works. A gentle cleanser, a good moisturiser, and broad-spectrum sunscreen are non-negotiables. Beyond that, a targeted treatment like a vitamin C serum for brightness or retinol for aging can be added—but only if it suits your skin type. Most importantly, consistency is what brings results, not 10 different products,” she shares.

Sachar shares her basics. “Your skin's got to be clean for anything you apply on it to work. Enzyme-based exfoliating cleansers are my absolute favourites (she uses the 111Skin Exfoliating Enzyme Cleanser) because they're lighter and safe to use every single day.” Dr Stahlekar adds, “A gentle cleanser, in addition to a mild cleansing agent, should have hydrating and anti-inflammatory ingredients like glycerin, panthenol, vitamin E, and bisabolol to maintain and repair the skin barrier.”

Next, both recommend using a moisturiser. “A moisturiser should be tailored to your skin type and match your skin's needs. If it includes a few more active ingredients that work to benefit your skin concerns, then it is ideal,” shares Anjan. “Make sure they are non-comedogenic (don't clog the pores). Look for ingredients like squalane, ceramides, which hydrate and anti-inflammatory ingredients like niacinamide, allantoin, panthenol,” advises Dr Sthalekar. 

And of course, sunscreens are not to be forgotten. “Pick ones which provide coverage not only against UVB (measures as SPF) but also UVA and visible light. Look for physical blockers like zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, which block both UVA and UVB rays, or chemical filters like ecamsule and avobenzone, which block UVA in addition to octocrylene, oxybenzone, homosalate, which block UVB,” suggests Dr Sthalekar. For Anjan, ending with a lip balm is a ritual. “But one that does the job,” she insists. 

 

Does the buck lie with the brands?

Treading the line between content and care can be tricky, especially from a brand’s perspective. For Haldipurkar, this is a non-negotiable two-way street, a subject she is admittedly “bullish” about. She explains, “There’s a difference between consumer perception studies and clinical studies. For instance, say a brand claims a reduction in pigmentation marking. For a clinical study, a blind panel of minimum 30 subjects comes at regular intervals, and a scientific instrument is used to measure the changes. On the other hand, in a consumer perception study, the subject is only asked if they feel their skin is looking brighter or less oily today. They will say yes or no, and that’s the data that gets mapped out. This translated into claims like: 100 percent of consumers felt their skin was brighter, 98 per cent felt their skin was more hydrated. That’s perception. It’s not absolute because often what we feel depends on many other things.” 

She continues, "Hence, when making a purchase, educating oneself on labels can help in making informed choices. On every product, we list details such as the thought process behind constructing the formula, how we formulated it, the ingredients, what you can expect, and, more importantly, what you cannot expect. This ensures the consumer expectation product is very well-rounded,”. 

But what happens when virality occurs unintentionally? Does that work against a brand with consumer expectations on an all-time high? Case in point: d’you’s in my defence moisturiser. “There have been times that after it's gone viral, I have had to step in to talk about it. If something is viral on the internet, you think it will cure your life's problems. It does not. It is a moisturiser, and at the end of the day, it can only do what a moisturiser can do. So don't buy it because of the hype and think that it can clear out your skin overnight,”. Here, honesty becomes the key ingredient.

Haldipurkar shares, “When we launched our sunscreen, a lot of consumers who had a sensitive skin type felt that the formula, because it was encapsulated, released heat, and that heat would cause them discomfort. We took that feedback and within three months, revised the formula and relaunched it, and we spoke about it openly. That's the kind of relationship we want to hold with our community, and it does go a long way in holding that trust.”

Words of wisdom

Thanks to a saturated market, traversing the world of skincare has become more about what not to use versus what to use. Dr Sthalekar views this barrage of skincare content online as a grey area, agreeing that it need not be villainised. “Many brands are riding the wave of online trends—they’re creating products around buzzwords rather than skin science. That said, I also see a few brands becoming more transparent and focusing on education, which is a step in the right direction. But there’s no denying that “skinfluencer speak” has become a marketing language in itself. The challenge is cutting through that noise and offering real, dermatologist-approved advice.” 

Sachar adds, “Please don't buy a product assuming that a certain content creator is a skincare expert or that they use it, and it works for everybody. Also, if you're following someone because they talk about hair care in particular or a lot about hair care in general, let it be someone whose hair actually matches yours. If you've got naturally curly hair, and you're following someone who's got straight hair, likely, their products are not going to work for you.”. The same, she asserts, applies to dermatology.

For Haldipurkar, the current skin streaming trend of minimalising the routine is here to stay. Extending this philosophy to her d’you, she consciously spaces out any product launches, with around one new product a year, to ensure the categories remain uncluttered. “I think that dissonance is there, and that's why a lot of blind purchases happen, which eventually leads to a lot more skin barrier damage. Eventually, skin barrier protection and rebuilding will start trending, too. It's a vicious cycle!”

Lead image: Pexels

 

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