What Social Media Influencers Get Wrong About Skincare Routines

Social media can be a great resource and tool, but some­times mis­in­for­ma­tion cir­cu­lates as facts. It’s nor­mal to want healthy, clear skin — and we want to help you achieve those skin goals. How­ev­er, if you’re get­ting skin care tips from any­one but a board-cer­ti­fied der­ma­tol­o­gist, then you could be on the wrong road to healthy skin. Duly Health and Care has a team of expert der­ma­tol­o­gists who will assess your skin and rec­om­mend a treat­ment right for you.

Here are 5 skin­care rou­tines that social media influ­encers have got­ten wrong — and why you should prob­a­bly ignore them.

1. Every­one Should Prac­tice ​“Skin­care Fasting”

“Skin­care fast­ing” is a pop­u­lar trend that calls for tak­ing a break from all skin care prod­ucts — that means cleansers, ton­ers, mois­tur­iz­ers, sun­screen, and even make­up. The length of the break can range from 24 hours to a cou­ple of weeks. This skin­care rou­tine is sup­posed to help your skin nat­u­ral­ly pro­duce its own oil and not rely so much on prod­ucts. With healthy skin always being the goal at Duly, our board-cer­ti­fied der­ma­tol­o­gists will give you the best tips to fol­low. Your dai­ly skin­care rou­tine should always include a gen­tle cleanser and mois­tur­iz­er, as well as sun­screen.

2. ​“Nat­ur­al” or Chem­i­cal-Free Is Better

It’s com­mon to hear some social media influ­encers pro­mot­ing ​“nat­ur­al” or rather, chem­i­cal-free skin care prod­ucts — free of chem­i­cals like sul­fates and parabens. The truth is, those prod­ucts labeled ​“nat­ur­al” aren’t always safe either. For instance, lots of ​“nat­ur­al” prod­ucts con­tain botan­i­cal extracts in such high con­cen­tra­tions that they are one of the top caus­es of both aller­gic and irri­tant con­tact der­mati­tis. In oth­er words, these nat­ur­al ingre­di­ents can be a major source of aller­gic reac­tions.

If any prod­ucts or spe­cif­ic ingre­di­ents have been irri­tat­ing your skin, make an appoint­ment with a Duly der­ma­tol­o­gist. They’ll be able to rec­om­mend which prod­ucts you should and shouldn’t use based on your skin type. 

3. Sleep­ing in Make­up Is Okay

Some women might not see any harm in occa­sion­al­ly sleep­ing with their make­up on, but der­ma­tol­o­gists don’t rec­om­mend it. Some make­up has oil and oth­er ingre­di­ents that may cause you to break out. And even if your make­up promis­es to not block pores (non-come­do­genic), sleep­ing in it can still cause acne. You can have beau­ti­ful skin with­out make­up. Talk to a board-cer­ti­fied der­ma­tol­o­gist to find the right skin­care rou­tine for you.

Social media is full of skin­care trends and tips, but what works for one per­son, may not work for you. If you have ques­tions about your skin — or a tip you saw on social media — sched­ule time to talk with a Duly board-cer­ti­fied der­ma­tol­o­gist.

4. Avoid Mois­tur­iz­ers If You Have Acne

A mois­tur­iz­er should be a part of your dai­ly skin­care rou­tine. When you have acne, treat­ments can some­times dry and irri­tate your skin. A mois­tur­iz­er every day can help your skin tol­er­ate these medications.

5. Don’t Exfo­li­ate Sen­si­tive Skin

Healthy skin is always the goal. Exfo­li­at­ing is com­plete­ly safe when done right. If your skin is more on the sen­si­tive side, or if you have acne-prone skin, you can use a wash­cloth and a mild chem­i­cal exfo­lia­tor. Mechan­i­cal exfo­li­a­tion might irri­tate your skin. You also want to make sure you don’t over-exfo­li­ate, which might cause irri­ta­tion. Once your board-cer­ti­fied der­ma­tol­o­gist assess­es your skin type, they’ll be able to instruct you on how to safe­ly exfoliate. 

How Can Duly Der­ma­tol­ogy Help?

Whether you’re look­ing for help with treat­ing a spe­cif­ic issue with your skin or you’re hop­ing for a more youth­ful appear­ance, we’re here to help you get the desired out­come you’re seek­ing. Sched­ule an appoint­ment with one of our der­ma­tol­ogy providers who will work to find a treat­ment plan that is right for you.