Social media is full of people who want to share lessons they’ve learned and products they love. You can learn how to use a rotisserie chicken for five different meals or how to declutter your home in three easy steps. You can get outfit ideas from an influencer whose style you love and step-by-step tutorials for new hairstyles.
But when it comes to someone recommending a skin care routine or a new facial moisturizer, proceed with caution.
“Evaluate skin care advice with the same level of scrutiny as you would any other medical advice, because it is medical advice at the end of the day,” says UNC Health dermatologist Margaret Coates, MD. “Your skin is a marker of your health, and it’s important to take that seriously.”
Here’s what to keep in mind the next time you find yourself watching a video of someone talking about their skin.
1. Know that social media creators often do not have any credentials or experience.
It’s always important to remember that anyone can say anything on social media, so when it’s advice that can affect your health—such as what you eat, how you move your body or what you apply to your skin, you want to check someone’s level of expertise and consider the source of their information.
The good news? You can find reputable, board-certified dermatologists on social media.
“The American Academy of Dermatology is trying to help people identify knowledgeable sources of health advice on skin, hair and nails with the campaign Your Dermatologist Knows,” Dr. Coates says. “There are dermatologists with training putting out vetted content.”
If you think a person’s glowing, perfect skin is credential enough, remember that they might be using filters or manipulating the photo or video they’re posting.
“When looking at social media, we don’t know if something has been altered in some way to change how skin really looks,” Dr. Coates says. “We may be seeing influencers appear in a certain way that might not be in line with what they actually look like or what a product can actually do.”
While sometimes it’s easy to tell if someone is promoting a product in exchange for a paycheck, sometimes it isn’t, and more and more companies are tapping social media personalities for advertisements. Keep in mind that what an influencer is saying about a product might be from a script or based on short-term experience with the product.
2. Remember that everyone’s skin is different.
Be wary of anyone saying that a product or routine will work for everyone, or for anyone with a certain condition or type of skin.
“Different people will have different skin reactions to different products,” Dr. Coates says. “Those buckets of normal, dry, oily or combination skin can be too simplistic. You really need personalized guidance for your specific skin situation.”
Even products geared toward a narrow concern, such as acne, can’t be considered one-size-fits-all.
“If someone is prone to both acne and eczema, using a product for one of those conditions can affect the other in a negative way,” Dr. Coates says. “Instead of focusing on a specific product when you have a skin concern, it’s better to see a dermatologist before trying too much on your own. Dermatologists have a wonderful array of tools, including over-the-counter recommendations and prescription medications, and we can help guide you to the products that might be helpful for your skin condition.”
It’s also important to note that your skin changes as you age, but a teen’s social media algorithm may serve them just as many videos about anti-aging as people in their 40s. This has led some young people to pursue skin care products that they don’t yet need.
“I tell young people interested in skin care that it’s amazing to be thinking about doing something proactively for their skin health,” Dr. Coates says. “One thing we know and have a lot of evidence for is sunscreen. Not only does it prevent skin cancer, but it will prevent visible signs of aging in the future.”
Connecting with friends about skin care products can be an important rite of passage for young people, so if you’re the parent of a preteen or teen, talk to them about some of the skin care advice they’re seeing.
“It can be helpful to introduce safe products and allow some autonomy to choose,” Dr. Coates says. “Give a few options of safe, gentle cleansers, and then the young person can pick one they like and feel involved in their skin care.”
3. Be careful not to put your skin at risk by using the wrong products.
You might understand that your favorite influencer isn’t a dermatologist, and you may know that your skin is likely different from theirs, but maybe you’re still thinking—what’s the harm in just trying the product anyways?
You could put yourself at risk for dermatitis, resulting in itchy, dry or cracked skin, rashes, blisters, bumps or thickened skin. It can be caused by both allergic responses to ingredients and general irritation when your skin encounters a product not suited for it.
“It’s important to recognize that a lot of skin care products aren’t regulated by any sort of governmental body, so we should investigate some of the claims people are making,” Dr. Coates says. “In order to have a skin product available as a prescription medication, it has to undergo safety and efficacy testing. Some over-the-counter products have a lot more data and history that we can look at than others.”
Dr. Coates says dermatologists tend to recommend products with a low number of ingredients, which reduces the risk of allergic reactions, and products with an active ingredient specifically targeted to one concern, such as moisturizing or acne. That means you should be wary of any product that claims it can do everything or of regimens that require using 10 or more products.
“Some products have harsh ingredients, so using them often or using them in combination with a bunch of other products with similar ingredients would irritate anyone’s skin,” Dr. Coates says. “If someone is using multiple products and it seems like they’re having an eczema-like reaction, the protective barrier of the skin has probably been stripped away.”
Most people benefit from a simple routine, Dr. Coates says—a gentle cleanser, a moisturizer applied in the morning and in the evening, and a sunscreen. Then, if there are specific skin concerns, try one or two products with active ingredients that target those concerns, such as a vitamin C serum for skin texture or retinol for acne.
Be wary of anyone promising a fast fix.
“With something like hyaluronic acid in an over-the-counter moisturizer, for example, it can seem like fine lines are lessened quickly, but that’s a temporary plumping of the skin,” Dr. Coates says.
That means someone’s before-and-after photos may look impressive at the two-week mark but aren’t permanent or sustainable if you stop using the product.
“It takes longer than we’d like to see change—two to six months for most products, but even longer for others,” Dr. Coates says. “For lasting changes, nothing happens overnight.”
Questions about your skin? Talk to your doctor. If you need a doctor, find one near you