Influencers, Secret Ads, & Ethical Dilemmas
When asked in the comments section "how is your skin so clear" or "skincare routine?" I see content creators respond with a slew of products they're paid/incentivized to promote. It makes sense--it's the perfect opportunity to work in an organic sales angle for a product. But it's not always honest, and there's little way to figure out who's lying and who is telling the truth. I've heard whisperings on social media and Reddit forums of beauty influencers being paid by brands for secret ads, ads that aren't marked as ads by creators so they seem organic. I don't know how widespread this is, but it's concerning even if just a few people are doing it.
When influencers are beholden to a brand instead of their audience, it can cause an ethical dilemma. As an influencer, you want to deliver the brand highest amount of sales because that's what you've been contracted to do. On the other hand, if that pressure causes you to be dishonest, you're screwing over your audience who trusts you to show them stuff that you actually like. This conundrum can be solved by only taking deals with brands for products you've actually tried that you can confidently and honestly endorse.
I've heard that because of this, audiences now tend to trust smaller content creators' beauty & skincare recommendations more than macro influencers' ones.
The truth is, most macro and mega beauty influencers do chemical peels, expensive facials, use prescription products from a dermatologist, and even edit their skin to make it appear more smooth (like me when my skin is breaking out). I'm open about doing this. The camera is harsh! My skin has been badly disrupted since I became pregnant, and has just started to return to its usual clarity. There's only so much dryness and acne that can be hidden with makeup during a breakout. My skin is normally very, very clear because my routine is so effective and consistent. I've been seeing a dermatologist since I was 13 years old, and I know exactly what works for my skin.
My Standard Skincare Routine
Morning
Step 1: Double cleanse with CeraVe daily cleanser OR benzoyl peroxide. Massage cleanser into dry skin, then introduce some water on wet fingertips and massage more. Using a warm wet washcloth, rinse off the cleanser, making sure to exfoliate.
Step 2: Apply clindamycin phosphate lotion to damp skin, avoiding the delicate undereye area.
Step 3: When the clindamycin has settled in (5-10 minutes), apply a thicker moisturizer. I use Cetaphil daily moisturizer. I had to add in this step after moving from New York to New Mexico in response to the extreme desert climate.
Step 4: After the moisturizer has fully settled into the skin (30-60 minutes), make sure there is no dry skin on the face before applying makeup.
The clindamycin is the only product in my morning routine that is not interchangeable or over the counter. I could use a different cleanser, I could use a different moisturizer. I can't replace clindamycin with a different acne treatment. Up until recently, I used benzoyl peroxide as my morning cleanser, which is super effective but was drying out my skin to much. I may switch back to it when I run out of my current cleanser.
Evening
Step 1: Cleanse/remove any makeup by double-cleansing with CeraVe daily cleanser and a warm washcloth.
Step 2: Apply Cetaphil daily moisturizer to the whole face.
Step 3: After 20-45 minutes when the skin is completely dry, apply tretinoin cream to the nose, forehead, cheeks, and chin, avoiding the corners of the nose.
I don't currently do the tretinoin step of my evening skincare routine because I'm pregnant and it can cause birth defects.
Weekly
Lymphatic Drainage Massage: At least once a week, I give myself a facial lymphatic drainage massage to clear any puffiness and boost circulation.
Face Mask: I do a face mask at least once a week, whether that's a moisturizing sheet mask I pick up at Ulta or my favorite Lumene Finland Vitamin C mask.
Annually
Chemical Peel: I get a VI PEEL chemical peel about once a year. It boost cell turnover and really brightens the skin.
Conclusion
I'd be open to adding more fun facials or treatments into my weekly, monthly, or annual skincare schedules. I'd also be open to swapping my non-prescription cleansers and moisturizers for other ones, so if you ever see me trying some of those, it's not because I'm selling out. It's because I'm not that dedicated to the ones I'm using right now. Cleansing obviously contributes to the clearness of my skin, but I've found the one I use doesn't matter very much as long as I'm doing it. The products that I cannot replace are clindamycin and tretinoin--they are the most effective parts of my skincare routine, and they must be prescribed by a doctor.
If you're having issues with your skin, see a dermatologist and work with them on figuring out a routine. Trust me, it's less expensive than doing trial and error with expensive influencer-endorsed products. And remember, dermatologists who are on social media can also be paid or incentivized to promote certain products, and just because they're recommended by a doctor doesn't mean they'll work for you.
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