2 Pros and 2 Cons of Skin Care Influencers on Social Media

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We can all agree that skin care has become a popular buzzword in social media over the past few years. With the rise of TikTok and Instagram reels there has also been a rise of skin care influencers. A lot of these people do not have a medical background. They have taken it upon themselves to start educating others on their skin care routines and the products that they use.

As a dermatology physician assistant, I see both positive and negative side effects of this new era of skin and body care. I am going to outline my thoughts on the matter in this article. I would love to discuss further with anyone who is interested in the topic.

In my opinion, there are 2 major pros and 2 major cons to skin care influencers on social media. I also have thoughts on why we as consumers should think about content before acting upon it. The major takeaway I want anyone reading to have is that you should really consider what you are consuming on social media before blindly acting upon it. I hope this simple piece of advice will save you from any frustrating regrets in the future.

Pros of Skin Care Influencers on Social Media

Promotion of sun protection

Perhaps the best thing to come out of the rise of skin care influencers on social media is that people are becoming more aware of the importance of sun protection. Instead of promoting tanning, top beauty influencers are instead turning to the opposite (and more favorable) end of the spectrum which is sun protection.

Favorite sunscreens are being promoted by those in the medical field and those that are just interested in protecting their skin for as long as possible. In case you are wondering… my favorite sunscreen is Elta MD UV Clear ;).

One famous influencer in particular from The Skinny Confidential is constantly talking about the importance of sun protection. To her credit, she is continuously having dermatologists on her podcast to speak to her audience on the matter of skin care.

I am happy that sun protection is becoming a growing trend among Millennials and Gen Z. I hope that trend continues for as long as possible. As I tell my patients, it is possibly the single best thing you can do for your skin.

Knowledge that allows patients to advocate for themselves

Along with learning about sun protection, I have found that a lot of my patients (specifically younger patients) are coming into the office armed with more information. In all transparency, I have only been practicing medicine for 3 years now. I am comparing this advancing awareness of skin care in the younger population to their age cohort when I was a medical assistant 6 years ago.

I encourage everyone to have a basic understanding on just about any subject before you speak to an expert. This, I believe, allows for a deeper understanding of the new information provided. Let’s give an example. Let’s say you attend an upper-level science class in college without having done any reading prior to that day’s lesson. You are likely going to have a hard time following the professor as they go through the material. Conversely, if you are a student who reads the corresponding chapter from the textbook prior to class, and then attends the class and follows the lesson plan, you are likely going to leave the classroom with a much better understanding of the topic.

And if you read prior to class you are also likely going to be more willing to ask questions when the material isn’t making sense. You can compare this to someone who doesn’t even know what questions to ask and is simply clueless on the subject matter.

This is similar for when patients come in primed with some baseline knowledge versus those who are not. I am NOT saying every patient is required or that they should be aware of skin care or their condition before coming to see a provider. That wouldn’t make sense as it is our job to diagnose and counsel patients on medical conditions.

What I AM saying is social media has allowed people with skin conditions (or other medical conditions) to share their stories. When someone is scrolling through videos and sees someone with a rash that looks similar to theirs what are they going to do? They are likely going to stop to hear what the person has to say. In doing so they start to research and learn more about their own condition.

These patients come to their appointment already prepared with information, thoughts and questions. I truly believe an educated patient has a higher capability of advocating for themselves when it comes to their medical care. I believe everyone should have the right (and desire) to be their own advocate. As a medical practitioner I try my best to instill this belief in my patients. The potential for increased self-advocacy in a medical setting is (in my mind) a positive side effect of social media and skin care influencers.

Cons of Skin Care Influencers on Social Media

Spread of potentially dangerous misinformation

On the opposite end of the spectrum from the aforementioned “pro” of skin care influencers on social media, there is of course a major con. This major con is the spread of misinformation about skin care. I wish it was simply misinformation that needed to be unlearned. Unfortunately, when people take it upon themselves to act on this misinformation that is when serious consequences can occur.

I have seen TikTok videos claiming that certain tools and products can remove skin tags or moles completely. But what if someone removed a spot they thought was a skin tag but was actually a skin cancer? Or what if someone who is prone to hypertrophic scarring or keloids thought they could safely use the same product? There are a lot of things that could go wrong.

This would be an example of the negative effect of the spread of misinformation. There are many more common skin care recommendations that you will see on social media that I don’t agree with. For example, one popular recommendation among skin care influencers is constant physical exfoliation of your skin. This is something I do not recommend as it can damage your skin barrier. I prefer the use of topical retinoids or the occasional use of glycolic or salicylic acid to achieve this desired exfoliation.

Overspending on expensive skin care products

A second and less considered negative impact of skin care influencers on social media is simply the overspending on skin care products. I always recommend reading labels prior to buying an expensive skin care product. In all likelihood, you will be able to find the same ingredients for much less money in a different brand. You could also instead go to a dermatology office and get a stronger version of the over-the-counter medication. Oh and your insurance may pay for it…

The majority of over-the-counter skin care products have the same exact ingredients, they are just marketed and branded differently. Do yourself a favor and think before you purchase a social media influencer’s favorite skin care product. I have seen moisturizers that cost $60 or more that if used every day would likely last only a month. That’s $720 a year! I promise your money is better spent elsewhere.

Final thoughts

At the end of the day, I would like to think the pros of skin care influencers outweigh the cons. If more and more people protect themselves from the sun there should be fewer skin cancers in future generations. That being said, always do your own research. Ask yourself questions before you purchase or act on something you saw online. When in doubt seek out care from a medical professional. If you can go to your dermatology appointment prepared with some information and questions then even better.

Any thoughts on whether or not skin care influencers are benefiting your average consumer? Let me know what you think in the comments!