There is a growing culture online where people share almost everything they do with their bodies, their skin and their health. This is not necessarily a bad thing because the internet has made it easier for people to learn from one another and to discover information that they may not have had access to before. The problem starts when personal experience begins to look like universal advice, and people start copying what they see without considering whether the same thing is appropriate for them.
Skincare is probably one of the easiest places to see this happening. You can find people showing their morning and night routines, explaining the products they use, mixing different ingredients at home and sometimes even making their own creams, soaps and other preparations. Someone may say that a particular combination cleared their skin, made their skin brighter or helped with a particular problem, and almost immediately other people begin trying the same combination. The person sharing it may genuinely have had a good experience, but that does not mean that everyone watching will have the same experience.
The important thing is that the person making the recommendation knows something about their own situation that the people watching do not know. They know what their skin is like, what they have used before and, in many cases, how their skin normally responds to different products. The person watching may have completely different circumstances. They may have sensitive skin, eczema, acne, an existing irritation or an allergy to one of the ingredients. They may also already be using other products that can interact with what they have just seen online. A routine that appears harmless on one person’s skin can therefore produce a very different result on another person’s skin.
The situation becomes even more concerning when people begin making products themselves based on something they have seen online. There is a difference between using a product according to its intended instructions and putting several ingredients together because somebody on social media said they work well together. When a cream, soap or other preparation is being formulated, there are questions about the quantities of the ingredients, their compatibility, the pH of the finished product, stability, storage and preservation.
There is also the question of contamination, particularly where water-based products are being made and stored without proper controls. Cosmetic products can become contaminated with microorganisms through raw materials, water, manufacturing conditions, packaging and ordinary use. This is one of the reasons formulation and manufacturing involve considerably more than simply combining ingredients that appear beneficial.
There is also a tendency online to assume that because something is natural, it must automatically be safe. This is not necessarily the case. Natural ingredients can still irritate the skin or cause allergic reactions, and a person can also develop a reaction to an ingredient even if they have used it previously without any obvious problem. Dermatologists therefore recommend testing new skincare products before applying them more widely, particularly when someone has sensitive skin or has reacted to products in the past.
This is where the responsibility of the person sharing information becomes important. Someone with a large following may be speaking to thousands of people who have completely different ages, skin types, previous product use and health circumstances. The person watching the video may not understand these differences, and the person making the video may not even realise who is receiving the information. What started as somebody sharing their personal routine can therefore become advice that is being followed by people for whom it was never intended.
There is already growing concern within dermatology about the influence of social media on skincare practices, particularly among younger people. Research has described young people adopting skincare practices and products promoted through social media, while clinicians have also reported cases of skin problems associated with beauty and skincare trends encountered online.
The same principle applies beyond skincare. We are seeing people sharing diets, supplements, herbal preparations, exercise routines and different health practices online, often based on what worked for them personally. Personal experience can be useful, but it should not automatically be treated as evidence that the same approach will be suitable for everyone else.
This does not mean that everything people share online is wrong, nor does it mean that people should stop learning from one another. It simply means that we need to become more careful about what we copy. Before trying something because we saw it online, we should ask what exactly is being recommended, why it is supposed to work, whether there are known risks, and whether the person giving the advice has the knowledge or expertise to make that recommendation.
The internet has made information easier to access, but it has also removed much of the context that normally comes with professional advice. We see the product, the routine and the result, but we may not see everything that came before it.
That is why something working for somebody online should be a reason to ask more questions, not necessarily a reason to immediately try it ourselves.
Curious Fact of the Week
Preservatives in skincare products are not simply there because manufacturers want to add more chemicals. For products that contain water, an effective preservation system can help prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi. The FDA identifies ineffective preservation as one of the ways cosmetics can become contaminated.
So the next time somebody says, “I made this cream at home and it works perfectly,” maybe ask one more question:
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