Often on social media we see people touting skincare creams and treatments as miracle products, but is there any truth to that? Today at Spheremedium I’m going over skincare scams that you should stay away from. There are so many false claims made on Instagram and TikTok where you see these amazing before and after’s. So I’m trying to save you time, money, and effort so that you don’t waste any of it.
Skincare Scam #1: overpriced moisturizers
As all of us know, moisturizer is a really important part of our skincare routine. It helps soften the skin, it helps your skin hold on to hydration, and it certainly can make your skin look better, but so many times luxury brands are pricing their moisturizers at 100, 200, 300-plus dollars when they don’t really add that much additional value to your routine than a basic moisturizer.
I don’t love putting brands on blast, but I do feel like I owe you some examples, so things like La Mer and Dr. Sturm are not to say that they aren’t wonderful moisturizers that feel good on your skin, but you could achieve similar results with something that is so much more affordable. If you’re someone who is saving up for your skin care or for your skin care procedures, this is not the place to invest. I don’t think you can expect miracle results from these types of moisturizers.
Skincare Scam #2 collagen creams
Again it’s not that these are bad moisturizers but I think the way they are marketing them as collagen creams is intended to make the consumer think if I use this cream that has collagen that collagen is either getting deposited into my skin or is going to help me form new collagen and that’s not what these do. Collagen as a skincare ingredient acts as a humectant, something that binds and holds water in the skin surface so you can get some temporary plumping. It can help soften the skin, but it’s not going to help you form new collagen, and that’s why I feel like it’s kind of scammy—for example, First Aid Beauty has something called a firming cream, and it has collagen in it. It’s a wonderful moisturizer, but it’s not going to firm up your skin because it has collagen in it.
Skincare Scam #3: Stretch Marks Cream
Research shows that the number one determinant of whether or not you get stretch marks or you get cellulite is genetic. I feel like the marketing around stretch mark creams and cellulite creams really preys on women specifically and their insecurities, and it really makes you hopeful when you’re in a desperate situation where you’re like, I’ll try anything. You’ll pay a lot for something that doesn’t have that much evidence behind it, and I feel very strongly that applies to stretch mark creams and cellulite creams.
Let’s start with stretch marks. These are essentially scars in your skin that are caused by the rupture of collagen and elastin fibers as the skin stretches. You’ll often see advertising around special oils or creams that you can use on your belly during pregnancy to prevent stretch marks, but almost none of those have any foundational scientific claims that can be backed up with research.
Similarly, creams that are marketed to improve cellulite are marketed because cellulite is such a deep problem within the skin; it’s about the interplay between your fat and your connective tissue and the skin, and the issue really lies so much deeper than most skincare could ever reach. Cellulite is a really tricky thing. It’s something that so many people deal with. No matter your body size, it’s very much genetically predetermined, and if there was one thing that worked incredibly well on cellulite, it would be sold everywhere. The person who invented it would be a billionaire because everyone would get it, but that’s just not the case. There is nothing that has consistently been shown to be used topically to help with cellulite.
Now you will often see specialty creams that are marketed as cellulite creams that contain caffeine, and the reason for that is caffeine has been shown to help shrink fat cells and offer a little bit of remodeling; however, there haven’t been any large-scale studies to show that topical caffeine can actually reduce the appearance of cellulite consistently. Luckily, a lot of these cellulite creams aren’t particularly expensive, and they are nice moisturizers, but yes, don’t keep expectations too high.
Skincare Scam #4: Facial cleansing brush
It’s absolutely not worth your money to invest in any type of facial cleansing brush. The only tool that you need to cleanse your face with is your fingertips. If you grew up in the early 2000s, the Clarisonic facial cleansing brushes were everywhere, and I feel like they did a really good job marketing themselves and making people feel like they weren’t appropriately cleansing their face with their cleanser and their fingers. Instead, the best way to get your skin clean is to do a double cleanse.
You certainly don’t need a fancy brush or tool to wash your face, and it’s not just that these brushes are unnecessary and add this extra step and cost to your routine, but they also can do a little bit of damage to your skin. 1. They can accumulate bacteria. 2. They can cause additional unnecessary irritation to your skin.
I know these brushes are quite soft, and they don’t feel particularly abrasive, but anytime you’re introducing additional frictional forces to your facial skin, you run the risk of additional irritation.
Skincare Scam #5: Face Yoga
On social media, there has been a huge rise in these accounts that show that if you do certain facial exercises, your skin will transform, and your face shape can completely change, and that’s just not what the evidence shows. There is one small study in which people did facial exercises for 30 minutes a day, and they saw a very tiny improvement in the shape of their cheeks, and that’s with 30 minutes of exercise just for your face every day. That feels so unreasonable; also, anytime you are performing repeated muscle movements on your face, you run the risk of etching in lines and wrinkles. The whole point of Botox is to relax your facial muscles so that you’re unable to etch those lines, and face yoga sort of does the opposite. Now, of course, I think there’s something to be said for stretching, and you do have muscles in your face that might feel good if you massage them or stretch them out once in a while, but having a dedicated facial yoga routine is probably not going to lend you many cosmetic benefits.
Skincare Scam #6: acne-safe marketing
Oftentimes brands or products will market themselves as acne-safe because they don’t have certain ingredients that they think might clog your pores. The problem with this is there’s been no good, consistent scientific method to figure out which ingredients or formulations consistently clog people’s pores. An ingredient might clog your pores if you put it at a 100% concentration on your skin and cover it up with plastic wrap or something like that, but when it’s incorporated into an overall formulation, it loses its comedogenicity, and that’s the real issue: you’re looking at the entire formula when you are determining if it’s acne safe rather than individual ingredients. Now if a brand has done clinical testing where they’ve tried their product in its entirety on acne-prone skin and it’s been shown to not cause acne, fine. Market yourself as acne safe, and I’m okay with that, but if a brand is solely making that claim because they are free from certain pore-clogging ingredients, I’m not cool with that.
Skincare Scam #7: Clean or Clean Skincare
One thing I really cannot stand is anything that’s marketed as clean or clean skincare. The word clean in describing your brand or your products means absolutely nothing scientifically. Brands want to market themselves as clean or free from certain ingredients that the public perceives as dangerous or problematic because they’re trying to show, like, Hey, our skincare is safe. Clean is an unregulated term that has no boundaries. So when something’s marketed as clean, that does not mean that it is better or healthier for your skin or that products that are not marketed as clean are unsafe.
So that was some skincare scam, which I could recall now. Are there any skincare scams that you want to warn people about? Definitely let me know in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Skincare scam
What is a skin care scam?
Product or brand marketing themselves using unrealistic results in the shortest possible time, or when a brand promises something that is not possible, falls into a skincare scam.
Are cellulite creams a scam?
Yes, it’s definitely a scam because there is not much scientific research to back up this claim. Most of the time, either claims are exaggerated or are showing temporary results.
Is face yoga a scam?
Face yoga might not Be a scan, but its efficacy depends on finding a qualified yoga instructor along with setting realistic expectations.
Are collagen creams a scam?
: Collagen creams are usually a scam because not enough data is backed up with scientific research. There isn’t much information regarding collagen if it’s penetrable through skin or not.
I am a dentist, baker, and fitness and health enthusiast with a passion for living life to the fullest. I am foodie and explorer, always seeking new adventures and flavors. Currently working on my own skincare brand.
