Breaking the glass skin bubble, questioning the hype and telling you where I’d actually spend my money if I were you.
I’m going to say a few things that might upset a few people in the beauty industry, and offer an unpopular opinion (which is so unlike me ;-)
Just because a treatment is expensive, trending right now, or comes out of Korea, it doesn’t mean it’s better.
Now, before anyone gets upset, I LOVE a good treatment. Obviously. I’ve built my entire career around my lasers making people’s skin look and feel and function better. I also still get just as excited as the next person when a genuinely clever new bit of technology comes on my radar.
But, there’s an awful lot of money being spent on things that promise the earth and deliver way less, or that get hyped all over social media because they’re a trend, not because they’re worthy of the hype, and I think we need to talk about it. So here goes. First up…
Am I about to break the Glass Skin bubble?
I went to Korea in January, and I came back with some thoughts. Firstly, the Koreans are absolutely brilliant at beauty. Their innovation, technology and approach to skincare are fascinating. And yes, of course we all want that ideal of Korean skin. Who wouldn’t? But to put it bluntly, we’re not going to get Korean skin.
Genetics plays a huge part in how our skin looks, how it ages, its texture, pore size, pigmentation, how it responds to treatment. We don’t have the same skin, full stop. And while there are some incredible treatments coming out of Korea, there are equally incredible treatments available here. (If I do say so myself…)
What bothers me is this idea that Korean skincare is somehow a magic formula that the rest of us have been missing. It really is not. Plus the whole glass skin obsession does get on my nerves a bit. Perfectly smooth, poreless, permanently shiny skin shouldn’t be the standard we’re all meant to hope to achieve, in my opinion. I want good skin. Healthy skin, that functions properly, and looks like skin. We want to look real, right?
And let me say, you do not need ten different steps in your skincare and/or a plane ticket to Seoul to get it.
I know lots of people love it, and I’m not saying it doesn’t have its uses (Removing fine facial hair and some dead surface skin cells can leave skin feeling smoother, yes), but it’s basically shaving your face, using a specialist blade. And while a professional treatment might give you a more thorough exfoliation, I’m not convinced everyone needs to pay a fortune for it.
If your main goal is removing peach fuzz, you can do that at home with a properly designed facial razor. (I like Nimbi for this). Obviously, be gentle, be careful, use a clean blade and don’t go scraping away at irritated or broken skin. And if you have active acne or particularly sensitive skin, I’d be more cautious. Or, just don’t!
Two cleansers. THIS KILLS ME.
A cleanser to remove your cleanser. Shall we all buy another cleanser to remove that cleanser? Honestly, where does it end.
I know double cleansing has become practically sacred in skincare circles, but I just don’t believe everyone needs to do it. A good cleanser has a simple job description and that is to cleanse your skin properly with chic ingredients. A second cleanse is needed, if you’re wearing heavy makeup or layers of SPF. But for most people, most days, a thorough cleanse with the right product is good. Plus if your skin is already dry, sensitive or compromised, repeatedly cleansing it is doing your barrier no favours whatsoever. More steps do not mean better skin.
What exactly is a toner?
I’m being contrary here, obviously I know what a toner is, but I’d love to know how many people using one could tell me what it’s doing for their skin.
I feel like it’s become one of those steps that we’ve all conformed to including in our routine, but without questioning why. I totally agree there are some excellent formulas out there - Hydrating ones, exfoliating ones, soothing ones, ones that contain genuinely useful ingredients, but they’re not essential. If your cleanser is doing its job and the rest of your routine is giving your skin what it needs, you don’t need one.
That super-hyped very expensive treatment that promises to change your face
Now, this is where I have to be careful, because some expensive treatments are absolutely worth the money. I myself use advanced technology in my own clinic, and I know first hand what properly selected treatments can achieve.
But expensive doesn’t automatically mean effective. A treatment costing thousands could give one person a fantastic result and leave someone else wondering where their money went, and I hate that. We also need to understand that a lot of these machines are the same technology, just with a different brand name
Results are always going to depend on your skin, your concerns, age, expectations and, mostly, whether that particular technology is the right tool for the job (which is why a consultation right before performing a treatment is crucial!) We often change the treatment that is booked rather than just perform whats not needed
I don’t like is the idea that because a treatment is new, expensive or being offered by every trendy place in London, everybody suddenly needs it. Personally I would rather turn someone away from a treatment that isn’t going to give them the result they want than take their money and hope for the best.
LED masks without proper evidence
You know I love LED. I’ve been using professional Dermalux devices in my clinics for years, and I’m now an ambassador for their home mask, but that doesn’t mean I love every LED mask. There’s a difference between a device that lights up red and one that’s been properly designed to deliver specific wavelengths and doses of light to the skin.
If you’re investing in LED, know what you’re buying. What wavelengths does it use? Has the actual device been tested? Is there proper evidence behind the claims? Does the brand explain how and how often you’re supposed to use it?
I don’t care how many colours it comes in or how futuristic it makes you look, I just want to know if it works. (Mine does!)
The Pore Vacuum
Hahaha. Facials involving suction devices that promise to vacuum all the dirt and congestion out of your pores are ridiculous if you ask me. If a machine can simply suck a stubborn whitehead out of your skin, I’ll eat my hat.
And if we’re talking about breaking the skin to get at it first, maybe I’ll just bring my Henry Hoover into the clinic and be done with it. Seriously, there’s a difference between removing superficial debris and properly extracting a stubborn, blocked pore, especially milia.
So ok, some suction-based treatments can be useful for surface cleansing and exfoliation. But they’re not the magic solution to congestion you were sold, we don’t need to pay for that, it should be the basics of a facial.
Proper extractions require knowledge of the skin, the right technique and, when necessary, a sterile instrument (and needle) in a very careful, experienced pair of hands. It’s not something I’d encourage people to attempt themselves. Plus, usually the best thing you can do with a spot is leave it be.
Expensive skincare you don’t actually need
This might be my most important one. I get the marketing is very smart in some cases, but I’ve seen people spend hundreds and hundreds of pounds on beautiful (or beautifully hyped) creams that are completely wrong for their skin. And then they buy more to counteract whatever the first one has done. No! It’s probably better to stop using half of what you’ve already got.
Too many actives. Too much exfoliation. Too many products promising to solve problems that you might not even have. Sometimes honestly, your skin needs a bit of peace. And a £300 moisturiser isn’t necessarily going to give you anything that a well-formulated, much less expensive product couldn’t. Also, don’t be fooled by expensive hyaluronic acid, it’s a brilliant ingredient, but not an expensive one.
Like I always, always say, knowing what not to use is every bit as important as knowing what to use.
And finally, influencers
Well, this is slightly awkward. I’m gonna make a point that might be thrown back at me. I am an ambassador for my Dermalux LED mask.
But there is a difference as I see it; I chose to work with Dermalux because I’d already invested in their professional technology, used it for years, seen what I could do and trusted it enough to bring it into my own business. I didn’t discover it when somebody offered me a commission.
And yes, I know, and I’m absolutely not saying that every influencer who earns money recommending skincare is untrustworthy, or hasn’t had the exact same motivaion to their endorsing a brand or product as I did. There are some brilliant, knowledgeable people out there whose opinions I respect hugely. But…there are also plenty of others (more probably) who are recommending products only because they’re being paid to recommend them.
So the problem is how are we supposed to know when it is and when it isn’t an authentic recommendation? Also always remember that they don’t know your skin! Do they don’t know your history, or especially your hormones, and what else you’re using that might not be the best combo. All I’m asking is that you take recommendations as recommendations and not knowledgeable prescriptions.
So what WOULD I spend my money on? I’ve said too much already, you’ll have to come back next time for that info!
T x
