How do you decide what you put on your face?
All these cool people with ageless faces are sitting in front of their ring lights applying the latest serum or cream or spritz or gel or whatever, sitting back like “oh my god… I look amazing."
There’s no shortage of products to put on our faces. And there are so many “promises” — look bouncy, plump, soft, juicy, healthy, brighter, firmer, smoother, elastic. Get rid of lines, wrinkles, sun damage, redness, pores, texture, dryness, dullness, dark circles, and generally any sign of existing.
Because there are so many skincare products, brands have to cut through the noise through initiatives like influencer marketing. And so all these cool people with ageless faces are sitting in front of their ring lights applying the latest serum or cream or spritz or gel or whatever, sitting back like “oh my god… I look amazing. This is amazing.” And then a link to the product or brand page so you can look amazing, too.
I have nothing against discovering skincare products on social media. It’s where I found my favorite brand, Yay for Earth, which makes skincare products for sensitive skin. The rest of my products were discovered through word-of-mouth (I want to know what my friends and family think about it, since they’re not paid to promote it) or dermatologist recommendations (because, if you have a good dermatologist, they aren’t centering “beauty” and just want your skin to be healthy and for you to feel comfortable and confident).
But two articles that came out in the last month had me rethinking how we decide what we do and vehemently don’t put on our faces, and why it’s worth pausing to reflect on our sources of discovery.
First, there was the news that a lot of acne-clearing products contain carcinogens. As it goes on Instagram and TikTok, influencers were FAST to prop up all the products that allegedly cause cancer. It’s not untrue, but it’s misleading. That’s because a) a lot of health and wellness influencers aren’t certified cosmetic chemists or clinical researchers, etc. and b) discourse and trends rarely dwell in the science.
If they did, then they would note that skincare products with benzoyl peroxide won’t break down into benzene, a carcinogen, unless it’s exposed to minimum 158-degrees Fahrenheit. Experts aren’t really worried and just caution you to not leave those products baking in the sun.
Sofie Pavitt, a licensed esthetician, had a measured response to all the fear-mongering around benzoyl peroxide products: “TLDR: don’t freak out.”
If your feed has a lot of quick-to-cancel products without doing their due diligence (research, asking the experts), consider an unfollow.
The second article I recently read that had me feeling very sad about the state of skincare influence was that tweens are getting rashes from anti-aging and exfoliating products they don’t need and that can be irritating for young skin.
“We have a handful of patients that get these recurrent rashes around their eyelids and around the mouth,” UCLA Health dermatologist Dr. Jayden Galamgam told NBC News, adding: “It’s miserable for them. It’s so itchy. It sometimes keeps them up at night. It gets bloody because they keep scratching it, and they’re so embarrassed because it’s on their face and it’s what their friends see.”
Of course they’re buying these products, though. The people they admire (or at the very least, follow online) are beaming over these trendy products often packaged in bright colors. And there’s no recommended age.
It made me think of that Neutrogena Retinol commercial, where Jennifer Garner asks what the right age for the wrinkle repair serum is and slides it to Jenna Ortega, who responds, “That’s whenever you want it to be.”
I saw that for the first time a few weeks ago and felt… despair? It felt like a metaphorical passing of the baton only the baton is beginning the journey of fighting back against any signs of aesthetic aging. “Whenever you want it to be.”
Of course people, including tweens, are confused about what to put on their face. While there does exist some joy and adventure in discovering and trying new products and seeing what works for you, and a sense of confidence when you find those products that really work, I fear younger generations are going to become increasingly terrified of their faces maturing primarily because of how much anti-aging skincare content they’re consuming. And this constant push for intervention.
That, and the lightning pace at which influencers are ready to demonize an entire product category based on a headline, drives home how insidious social media can be when it comes to developing your skincare routine.
Sure, it can be a moment of discovery, but it shouldn’t stop at the link in someone’s story. Read the ingredients, do a little homework, consult a certified dermatologist or esthetician.
For transparency, here’s what my routine + discovery source looks like:
Face wash (Cerave, jumbo bottle): Dermatologist
Lil spritz (Yay for Earth): Me! I’d been using their moisturizer for a while, trusted the brand, and wanted to try one of their complementing products
Serum (Clearstem): My sister, who does her homework and recommended this
Moisturizer (Yay for Earth): I follow the founder on IG
Sunscreen (an assortment): I have accumulated SPF through gifting, drug store purchases before a trip, things that look cute in a store, etc. and am probably good for the next decade
What about you??
Personal trainers blame Ozempic for people going to the gym less: When I saw the headline I assumed it was because members found an alternative to weight loss. It might be partly that, but they’re also attributing it to their members getting sick from the drug. “I’ve seen a handful of new and experienced clients throw up while taking the drugs because of the dizziness and nausea the drugs can induce,” personal trainer Salim Javed told The Post. I don’t know if a few anecdotes = the driver behind a decline in gym attendance. I do think Ozempic and other weight loss drugs, and the constant conversation around them, can influence enough people to pause and question how exercise fits into their routine, if they’re merely doing it to shed pounds and not for the other benefits, like getting stronger and healthier.
If you work @ a gym and have feelings about weight loss drugs and your members, message me!
The first over-the-counter birth control pill is almost here. It’s called Opill, and it has a suggested retail price of about $20 for a one-month supply and $50 for a three-month pack. CVS has already said they plan to distribute the product. This is major. Soon, you can walk into your local CVS pharmacy and get a little treat, a little nail polish, and a pack of birth control without having to go through your doctor first.
I love these interviews with therapists on what they do when they feel lonely.
Brands are making quitting smoking cool. I’m not a smoker, and so I haven’t dug into what kind of options are out there when it comes to breaking up with nicotine. Turns out, there are a few newer brands modernizing those nicotine-replacement therapy patches that have long given generic drug store vibes. Now they’re designed to be cool and ~aesthetic~ and many have community and support features attached.
American hospitals go bankrupt, Americans lose access to healthcare, and rich investors get even richer: “It’s the biggest scam that almost no one knows about.”
The long-distance walker girlies: Apparently long-distance walks (read: 20,000+ steps) are trending on TikTok, a kind of extended version director’s cut to the “hot girl” walk. My takeaway here is that we love to walk and to go places and to meticulously track our activity, even if it’s walking 14 miles to get boba.
Thank you for reading this issue of Un/well. This is a reader-supported newsletter and I appreciate you.
Melanie
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Header and illustrations by Olivia Fu