New Delhi: If the promise of clear skin and eternal youth is the bait, then social media is the hook that lures millions to experiment with skincare. Instagram is a gallery of beautifully packaged jars, bottles, and tubes of skincare ‘essentials’ — serums, exfoliators, night creams, day creams, toners, moisturisers, face masks, pore minimisers, cleansers, oils and what not. It may just have mud from the Amazon, minerals from the Himalayas and seaweed from the depths of the Atlantic.
These products promise everything short of eternal youth, and who is holding them accountable? The lack of regulation and transparency in the skincare industry, exacerbated by the growth of ‘skincare solutions’ on social media, may have ruined more skins than they might have rescued.
Prisha Raja, a psychology student from Flame University, Pune, fell down this very rabbit hole. Her entry into the world of skincare started with mild interest, but online searches, propelled by Google AdSense and Instagram algorithms, made her dive deeper into it. A month later, she ended up at a dermatologist’s office with a case of dermatitis.
How often have consumers added product after product to their carts, only to realise that they’ve spent a sizeable fraction of their money at a nicely designed e-store? Starting with a casual ‘like’ on an influencer’s post, automated ads conveniently lead them to check out the page, and thereon go on an impulsive shopping spree. And the cost of this spree does not just end with the bill. It can result in a plethora of skin care problems you didn’t even think you could have.
The small army of social media influencers and so-called skincare ‘experts’ testing products and doling out advice adds to the problem.
Bogus claims
With over 98,000 followers on Instagram, Dr Jushya Bhatia, a dermatologist at Sarin Skin Solutions, is sought after by beauty brands in the market looking for endorsements or collaborations. But Dr Bhatia is wary of the products she comes across, and said, “We have to be extremely selective. Just last week, a brand asked me to promote its sunscreen that had certain ingredients I knew were not good sunscreen filters. I asked the brand if it had conducted any studies or any evidence. The representatives never got back to me.”
The story didn’t end there. Recently, when Dr Bhatia was at the Hyderabad airport, she spotted the same sunscreen on the shelves of a store.
What’s worrying some doctors is that a lot of skincare brands have launched websites with consultation services. “The problem is that consultation is conducted by influencers or enthusiasts rather than actual dermatologists. A lot of non-doctors on social media promote medical drugs that can lead to severe consequences,” says Dr Ankur Sarin from Sarin Skin Solutions.
This is especially dangerous in the Indian market, where there is no adequate regulation of Schedule H drugs that require a prescription. “We once had a patient who had to abort their child because they were consuming oral retinoids. The couple was unaware that oral retinoids should be avoided during pregnancy. They had purchased it without a prescription,” said Dr Sarin.
It took a particularly nasty skin breakout for Anmol, a software engineer in Hyderabad, to understand the pitfalls of taking advice from influencers. When he started noticing a few pimples, he hopped on to YouTube to find a solution. He purchased the same products that had worked for an influencer, but, unfortunately, they made his skin break out even more.
The fact is, there is no single universal solution for skin problems — there are as many diagnoses as there are patients.
“We have received patients who had consulted skincare influencers before. One needs to note the difference. Influencers are not experts. Some of them are also driven by commission from other brands,” said Dr Jushya.
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Consumers need to take step ahead
YouTube is full of ‘experts’ holding forth on glycolic acid, salicylic acid, hydrochloric acid, vitamins A, C, and E, ceramide, collagen, peptides, and so on.
These influencers wield a lot of responsibility in this public sphere. But there’s more to it. Many of them believe that good skincare isn’t black and white and that it cannot be regulated just on the manufacturing front. “It has to also be policed on the consumer front. Consumers need to do the pushing to make this space more reliable. There was a time when many brands would not publish sunscreen test reports about their SPF ratings. But in the last 6-12 months, people have been asking more questions about the same, making these companies more accountable to consumers,” said social media influencer Nive who goes by @skincarebynive on Instagram.
Covid lockdown is allowed many influencers and brands to make their foray into the skincare space online. Nive noticed the rise in people flogging unlicenced or untested products. “It’s surprising to see so many homegrown brands come up with cosmetic formulations without being professionally trained to do so. The onus ends up falling on the end-users to vet them more than necessary, prior to purchase,” she said.
Ananya, a skin and haircare influencer, who goes by @skincarebebe on Instagram, also stressed the role of social media in building awareness about skincare practices that are gaining traction in other parts of the world. “Korean beauty that focuses on repairing the skin barrier is new to India and educates people on the same,” she said.
Ananya entered the skincare sector on social media when she wanted to learn about her own skin issues better. As a consumer, she was worried about using brands that weren’t tested for safety and efficacy. “I always ensure that the brands I promote are licenced products. I’ve seen brands using many unethical products. I noticed a whitening cream using steroids that can make the skin addicted to it. Lack of disclosure is an issue, so one must make sure these products are tested,” she added.
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Social media is double-edged sword
India’s beauty and personal care market is estimated to be USD 24.53 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 33.33 billion by 2027. Social media plays a key role in driving this sector. While there is a massive industry of influencer-inspired skincare, there are others trying to legitimise their practice through sound means. Among brands where there is fierce competition to establish legitimacy and a loyal client base, transparency goes a long way.
JuicyChemistry, a skincare brand that combines nature and science and started with a Facebook page in 2014 is now a leading skincare brand that prides itself on using high-quality natural ingredients. “It’s not just our products that set us apart, it’s also our transparency that makes influencers and customers trust our brand. All products have been dermatologically tested and proven to be safe to use. We are an ISO 9001 and ISO 140001 certified brand and GMP [Good Manufacturing Pratice] certified,” says Gauri, a representative from the team. The brand is also building an ingredient library that talks about why they pick an ingredient and what they do.
Another popular brand, Enn Beauty, underscored the importance of licencing skin care products. “The FDA [Food and Drug Association] license is of primary importance. Whatever a brand claims on its labels has to be approved by certifications. But, in terms of brands that claim to be organic or natural, there is room for error, as regulations are not so clear. Even in the US FDA, those regulations are not well-set,” said a representative of the company.
While the legislation around skincare manufacturers and companies does have a long way to go, consumers can play their part by being more aware of the products that online ads, influencers or brands promote. Acne, blackheads, or pigmentation are highly specific conditions that qualified practitioners can address. So, the next time a pimple pops up, it’s time to ring the doctor’s bell – not just rely on the latest Reels on Instagram.
(Edited by Humra Laeeq)