Friend or Foe?

      When you go into a store and look for moisturizer for your skin, there are so many options that you just can’t choose! Faced with fear of breaking out and hurting your skin, the options start to cave in around you and you just can’t decide!. Many people who use skincare or want to get into using skincare might have this problem. Some of the skincare might not be right for some people, especially if they have sensitive skin.

      Influencers like Layallure (@layallure), Matt Randon (@mattrandon), and many others are known for promoting skincare products and showing skincare routines in their videos. Although some of these influencers are dermatologists, some are not very trustworthy sources because everyone has different skin types. Some people have sensitive skin, while others have dry skin and products can cause break outs of hives or rashes if they don’t go with your skin type.

     Dry skin is caused by taking long hot showers, low moisture due to cold weather, low humidity or harsh soaps. Some people can be born with this type of skin, as it is genetically passed down as well. Having dry skin can make your hands hurt when you move them or hurt when you smile. Finding the right skincare to accommodate this type of skin could take a while and could be a problem. 

     Products to help accommodate or heal dry skin are products that are gentle and fragrance-free such as ointment and creams rather than lotions, petroleum jelly, lip balm, etc, according to American Academy of Dermatology Association, aad.org. However, speak to your dermatologist or doctor to get real recommendations to fit your skin. These are just an idea of where to start.

      However, oily skin needs different accommodations when it comes to skincare. Having oily skin is when your skin is overly moisturized, being genetically passed down, high humidity, or hormones. When a person has oily skin, they have larger pores and are more likely to break out in pimples. And finding the right skincare for this type of skin could pose difficulties.

      An idea of where to start to find products or just to help accommodate/help oily skin are things such as using gentle, foaming face washes, oil-free water-based makeup, not sleeping in your makeup, etc, according to American Academy of Dermatology Association, aad.org. Always make sure you speak to your doctor or dermatologist before using a product or to get a recommendation for a product. They are sure to help your skin get what it needs. 

      Sensitive skin is normally genetically passed down from parents to kids. It is when certain products make your skin start to sting, itch, have a burning sensation, or even cause a rash. Finding the right skincare to accommodate this type of skin could be difficult and take a long time, depending on how bad the sensitive skin is. 

      Some ideas of where to get started for helping and/or accommodating sensitive skin is to understand what kind of sensitive skin you have and understanding just how sensitive your skin is. Make sure you talk to your dermatologist or doctor to help to understand these things and so they can help you find skincare products right for you.

      Sophomore Nadia Holloway uses skincare twice a day, in the morning and at night, using products after speaking to her dermatologist, she found what works best for her kind of skin. “Skincare is very important, not just for clear skin, but it’s a part of hygiene.” Holloway says. After using skincare since 7th grade, Holloway says ”I feel like people should talk to a dermatologist more than get influenced by social media. Everyone’s skin is different, and switching up what you have been using can make your face break up, or damage it.”

      Freshman Erick Vigil, has been using skincare since 7th grade. “At first, I had so much trouble finding skincare products for my specific needs. But after consulting a dermatologist, It became so much easier because I now knew what skin care products to get specifically for me”. Vigil says. Having sensitive skin, Vigil uses skincare twice a day. Reflecting on how many influencers promote and recommend skincare products, Vigil says, “Having a real person (such as a dermatologist) is far better in getting your specific skin care needs than a Social Media Influencer.”

      When influencers go online and recommend products to the public, many people will just buy them blindly because it’s either their favorite influencer or it will fund their favorite influencer. However, there is a problem with this. Everyone has a different type of skin, skin color, health problems, sensitivity etc. So when an influencer recommends something, it doesn’t mean that it will work perfectly for another person. 

      In a survey done around PRHS high school of fourteen students, 71.4% use skincare products. Out of those fourteen students, 21.4% got their skincare product from a recommendation on social media. Showing our Bearcats made sure to do their research and not let social media fully impact their decisions.

     While some of these products could be right for one person, there are others that it might not be right for. Studies show that about 70% of the population has sensitive skin, with 50% reporting that they have uncomfortable symptoms, according to pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. This many people having sensitive skin could have posed a problem back when people didn’t necessarily fully understand what sensitive skin was. However, nowadays, it is much easier to find products that can accommodate or help people with sensitive skin, thanks to improved medical technology and dermatologists. 

     With the rise of social media and the promotion of skincare, students should make sure they research and understand what type of skin they have to find the right products for them, not what works for others. In doing so, they can help spread the word to friends in websites they used and how they figured out their type of skin, to make sure they keep themselves and their skin happy and healthy.