As social media continues to explode, many people click on products that have the most likes or the ones that their favorite celebrities swear by. In order to get the scoop on what board-certified dermatologists have to say about recent fads, I dug a little deeper into the literature and some of what I found definitely surprised me. (You might want to hold someone’s hand for support.)
Activated Charcoal Masks
This one really surprised me because I can think of at least two charcoal masks sitting on my dresser and it kind of broke my heart to hear they probably aren’t providing as much benefit as I had thought. Activated charcoal masks may feel amazing when you rub them on your skin, however, Kathleen Suozzi, a dermatologist and director of her department at Yale Medicine, asserts that these masks do not have enough charcoal in them to be effective.
She says that while charcoal does a great job at unclogging pores, there needs to be a certain amount on the skin in order to make any difference. Unfortunately, most products are diluted down by other substances in the masks that they are of no use to the user. What I’m hearing is that we don’t have to rule out active charcoal masks, but we might need to read the active ingredients list before making a purchase.
In order to investigate further, I searched up the ingredients list for the charcoal mask I’ve used from The Body Shop and found that charcoal powder is the fourteenth ingredient on the list! And it’s right behind Phenoxyethanol. This tells me that the charcoal is in a very small quantity if the substance before it is alcohol based and would dry out the skin if there was too much of it. Sorry to break the bad news!
Facial Rollers
The first time I saw a facial roller I really thought it was a bottle opener… Nonetheless, it seems that those bottle openers might be more useful than the facial rollers. While they are extremely aesthetic and seemingly logical, it turns out that there is no scientific evidence supporting the facial rollers in preventing aging effects. However, there is no evidence saying that these facial rollers are harmful, so if you feel that they help you or you just like the way they feel against your skin, there’s nothing stopping you!
Facial Toners
Yeah, you heard that right. Even though every beauty blogger known to man and womankind swears by adding a toner to your skincare routine, it’s scientifically not that great for your skin. Dermatologists emphasize that these toners actually dehydrate your skin and can lead to an acne flare up, even though toners are supposed to do the exact opposite by neutralizing your skin tone. The only time I can possibly see a benefit to drying out your skin a little bit is if you have very oil skin. Other than that, I would toss your toner aside.
Collagen Drinks
I’ve seen these collagen powders everywhere from Whole Foods to the little coffee shop on the corner. I was so intrigued to know what a dermatologist had to say about this recent fad. In theory, drinking collagen powder makes sense. Collagen is one of the most plentiful proteins in mammals and is responsible for many biological processes, most notably in providing structural support to the skin.
So, shouldn’t it make sense that ingesting more collagen should improve your skin’s health and appearance? Apparently, no. Dermatologists say that these collagen drinks aren’t bad for you and might even be beneficial. However, they are digested like other protein (kind of like a protein shake) and is not selectively going to improve your skin.
So, if you’re looking for the panacea of skin care, we haven’t found it yet in these collagen powders. I won’t give up on finding it, though!!
Until next time, skincare lovers xoxo
The Skincare Scientist