Why Are Beauty Experts and Influencers Arguing All Over My TikTok?
Main Image – Valbarstudio/Stocksy
I rarely unfollow anyone on social media. I’ve curated my social feeds pretty well to show me more of the things I consider the ‘good’ stuff and remove any of the ‘not-so-good’ stuff. TikTok though? Well, that’s a whole other beast that decides for itself what it deems worthy of my attention.
Recently, my unfollow and mute button have been working overtime because all I see at the moment is dermatologists telling everyday folk how wrong and, at times, how stupid they are for posting certain beauty content. Now, I’m the first person to be in favour of calling out misinformation, but when it’s a constant stream of experts stitching other creators to tell others what they’re doing wrong in a way that undermines their intelligence, it gets a little intense.
The content creators have since started ‘fighting back’ and arguing with the derms. I feel like I’m a wallflower in an influencer and expert social battle. Stay with me for the nuance as I dive into exactly what’s happening on social media right now.
Who’s who in the world of ‘skinfluencing’?
You might think that there’s one type of ‘skinfluencer’ and that’s it, but there are four key categories, as Cigdem Yilmaz Kemal, cosmetic chemist and founder of Skin Masterclass, explains.
The first is skin health educators (dermatologists, aestheticians and other educators) who have studied the skin with a strong science-backed approach. The second is cosmetic scientists, like Yilmaz Kemal, who have a deep understanding of ingredients and formulations (since they’re the ones making them).
Next is toxicologists, which is an increasingly important job. “They address concerns and debunk misinformation and danger information out there on skincare products, such as cancer concerns around parabens and chemical sunscreens,” explains Yilmaz Kemal. And, finally, are influencers and celebrities who can give advice on experimental knowledge and personal experience.
All of these make up a wonderfully diverse group of voices who can accurately educate and entertain within the beauty industry — if done so within their remits. However, this often doesn’t happen.
@dailymail Influencer Nara Smith slammed after making her own sunscreen ? #narasmith #tradwife #sunscreen #suncream #fromscratch #dermatologist
The fight for attention
Our most valuable asset to these social platforms is our attention, and its creators’ job to fight for that.
It’s a double-edged sword for many, including esthetician and skincare educator Katie Onyejekwe. “On a positive note, educational skincare advice is more accessible than ever before, with a large proportion of it coming from reputable brands and experts.”
However, with this increase in information comes “the increasing need to ‘go viral’”, Onyejekwe notes. “Brands, creators, and even some dermatologists and estheticians are peddling misinformation or leaving out crucial nuances to suit a particular narrative or drive views, making the skincare landscape confusing, overwhelming, and potentially harmful,” she adds.
Experts have relied solely upon their experience to cut through the noise. And as much as we wish that was enough, it just isn’t for an algorithm that seems to favour clickbait above everything.
Expert doesn’t equal authenticity
Expertise doesn’t automatically result in authenticity. More than ever, we’re prioritising authenticity and connection over professional advice,” says psychotherapist, Tasha Bailey.
It’s important to note that trust doesn’t “solely stem from knowledge and expertise,” Bailey explains. A big missing aspect is reliability playing an equally important role. “We’re more inclined to trust someone who delivers advice with both credibility and a relatable personality,” she adds.
This sharing of stories and struggles resonates with our experiences, “fostering a connection that might be lacking with a more general expert,” Bailey notes. “Content creators often cater to specific niches, making them feel like they ‘get us’ more than a broad expert might.”
The reason influencers are so successful is their incredible ability to cultivate the power of word-of-mouth online. We follow people who share our interests, who we feel are an aspirational version of ourselves. Many of the successful content creators are marketing geniuses.
Arguing with skincare influencers, and mocking them for their lack of ‘expertise’ isn’t going to win popularity points. Not to mention, the experts then aren’t adding anything new to the conversation by doing this. It’s harder to sway people by outright debunking misinformation versus creating entertaining content with proven facts.
By the same token, I can’t begin to imagine the frustration felt by experts when dangerous and incorrect information is relayed as fact online. The scaremongering surrounding ‘chemicals’ is rife in the industry and we’ve seen this ‘non-toxic’ rhetoric snowball into other aspects of people’s lives, aside from beauty. It’s particularly dangerous when creators post false narratives about sunscreen online.
@dermangelo #duet with @layallure #dermreacts #dermangelo #skincare #skincareroutine #dermatologist
The influencer fight back
As a result of experts stitching and debunking creator content, I’ve seen the creators ‘fight back’ if you will. Noting their worth in the industry (which I’m in no doubt they have). However, the main way I’ve seen this happen is by attempting to ‘call out’ the industry’s practices.
It’s hard to ignore the hypocritical nature of telling someone skincare is a marketing ploy and a ‘waste of their money’ when creators make their money selling you product. The lack of nuance in these videos is alarming. Videos like these are just another marketing tactic — and a clever one at that.
That’s not to say these creators don’t have a place, of course, they do, but using hyperbolic language for views to critique one thing in order to sell another in an oversimplified way isn’t doing wonders for the industry.
What does this tell us about wider society right now?
The beauty industry might be its own microcosm but these influencer/expert battles reflect what’s happening in wider society right now. In short: we all have trust issues.
“It’s possible that years of overwhelming, and sometimes contradictory, expert advice have made it difficult to know who to trust,” Bailey explains. Pre-pandemic it’s fair to say that, for the most part, the majority of the population trusted expert voices with credentials. Now, the public perception of expertise is very different — worryingly so.
We’re looking for confirmation bias more than perhaps we realise. “We naturally gravitate towards information that aligns with our existing beliefs,” Bailey says. “Content creators often cater to specific niches, making them feel like they ‘get us’ more than a broad expert might,” she adds.
Then we get into the complex topic of paid ads. Many argue that experts, particularly medical doctors, have a stricter duty of care when it comes to paid ads. There are some dermatologists and doctors who are against all paid content in the industry and actively discourage patients from visiting those who do social advertising.
Image – Alex Ruhl/Adobe
The future of skinfluencing
So what’s the solution? Well, I wish I could give the answer to that. But let’s be clear: experts posting education content online is necessary and important to media education. Influencers and content creators sharing their stories online are also hugely important. They both have their place but understanding boundaries and respecting those is key.
Whilst calling misinformation out absolutely has its place, doing so in a way that borders on bullying and speaking down on people’s intelligence isn’t the one. The way to cut through the noise is taking knowledge and communicating it in such a way that audiences can relate to. Providing facts to make people come and maintaining trust so they stay but never giving in to vitality as a reason to sensationalise. Many experts are already doing that but many aren’t.
Yilmaz Kemal is one of the few who is clear on these boundaries. “I maintain clear ethical boundaries and only endorse claims I can substantiate. Unfortunately, not everyone adopts these standards.”
The bottom line for Onyejekwe is education and integrity. “I think it comes down to putting yourself in the shoes of the consumer; preempting the questions they may have within your content and telling them what they ‘need’ to know,” she says.
She echoes sentiments on integrity.“It’s also about having integrity (I think many have sadly lost this!) and knowing that if your main driver for educating is to help others, then you will stick to the facts, even if it means your content isn’t as ‘popular’, and signpost when there is someone else best placed to provide guidance.”
The topic is a conflicting and confusing one and there’s no right answer. However, being in battle with each other isn’t going to serve the beauty community in the best way.
Meet the experts
Named as the “Ultimate Skincare Educator” and “Pioneer in revolutionising the skincare industry” by the press, Cigdem Kemal Yilmaz, is renowned for her work as a celebrity skincare consultant, a formulator and the founder of Skin Masterclass® – the world’s #1 CPD Certified, Science of Skincare & Consultation Management Certification and Licensing Program.
Katie Onyejekwe is an esthetician, makeup artist, and beauty writer helping brands to educate and helping consumers to learn about skin through qualified expertise.
Tasha Bailey is an integrative psychotherapist, mental health expert, award-winning creator and author of Real Talk.
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