The Kardashians are no strangers to utilizing extreme measures for “beauty,” and now, they have decided to launch skincare brands. But, just because they’re celebrities doesn’t mean they are skin experts. The Kardashians have such an influence over beauty and trends. Their social media profiles combined have over 1.2 billion followers. Unfortunately, some of the things said by the Kardashians have been abhorrently wrong. But, at the same time, we need to give credit where credit is due. The Kardashians have said some things that are not only correct but wonderful.  So, let’s scrutinize this. And when you see a celebrity or an influencer speaking about something, you’ll be able to notice patterns and discern whether their advice is something you should apply to your routine.

 

#1 What Kylie Skin Got Wrong

Photo cred: Kylie Jenner

Kylie Jenner is known for her lips, but she’s also launched a skincare line. She’s been posting some things to be relatable, and many people believe that her marketing and PR team are behind this. Kylie Jenner owns Kylie skin which has been around for a few years, and honestly, it has not been selling very well. They’ve been doing some paid advertisements to try and push more products. And while her makeup line is objectively very good, people who are shopping for skincare need something that is formulated for their skin. And based on the lack of perceived passion that Kylie has for skincare, Cassandra is not surprised it’s not doing very well.  

As a result, the brand has tried to do photo shoots and ad campaigns to help sales. As part of this, Kylie decided to go into a lab to talk about how her products were formulated, but when she did, she did so in a very dangerous and unsanitary way. Specifically, she did it without a hairnet, a mask, or gloves. While it is very cool to see behind the scenes of cosmetic manufacturing, a lot of these large vats or machines can be extraordinarily dangerous. People have gotten seriously hurt by not following proper personal protective equipment. You also have to tie your hair and clothing back so it doesn’t get stuck in the mixers.

Not to mention, leaning over one of these open vats could drop bacterial particles from the mouth or nose. Makeup, loose hair, or dandruff could also fall into the vat. She was also seen swatching things with her bare hands in the lab. This perpetuates bad manufacturing practices that unfortunately could seriously hurt someone if replicated. She came under backlash but then said that “it was only for a photo." But, that statement also reveals how there was not a lot of substance to the information in the ad. 

#2 Khloe Kardashian connects with her viewers about sun protection, and she is so right.

Photo cred: Khloe Kardashian

Another Kardashian posted something that could save lives. Quite recently, Khloe Kardashian posted an Instagram story about a strange growth on her cheek. It had been there for about 6-7 months. She went to go see her dermatologist. Khloe has a history of melanoma skin cancer, and she speaks avidly about sun protection and using sunscreen. This awareness is huge and can save lives. She is prompting people to ask, “What is this growth? I’m going to get it checked out” upon seeing a spot instead of just letting it fester. 

Khloe’s derm said it was precancerous. So, it was something that could have turned into cancer. She even shared what she was going through in real time so she could help others. So many people don’t realize how a red spot or mole could end up being cancerous. You always want to look for ABCDs or EGFS of skin cancer.

A:  Is the mole asymmetrical? If you were to put a line down the middle, is it even on both sides? 

B: Is there border irregularity? Is the border even, or is it jagged?

 C: Is the color even throughout, or is it different colors in different areas?

D: Is the diameter bigger than the back of a pencil? 

E: Is it evolving or changing?

F: Is it firm? 

G: is it growing, morphing, or evolving? 

All of these things are very important, and it’s better to get the spot checked out by a professional as opposed to having it turn into something that threatens your life.  So, we love that Khloe promotes correct product sunscreen uses and sun damage awareness!

#3 Kim Kardashian might wrongly talk about sleeping in makeup, but her skincare line doesn't miss the mark.

Speaking of incorrect product use, Kim Kardashian has openly shared that she can sleep in a full face of makeup. She speaks about it as if it’s a talent. We understand that Kim Kardashian has be to constantly camera ready. However, people who want to be like her may follow this habit and subsequently have breakouts, skin irritation, or even worsened skin conditions. As a celebrity, you have a platform that people subscribe to. So, you have to be careful about the information you put out there. Despite this, Kim Kardashian has been open about her struggle with psoriasis. This comes across as a bit ironic since a lot of her SKKN products are chock full of fragrance. That’s not beneficial for anyone with barrier issues.  However, some of her products don’t have fragrance, and Kim has worked with estheticians and dermatologists to formulate the products.

#4 Kourtney Kardashian wrongly advises DIY microneedling while promoting Poosh.

Photo cred: Kourtney Kardashian

Unfortunately, Poosh by Kourtney was not so great. In promotion of the skincare line, she said that “Your skin deserves minerals, not chemicals.” But, everything is made of chemicals. Nevertheless, “natural” and “clean” marketing likes to vilify them. Eventually, she retracted that statement but she couldn’t retract her error on microneedling advice. Kourtney created a DIY microneedling roller that could harm people’s skin, cause keloid scarring, and spread infection, and she’s selling it for $200. She promotes DIY microneedling and talks about keeping it clean. But, in one of her tutorials, she puts the microneedling tool under a tap water faucet and dried it off on a fibrous towel before putting it on her face. So, whatever the tool picked up, she then rolled it into her face. She didn’t cleanse the face properly beforehand either.

This could spread acne bacteria or staph bacteria across the skin. So, do not use this at home. However, she did share with others that you should take your sunscreen down your neck and chest, and then, apply it to the back of your hands. She claims to do this for cosmetic purposes, but in reality, it’s a great way to protect the skin from UV radiation.

So, while celebrities like the Kardashians might be at the forefront of beauty trends, they are not the authority on skincare. And when we hear them give advice, we should always approach it with a guarded mindset.