It’s time to set the record straight.

Lately I’ve been getting a lot of DMs and hearing questions from clients that indicate many of you have been tricked by the beauty industry.

Thanks to clever marketing, influencers who will sell/say anything to make a buck, and loose regulations in the US, beauty “fake news” is all around us.

So, how do you separate fact from bullshit? You trust reliable sources and do your own research. As a 20+ year veteran of the beauty industry, I’m frankly sick of seeing some of these lies and think it’s time I do some beauty mythbusting so you can make more informed decisions for your
skin–and your wallet.

Here we go!

Beauty myth: You need to use essence

Beauty fact: That’s bullshit. And frankly, so is the whole 10 or 12 or whatever-step routine nonsense. Sure, people who follow it have amazing skin. But so do people who use 4 steps and use THE RIGHT products
(trust me, it ain’t essence!).

Think about it. Why would a company who just so happens to sell skincare products also create a ridiculously rigorous routine and then tell you to follow it? Because the more you buy, the more money in their pockets!

Your beauty routine needs five basic things: double cleansers (I love BioDerma Micellar Cleansing Water & the Milk Cleanser), moisturizer, eye cream, SPF, retinol (or another exfoliant). That’s it! The key has never been how many steps are involved, though. It’s what ingredients you use.

Figure out what your skin needs is the first step to getting the results you want. Then, find high-quality products to get you there. Seriously, nothing derails a good skin care routine faster than shitty ingredients.

Set up a one-on-one consultation with me and I’ll be happy to talk through your skin type and make personalized recommendations for you!

Beauty myth: Setting sprays are the only way to make makeup last long

Beauty fact: As if! I never, ever use setting spray on my brides. And do you see their faces at the end of their long-ass day, full of crying, sweating, and more? Nothing has budged.

It’s simple, if you’re skilled at applying your makeup and you use good makeup, it’s not going to melt down on you!

Having tested setting sprays personally, I can tell you they have terrible spray nozzles, make you look like you’ve been spat on, and generally contain drying ingredients that make your makeup look nasty AF.

A great alternative to setting sprays that actually works to set the makeup is the Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Microfinish Powder.

Beauty myth: Schedule a monthly facial for healthy skin.

Beauty fact: They’re just trying to take your money, honey!

While it sounds nice, if you take care of your skin at home with good products, you definitely do not need a monthly facial. And if they insist, make sure your facialist knows you’re not to be fu*ked with!

I’m not saying a monthly facial will harm you. If your skin and wallet can handle it, be my guest! As for me, I’ll stick to going once every 2 months and my skin still won’t look unhealthy in comparison!

Some skin types can even do worse with facials as they can aggravate the skin and trigger breakouts. If this happens to my clients, I tell them to not get facials altogether!

Beauty myth: Using products with collagen in them will increase your skin’s collagen supply

Beauty fact: Your skin can’t even absorb topically applied collagen! The molecules are too large.

Sure, whatever product you’re using might provide beneficial moisture, but there is no way it’s going to do anything to increase your skin’s elasticity or stimulate collagen production.

Instead of rubbing collagen on your face and hoping it works, turn to methods that are actually proven to rebuild your skin’s collagen layer.

Consider using and ingesting vitamin C daily, get a prescription retinoid, and schedule Fraxel laser or RF microneedling treatments! These medical skin treatments offer Collagen Induction Therapy (or CIT). When they safely heat your skin’s deep layers to precise temperatures, it triggers your natural elastin and collagen production to go into overdrive!

Beauty myth: You can plump your lips without injections

Beauty fact: Step away from the stinging, tingling glosses or those insane suction devices and no one gets hurt.

Please stop wasting your money on “lip plumping” glosses that hurt you (and your boyfriend) and do literally zero to make your lips look any different (or if you do get any fullness it lasts max an hour). If you want plumped lips, I think you know what you have to do.

Take it from me. Lip injections are quick, easy, and absolutely worth it. They’re also the only way you’re going to get the perfect pout! Or be my guest and keep clowning it up with over-lined lips like we see in those Instagram Reels!

Beauty myth: “This product is 100% All Natural/Medical-Grade/Hypoallergenic/Organic”

Beauty fact: Those terms are bullshit!

Have you heard of a marketing term or phrase? There’re many words out there that sound super convincing that don’t actually mean anything.

1. 100% All Natural – The problem with products labeled “natural” is that there is no standard meaning for these types of marketing claims in our country. A “natural” skincare product may use plant-based ingredients and also contain preservatives or other man-made chemical substances. This (and the other marketing terms I’m mentioning) imply that this product is more effective than others when that’s just not true.

2. Medical-Grade – Again, this is another baseless marketing term with no actual definition. Say Neutrogena wakes up one day and decides that terrible grapefruit face scrub is now that terrible medical-grade grapefruit face scrub. They can totally do it and not change a single thing about the product. Just because they slap words that make it sound stronger or more effective does not mean you should buy it. Remember what I said earlier, using the right ingredients for your skin with solid products is what works.

3. Hypoallergenic – There is no standard meaning attached to the term “allergen-free” or “hypoallergenic” in skincare, and companies do not have to show any specific evidence of this in order to call a certain product “allergen-free.” Am I blowing your mind yet?

4. Organic – In 2005 (15+ years ago), the USDA updated the standards that skincare products need to follow in order to use the term “organic” in their marketing. Anywhere from 75% to 94% of a skincare product’s ingredients must be organic in order for this claim to be made on the label. So feel free to buy your organic products, but don’t count on it being truly all organic.

Beauty myths gone wild

And here’s a bunch more beauty BS that I want you to stop falling for!

Forget diets & working out, you just need to go get CoolSculpting or Emsculpt to look good! Didn’t anyone ever tell you that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is? These machines are based on actual science, but they don’t really set realistic expectations, either. All those before and after photos you see are first: taken on people who got the very best and most noticeable results and two: the people in them continued their regular diet and workout routine! Plus, laying there getting your fat frozen and prodded or having all your muscles painfully seize at once is not only painful, it also will not give you even close to what just plain, good old fashioned exercise will!

If you want hydrated skin, just drink a ton of water! This makes me facepalm so hard. While yeah, you should drink a lot of water, and it does contribute to healthier looking skin, it doesn’t actually get delivered to your skin! Staying hydrated ensures all the cells in your body function optimally. So it naturally follows that when your skin cells function at their best, you look your best! It’s that simple!

Shrink your expanded pores with this product! Noooo! Your pores cannot actually change size. Rather, how small or large they appear is a reflection of how clean they are. Stop buying products that promise to make you look like you have “glass” or “poreless” skin and instead focus on diligently following the skincare routine that works best for you. Double cleanse nightly and use products with AHAs, BHAs, clay, or retinol as appropriate to keep your pores squeaky clean. To hide noticeable pores, you can use a pore minimizing primer (but don’t expect a miracle). My top two are by Laura Mercier and Make Up For Ever.

Laser hair removal? Not so much. It is actually called laser hair reduction. Remember about sounding too good to be true? That’s right, there’s no laser that can permanently remove all your hair. In reality, you get about 80% to 90% less noticeable hair in the treated areas, but there’s still gonna be some there. I love laser hair removal, but want to make sure you’re prepared! For some people it can also stimulate more hair growth and go in the opposite direction! Even when you’ve reached the Sphinx stage, you can get pregnant and your raging hormones can cause wild hair growth, too.

It’s got gold in it, so it must be of high quality. Nah! Seriously, stop buying anything that claims there’s gold in it. It’s doing literally nothing for you! Instead, join me in sitting back and chuckling at the people that fall for it.

Trust me, I could keep going for days about this, but I’ll stop here and encourage you to go out and seek more truths on your own. Remember, take everything you see on Instagram with a grain of salt (especially when it’s #Sponsored). Consider who stands to benefit the most from the claims made. Go double check what the experts have to say before buying into it yourself.

As always, I’m here to help you with my one-on-one consultations! We can sit down, go over your skin concerns and type, your current routine, and make adjustments for whatever’s not working. Reach out to my team to schedule yours!

Keep up with my latest favorite products, looks, and work by giving me a follow on Instagram

Love you guys, and Happy Diwali to all those celebrating!

KC

Don’t Forget!

I still offer virtual and in-person makeup sessions to advise on your products, techniques, and anything else you want to know about!