5 Viral Skincare Products Debunked

Recently, it seems as if skincare has been a hot topic on almost every social media platform, and its appeal never seems to go away. I love trying out new products and seeing their benefits manifest into glowing skin. It always gives me satisfaction and self-confidence! However, with all the benefits that having a good skin care regimen come with, it's important to take caution with which products you choose to use on your skin. Every week, a new product seems to go viral and has hundreds of influencers and celebrities promoting and praising it; whether you watch it on Vogue's YouTube channel or through your daily dose of TikTok. These products flood the market, and it’s easy to take another person's word for what they advertise, especially when they have glass skin to back up their claims. Sometimes these products not only cost you a pretty penny but also might be hiding some ingredients that may be bringing you more harm than good. 

Here's where I can help; let's discuss 5 viral skincare products that the internet seems to love, and see if they live up to the hype or if there's more to the story. 😳

*Please note that if a product works well for you, then keep using it! These are just some of my thoughts and recommendations based on the information online that I have researched as well as personal experience :)*

*All skincare facts listed in the article can be found here* 

Mario Badescu Facial Spray

Source: Mario Badescu

The year is 2019, and alongside the COVID-19 pandemic and recent lockdowns, Tiktok was at an all-time rage; and so was the Mario Badescu Facial Spray. Seriously, it seems as if this product has not lost popularity since then, I still see it being sold everywhere, from Sephora to Shoppers and even Amazon.

However, think twice before you purchase this product, specifically the one pictured above; their facial spray with aloe, cucumber, and green tea. This is because this specific product contains the ingredients Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, and Linalool. These ingredients are just different names for certain fragrances, however, these are kind of concerning because of their properties. When these fragrances become exposed to air, such as when you apply the product to your face, they may oxidize, changing their chemical form into something different, and something more harmful. This oxidized version of the fragrance is shown to cause skin irritation, sensitivity, and most concerning, it becomes an allergen. In fact, Hexyl Cinnamal is required to be listed separately on ingredient lists because of its allergen potential.

So if you have sensitive skin, or just want to avoid the risk of developing possible allergies, maybe skip on buying this one. 

Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Mask

Source: Amazon

Now, this product is a real oldie but goodie. Its only ingredient is all-natural Calcium Bentonite clay. its green colour means that it is rich in copper, zinc, and manganese. The calcium bentonite works well and is excellent at absorbing things: it can suck up the sebum and gunk from the skin, sort of like a vacuum, and make it instantly smooth. It can do this because bentonite’s charge allows it to attract things with a positive charge, such as dirt, oil, and impurities from your pores. This property not only makes it good for keeping skin clean, but also for calming infections, and skin allergies.

The only warning is that the product advises that you mix the clay with equal parts apple cider vinegar to unlock its “full potential”. Apple cider vinegar is more acidic than your skin's pH, and it may cause burning or dryness if used on sensitive skin. It is probably best to either dilute the apple cider vinegar in water or simply substitute water with the apple cider vinegar to mix with the clay mask. Also, since calcium bentonite clay works as an absorber, it may absorb good oils and sebum from your skin alongside the impurities, leading to dryness or tightness, so it is recommended to not leave it on longer than the recommended time and to avoid using it too often. 

Sidenote - my friend swears by this mask, and says that it helps to keep her skin clear and clean.

COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence

Source: Mikaela Beauty 

I know what you’re thinking, snail… gross!

But seriously, this product is hands down, by far, one of my favourite products. And don't judge the snail mucin, it's an ingredient that truly carries so many benefits. Snail mucin, or, in other words, the slime that snails produce, has serious antioxidant properties thanks to two great antioxidant enzymes, Superoxide Dismutase and Glutathione S-Transferase.

Snail mucin is also scientifically proven to assist wound healing, and even lessen the amount of a certain bad enzyme that destroys collagen, the thing that makes your skin firm and plump. This is probably why this product is a favourite of many and one that I will be repurchasing time and time again 😌.

COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch

Source: COSRX

This product builds its hype from everyone's claim that it diminishes your pimple overnight; and this is true… sort of.

See, Cosrx acne patches are made of Hydrocolloid material. Hydrocolloid bandages are commonly used in the medical field to heal post-surgical wounds by speeding up the healing process, which is basically what the pimple patches do to a blemish. The pimple patch sits overtop of a spot, and over time, draws out the impurities from the pimple. It's important to note that they work best on whiteheads, where the pimple sits on the top of the skin and doesn't work as well on deeper underground pimples, as they don't allow the patch to reach the bacteria as it would a whitehead.

Another thing to add, these don't do much to treat the actual root cause of what causes the acne itself, so don't purchase these expecting them to cure all your acne. However, if you're the type of person with occasional breakouts, then go for it, it does do what it claims. 

Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun

One major factor that used to put me off of applying sunscreen was that I could never find one that worked right for my skin. Every sunscreen that I tried either dried out my skin, left my skin feeling greasy, or had a horrible white cast that left me looking 3 shades lighter than my actual skin tone.

However, it's safe to say that I am forever grateful to TikTok for letting me discover this product; I have finally found a sunscreen that has a minimal white cast, and that sinks into your skin feeling moisturizing and not greasy. This sunscreen is a chemical sunscreen that is a broad spectrum, meaning that it protects your skin from both UVA and UVB sun rays. It also includes skin calming and brightening ingredients, because it has 30% rice extract and grain probiotics complex. These help to supplement your skin's good bacteria, which balance the skin's pH and protect against DNA damage caused by environmental factors like pollution.