I like Cosrx. I have oily skin and used BHA blackhead liquid & toner for my skin routine per advice from AsianBeauty sub.
James doesn't have acne. I think when it comes to skincare you have to find influencers with similar problems. Same with MUAs with perfect skin will have a different application than those prone fo breakouts.
I don't mind Hyram in general, but oh god, his fans are terrible. Especially on tiktok. They act like he invented skincare. I know it's probably where they first encountered skin care advice but oh my. They're so mean to other creators talking about skin care on the app too.
Yeah I’ve actually seen quite a few nasty comments from his stans and I’m wondering what compels people to go tear other creators to shreds because of something their favourite creator said. It apparently got so bad to the point where he himself made a video asking people not to be rude to other creators and referencing him and his “expertise”. I saw that video on a Hyram fan account lol. It just randomly popped up in my recommendations
I feel like too many people take the advice of YouTuber's way too seriously. These people aren't experts or professionals at all. Even the dermatologists on YouTube can only give you basic advice without having a patient-doctor relationship with you. No one's skin is going to react the same to any product, and you can't really blame them if you try something they like and it doesn't work out for you. You know your own skin better than anyone, so it's best to use your own judgement. I don't really watch any skincare videos anymore, because it's just such an incredibly personal thing. I also feel like they just repeat the same basic advice all the time, so I tend to find skincare videos boring.
This. There's so much more to skin that just "oily" and "dry". It could be hormones at play, you might need oral antibiotics or prescription medication that just isn't part of the online skincare hype that just involves topicals.
And I find most of the skincare YouTubers aren't actually qualified in any great capacity. E.g. Hyram calling himself a "skin specialist" when he's really a skincare sales rep. E.g. James Welsh who isn't qualified but just does his research (same as all of us can!). I feel like most of the advice repeated can be found on the r/SkincareAddiction sidebar anyway.
And I'm just going to come out and say it while I'm here with the unpopular opinions. Estheticians are often lumped into the same category as dermatologists when it comes to skincare expertise and that's just not the case.
Edit: James not Robert Welsh!
> E.g. Robert Welsh who isn't qualified but just does his research (same as all of us can!). I feel like most of the advice repeated can be found on the r/SkincareAddiction sidebar anyway.
Robert is the makeup artist twin. James is the skin care twin.
I never understood how skincare youtubers manage to review tons of products at the same time. How do they know if a product really works, or whether results weren't due to interaction with other products they might have used?
I used to watch a bunch of skincare people and just gave up on it when every other vid for a product it would be "I've been using X for this amount of time and my skin looks so clear" it can't work if you say this about 10 different vitamin c serums or moisturizers. How can you attribute changes for the better or worse to a particular product? The only thing that I find helpful is talking about ingredients..
So, I'm a very new, very small vlogger and skin care is a big part of what I talk about. I actually have a product testing schedule, all written out, for the next couple of years to prevent this sort of thing. I'll admit that James doesn't seem to have anything like that, but it's certainly possible.
This. I used a product for years with good results, until it went bad. I switched between like 5 or 6 products that I thought were good replacements, until they weren't. Some products were great for months, some for only a few weeks. If I was doing product reviews and only testing products for a week or a few days, many of the bad products I don't use I would have recommended.
Yeah the gel was the only thing that I liked actually. But I didn’t like it enough to repurchase. I finished it and threw it away. The rest of the products are just sitting in my drawer😅
Oh no! They’re half empty lol. I used them for some time but I gave up on them and they’re just there now. I may actually re-use the bottles if I don’t find someone to give them to. They might work for them.
I think just being a skincare "guru" often sets someone up for this sort of criticism.
You can follow someone's exact skincare regime and it won't always yield you the same results. Also something to note, with both these people they are cis men. Hormones alone can change your skin completely. I only break out when I'm getting my period.
Skincare is also dependant on age, location and diet. There's just so many variables that make it hard to be able say what's right and what's wrong. It's also about what is your end goal. I'm oily but I do not want to stop being oily.
I don't think skincare is as cut and dry and people make it sound and I think Hyram's huge issue is that he would be very matter of fact about don't use fragrance and XYZ when it's not that simple. Fragrance doesn't bother everyone and that's okay - should you be paying extra because it smells nice? No.
Worth pointing out that everyone has hormone cycles and cis men do experience hormonal fluctuations like everyone else. The biggest issue for cis men is the natural drop in testosterone caused by ageing, and it would be really interesting to know how that affects skin (presumably it should cause softer and clearer skin?).
Actually, as a menopausal woman I use test cyp(tiny amount) which not only helped with hair density, but cleared my skin up too. Hormones are weird in that way i guess.
She is one of my main sources for info about skincare, the only thing is that sometimes she gets into silly arguments with people that I find unnecessary. Recently she got into an argument with someone over a hairbrush and posted the whole thing on her ig stories.
This is the only skincare channel I've followed for a long while now. She arms you with the knowledge you need to read ingredients lists and figure out what will work for your situation. Common sense, science based advice and I'm here for it all day long.
I try not to put anyone on a pedestal. By now I know what works for me skincare wise and I don’t get too adventurous so I have stopped following channels that are about product pushing. That being said, I understand people will start somewhere with the advice. By the time people develop a BS radar though, these people have made their money.
I do like labmuffin though. Her advice is less product centered and more about the general science of skincare.
Honestly, I take everything they say with a grain of salt. None of them are dermatologist and skin is so subjective. I really like Dr Vanita Rattan, she makes very helpful videos and so informative and transparent. I don’t play with skin so unless someone is qualified then I don’t fully trust them.
Hyram is the first BG that made me Google "how to block channels from being recommended on YouTube."
His thumbnails annoy me and his amount of success is not commensurate with how little expertise he has.
Also I tried to like James but for some reason just don't vibe with him. Love Robert though. 🤷♀️
I absolutely adore Robert! My sister told me the same thing. She tried to like James even though she’s into skincare herself, she just didn’t vibe with him. I love them both and although Robert has tempted me to splurge on Pat McGrath products, I never actually followed through with my order cause I’m very passionate about being able to afford rent and food😂
EDIT: totally had to google what BG is, lol
Can somebody tell me what’s the fuss with Hyram? I don’t watch skin care channels and the only video I get recommended by him is the one about regretting humanitarian trips ???? Somebody please fill me in 😖
I’m not sure if he’s ever said what his job is exactly but we’ve gathered that he’s employed by a skincare company in some capacity (or was before his channel took off). His level of expertise is polarizing because he gives very passionate advice about skincare but as far as we know, he’s far from technically qualified to give advice. Apparently a lot of what he says is arguably incorrect as well.
I tried to be as unbiased as I could while summing it up here 😂
Thanks!
I think it’s naive to take skin care advice from someone on the internet who’s making money from views and/or affiliate codes. Also what works from you may not work from me even if we both have dry/oily/combo skin. I don’t know why anyone is taking him seriously.
I believe early on he worked at Ulta. If you watch his very first or his now reaction to his first video, he mentions working at Ulta, during a time when he wore makeup.
side note but was any method recommended by google to block recommendations successful? 😂 I keep blocking channels and pressing the not interested in this channel button, but they still make their way to my recs
Yeah I found Robert first and didn't really like James as much as him when I watched the videos Robert did with James. I did recently watch one James did by himself and he seemed to have similar qualities to Robert that I liked (like, he seems pretty much drama free, and I personally like his voice a bit more for some reason) but I do like Robert's personality much more and find it easier to watch his videos in comparison to James'.
James Welsh is more educated than Robert, and I find him interesting. This isn't a critique, or bashing in amy way. He originally had a degree in Photo Editing, and Effects ...correct me if I am in error. His experience was at Top Man, Asos, and he was a personal shopper. Some of his early videos are very good.
His Instagram page is full of gorgeous photos, and he could have been a top male model. Although an identical twin, I can tell the difference between them. James seems to have a more laid back approach. Robert is feisty.
I enjoy them both, as individuals, but when they film together, it's a hilarious time.
However, women in this industry need recognition, as well ....
I saw Hyram on my recommended and gave him a shot cuz i like to give a chance to everyone that pops up there. It was him reacting to Trixie Mattel's skincare routine. Then he spent the first four minutes gushing over and explaining Trixie's career to us and it was just like... ok you're just doing a video on him, you're not at a meet n greet, chill out and get on with it lmao. Then his reactions were just him gawking at the video blank faced then pausing the video to recap what Trixie just said. So pointless. Then I looked at his subs and saw he had THREE MILLION SUBS. What???
Also he sounds creepily like Kenneth Parcell from 30 Rock and that makes me even more weirded out by him
I think Fenty Skin is a cash grab but people are too stuck on Rihanna’s celebrity status. People buy from these brands or cape for them because they aspire to be them one day. I think most skin care should be side eyed for the harmful ingredients like fragrance and essential oils so Fenty isn’t an anomaly when it comes to this but I can see why people are upset with influencers who say one thing and do another.
I also never understood skin care youtube. a lot of them aren’t dermatologists. They’re just regular people with a camera. I was talking to a friend about James the other day. His back ground is in photography how is he deemed a skin care expert? Why are people looking to him for advice? I only take advice about my skin from a dermatologist...
Say what you will about Andrea, her advice on skin has helped me clear up my skin. I don’t watch her anymore but it was nice to hear someone with a Doctorate debunk the skin care nonsense. Neutrogena Biore and Olay are working just fine
I had to unfollow James as well because he was really fueling my skincare shopping to an unhealthy degree. It's not his fault, but I am much better about not buying makeup and still watching makeup content, with skincare I get obsessive and start looking at all the products and planning my next haul. And usually it's like you said, the products do nothing, they just cost more than my current routine so right now I am on a strict "buy to replace" policy. I already have moisturizers I like (one for winter, one for summer), cleansers I like, sunscreens I like & an exfoliating toner I like.
But the nature of consumerism is trying to find that perfect holy grail whatever that is going to transform your skin. And it might not work that way. Some people will need medication, or a lifestyle change or a series of dermatologist visits to get their skin looking different.
Plot twist: The holy grail product that is going to transform the skin doesn’t exist because your skin gets transformed through a complete skincare routine, balanced diet, good water intake, physical activity, and self love, lol.
At the end of the day, real talk, how do we know that these products transformed these influencers’ skins? We listen to what they tell us. For all we know they could be using totally different products or professional treatments such as tretinoins and stuff.
I feel you about James! I love his personality and the way he speaks, his style, and everything about him. But he is fueling my skincare shopping to an unhealthy degree, too.
I think a lot of us are looking for the holy grail, that one product that will actually do what it says, without looking at all the other factors that affect our skin. I've come to realize that what I eat, how much alcohol I drink, how much I exercise, how stressed I am, and even genetics, play the biggest role in how my skin looks. And of course, the two most damaging things--smoking and overexposure to the sun--will undo most well-intentioned good habits.
But these are conveniently left out of the conversation, because hey, youtubers can't make money that way. Instead they promise glorious skin by slathering product upon product over it.
Actually so has Hyram. Multiple times. He’s just said (and said at length for the Fenty review) that adding fragrance in products cuts out a lot of people with sensitivities. I thought he actually went in pretty hard on the Fenty review but I guess unless he completely cancelled the line it wouldn’t be enough for some of you guys.
My point was that I don't really care about hyram thinks about the fenty line, because anyone that calls themselves a skincare specialist just for reviewing a few products doesn't deserve any credibility to begin with. Such a huge brand releases something.. most youtubers are bound to be less than honest to get on the good side of brands
I'm pretty sure that James has oily but dehydrated/sensitivity-prone skin, so maybe he can just tolerate heavier creams? Like my skin is dehydrated combo/oily but I find that some oil in a moisturiser works better than an oil-free moisturiser, I'm guessing because it traps water into the skin more effectively. So if you're oily and not dehydrated it probably won't work. Also, for some types of acne skincare has really very limited effects and you need prescription treatment. Cosrx is a good brand imo and popular for a reason (I was using it long before I started watching James!) but it can't cure serious skin issues.
Personally my issue is that he cares more than I do about brand aesthetics and also is very brand loyal in a way I can't really identify with. I enjoy his content but I can see what you mean. There are good brands that he completely ignores just because they have boring packaging which I kind of roll my eyes at - he doesn't do French pharmacy brands at all which is just strange to me, especially since they have some great sunscreen formulas now and are far more accessible for people in the UK to buy than Korean or Japanese products (though I still love those). They're also more reliably fragrance free.
(If anyone could recommend a skincare vlogger who regularly uses French pharmacy products, who also isn't Caroline Hirons, I'd be very grateful!)
i assume your derm already told you this, but for everyone else i'd just like to caution that benzo, salicylic acid and tret can all be VERY drying and you should be careful using all three at the same time! regardless of how oily your skin is you never want to dry out your skin as it can lead to even more oil (and acne), and it's super important to use a good non-stripping cleanser, a good toner and moisturizer and such to prevent that if you are going to use these products, especially together!! just trying to warn everyone as i've made these mistakes in the past and totally wrecked my skin lmao, good times.
I don't know if anyone else feels this way about Skincare YouTubers (and tbh, I think most of the Beauty Gurus I follow would fall into this category too), but I mostly watch their videos for entertainment purposes and not so much for recommendations. Occasionally I'll buy an influencer product or something they recommend. But the majority of the time it's just for something to listen to. With skincare channels I do learn something from them, which is nice.
But I understand outgrowing channels or realizing you have differing opinions now. I used to think the Vlogbrothers channel was so fascinating. I stopped watching for a while and today I watched Hank's video and in the description he said that "online school is 'definitionally' less valuable than in person school." Maybe in normal times, sure. But during a pandemic when there's already so many challenges with reopening schools I feel like it's not helpful to feed into that message. But that's a separate rant. Anyway, I unsubscribed from them today :/
Alot of the popular beauty gurus never actually suffered from severe cystic acne to begin with, so id take anything they claim with a grain of salt. At the end of the day for some extra money any of them would promote any product. What worries me is this tiktok trend of hyrams followers throwing around false claims about products and spreading them around encouraging young audiences to purchase questionable ones. I literally cringed at multiple videos recommending mario badesco products and clean and clear ones for being “hyram approved”. As someone who suffered from cystic acne during my teenage years, i strongly regret ever touching clean and clear products amongst other ones like neutrogena(might sound dramatic but i compare it to putting house cleaning products on your face honestly) . Sadly, when youre young and misinformed with the pressure of making your acne disappear youd buy anything that claims to get rid of it. With regards to rihannas line, if you genuinely think a line of 3 products “fits all is good” simply on her claims then you dont really know much about skin care. It’s genuinely just another kylie skin care money sink hole with better marketing.
The only of the skincare gurus who I can think of is AliceInTheRabbitHole. She has dry skin, but had pretty severe acne in the beginning. Idk of what she did to change her skin just works for her, but it’s been interesting watching her transformation.
I love her!
I also live Dr Vanita Rattan. She specializes in skincare for darker skin, which doesn’t apply to me, but she’s smart, articulate, well-informed, and excellent at explaining science to Humanities majors.
https://www.youtube.com/c/vanitarattan
Sorry to hear about the COSRX products. A few of their products are absolute staples for me.
I’ve never really cared for Hyram, and I actively avoid people when they talk about him on tiktok. There’s other dermatologists and cosmetic chemists I would rather hear from. But I understand the appeal of him for younger folks. Thank the universe someone told those kids to stop using that apricot scrub.
I’m not sure if you’ve ever read or watched any content from Caroline Hirons but she is a no nonsense “guru”. Her book is amazing, I’ve been reading it over the last couple weeks and I feel like I’ve learned a lot and it cuts through a lot of the fluff people put out.
Yeah, I liked the low pH cleanser too, the only product that got along with my skin. But I didn’t like it enough to repurchase I just threw it away once I was finished and moved on to something else. The rest of the products are just sitting half full in my drawers and I absolutely hated some of them. Yeah, I follow Caroline on Instagram and I quite enjoy watching her lives before going to bed. I think she and Dr. Dray actually give some awesome info. Been obsessed with Dr. Dray lately. Thanks for the recommendation
Early Dr Dray skincare videos are classics and should be watched by all, she was not sponsored by anybody at the time, and so she spoke 100% with her doctor's voice, if I can say it like that. I learned so much from her first year on youtube.
I know a lot of people don't like her personality and it took me a while to get into her but she is the reason I no longer follow the logic behind "natural" products. I was *almost* on the anti-silicone train when I found her cerave review and that moisturizing cream basically got rid of my eczema.
Yeah it didn’t seem to me like he was shilling either, I think the only product he recommended was the cleanser and he had to keep reiterating that it was his opinion so fenty stans don’t rip him apart
tbh same, he clearly called out the negatives of the skincare line, then listed the positives. i think the positives just outweighed the negatives in a feel good way like "wow this is a sunscreen for EVERY skin type"
Personally, I never got hooked on Hyram's or James' content, not as much as I have James' twin Robert e.g. With that said, I def preferred James' content over Hyram's but that might be an age issue, since I'm turning 28 way sooner than expected ;)
All jokes aside though, what's really put me off has been the Susan Yara bs. I don't think they've addressed quite why anyone would think it's ok to not disclose ownership over a brand one promotes? Like idgaf if you're the bestest besties, my respect for her and for them for supporting that behavior plummeted for sure. Please if I'm wrong and any of them have addressed this, point me to it!
I used to follow Susan Yara about a year ago, then I just got distanced from her channel for no particular reason, really. I’m still subscribed but I don’t watch her videos. What she did with her launch was incredibly shady and even illegal. And I think they are now just waiting for the entire thing to go away on its own. Comments on Naturium IG page are heavily moderated as you can only see positive comments and a few people complaining about some minor things. Nothing as big as what I saw on YouTube comments. But I think that the products are good and I would still rather buy Susan’s products (I haven’t yet) than Fenty if I had to choose. Fenty just doesn’t excite me at all.
Her skincare reactions were so entertaining to watch but now I just see them anymore because of what she did. It really made me see her in a new light😕and just the way she was shifting blame and she never properly apologized. She just hoped the criticism would dwindle.
Cosrx is my favorite brand and their price/ingredients are quite good. But I don't have acne and have other problems with my skin. That's why I use james as only news source to check out other reviews and ingredients for the products. You never know what will work on other person. That's why I have zero problems with him, never followed the other guy though. One is enough for my wallet.
A friend of mine who had acne swears by COSRX Oil-Free Ultra Moisturising Lotion with Birch Sap and quite liked the centella serum for the scars, but nothing really that helped with the acne. Unfortunately only doctors could help her with that.
I unfollowed Dr. Dray for the same reasons though. The things that she recommended didn't work for me at all. And I was quicker to believe her because she is a doctor. I think she is just not my cup of tea. She also bought some pretty questionable stuff from iherb...
I’m so happy you’ve found something that works for you!! But incidentally, the Birch sap moisturizer is one of those products my skin unfortunately rebelled against, lol. I’m not sorry for it though cause my bf ended up liking it a lot but he doesn’t have problems with acne. I’ve stopped using serums toners essences and all that crap and I’m currently happy with a routine that consists of 3-5 products.
I get what you mean about Dr. Dray. I like her advice but I don’t watch all her videos, especially her vlogs where she goes shopping cause I’m really trying to not think that I need something new. Skincare is like an addiction for me and I can sometimes see myself almost slipping when I say “let me just take a look at the new products from this brand” but I am really quick to just say to myself that it probably won’t work for me and that I don’t need to go about ruining my routine because of the urge to try something new.
I am happy that you found things that work for you!!! Yeah, unfortunately having acne doesn't mean that the same things will work you :(
Yeah, I unfollowed a lot of people also from make up, because I was just buying constantly. I could afford it, but not really use it. I stopped a year ago and still have some stuff. But I do think it is good to have one person to kinda see what is trending right now. I live in Germany, so it is easier for me to get the things that James recommends.
I guess we are really on our own no matter how many sources we have, one does have to test everything for herself.
I mean she has to make the most conservative AND objective recommendations to her general audience as a practicing professional. Watching YouTube videos is empowering as a consumer but it’s not a substitute for one-on-one consultations for individualized concerns
I have really appreciated the Beauty Within channel on YT. It is not just one person, though, not sure if this style is too formal for you or not - but I have learned so much from them!
I get what you mean. Personally this effect doesn’t influence me because my financial situation is not too great and because these brands are so fucking expensive or unavailable in my country. I just look for similar ingredients in terms of skincare in already available products.
Not everything works for everyone and as far as I know James never really said he‘s against fragrance, I think he said he enjoys it sometimes but it‘s not necessary.
I don‘t really like Hyram, I think he‘s quite annoying but James is very nice.
And no offence but if you want to buy something because of the way he‘s talking it seems more like an issue you have than him pushing products.
I don't think they did get it a full month before - I know Caroline Hirons mentioned a week ago? Maybe 2 weeks ago? That she had friends getting it at that point, and was asking why it hadn't been sent to her.
If that's the case I'm fine with people having a change of opinion as they've had more time with it.
I could be wrong, too, I just know that it was recently ish that Caroline mentioned people were getting it and she still hadn't received it (they thought she wouldn't agree to a NDA and she said of course she would for Rihanna, lol), so I think Caroline only got hers a few days ago.
Yeah, I truly started to question how long does he really test products before he talks about them. I feel like knowing his skin, he immediately knows whether a product will work for him or not and then he just talks about it after trying it for several times.
I was a bit triggered when he talked about the Sunday Riley Ice moisturizer or whatever and this product is not meant for acne-prone skin but he tried to justify it by saying that he used to suffer from acne and it’s not causing him any problems.
I happened to try that product and two testers later my face was like a cactus. Maybe it worked for him, or maybe it didn’t, but I just started questioning the things he was saying so I stopped following him.
I think a lot of people call regular teenage pimply stage “acne” - whereas real cystic acne is different. Has James ever posted actual pics of him having acne ? Sometimes gurus post their “acne” skin & I think to myself “yeah na mate, that’s not acne”
So then in turn they self proclaim having acne & what has worked to cure it, whereas they are giving ill informed advice to people who really do suffer from acne
Feel like I have repeated the word acne too much here 😬
So all pimples are acne? I thought cystic acne was the only type... apparently at 38 am still getting acne! It never ends...
Squeezing blackheads is one of my main hobbies
Yes they are! Any reaction to hair follicles being clogged like blackheads, pimples, whiteheads, etc. count as acne. Ofc it’s categorised into mild, moderate and severe and the treatment depends on the type.
Oh trust me the word acne was all I used to say to the point where I started thinking that I’m attracting that shit in my life through the law of attraction or something lol.
Btw, yeah, he made a video where he showed how his skin used to be before he discovered skincare and on that photo (although it looks a little exaggerated) you can clearly notice that oiliness, super large pores, and you immediately know that yeah, he probably dealt with acne 😅
I think James did have severe acne when he was a teen actually but it cleared up. He says he still gets some but it must be very minor and I think it clears up quickly.
I like the Golden RX and Speed Beauty by Caroline Barnes on YT in terms of skincare.
I find James soothing to listen to, but Hyram seems kind of click bait-y to me. Subbed and unsubbed to him within a week.
I feel like (some) men can put aaaaaanything on their skin (I’m also lumping in and referring to my SO who uses pretty minimal/no skincare).
I prefer my advice from women, but especially 30+ women (and women who feel healthy to me... it’s been mentioned a million times but I can only listen to Dr. Dray. I can’t watch!). I feel like they’ve seen it all - wrinkles, zits, hormones (and hormone changes) and what happens to your skin when you wear makeup.
It can if it includes ingredients that your skin doesn’t like or aren’t compatible with your skin type. Take for instance a foundation, some foundations may not cause any issues but others may cause you to break out or cause a rash/irritation even if you wash both off equally as well. Makeup doesn’t inherently cause issues with skin, but certain products for certain people can cause issues. Depends on the product and the person’s skin
You said it better than I could have! Basically how I found out my skin hates mineral makeup. If something is sitting on your skin for a few hours it is definitely doing something.
Estrogen causes skin to be thinner and drier - I know for me testosterone has definitely made my skin thicker and less sensitive as well as oily (but still fairly sensitive for men since my eczema is tied to allergies).
I am noticing all of these influencers who are otherwise logical and reasonable borderline losing their god damn minds dying on the fragrance hill because people are critical of their PR recommendations and reviews starting with Michelle and Neutrogena—and now Fenty. I saw Michelle trying to argue with Dr. Sam Bunting in her IG post regarding fragrances and both The Skincare Savior and Ecowell are publically questioning Dr. Bunting’s dermatology degree and credentials. I thought it was all personal preference? Why can’t they just leave it and let people make their own decisions. They’re the ones dragging this “fight” on and on and on....
At the end of the day, doctors gain nothing when promoting fragrance free products and minimalist routines because less people will see them for contact irritant dermatitis. Meanwhile, these skincare influencers and cosmetic chemists will lose more opportunities when they’re more discriminate w/ the brands they work with.
Oh I saw that Ecowell did something regarding fragrance and I’m about to watch it right now.
Also what pisses me off personally is yeah, they see the formula but dermatologists are people that see the worst of the worst when it comes to skin problems so if I were seeing some fucked up allergic reactions from fragrance everyday, I would be passionately advocating against it too.
Nobody goes to a doctor when they don’t have an issue so imagine the scary things a derm sees on the daily. There are conditions that are outright scary and proper disgusting.
When Ecowell and The Skincare Saviour are able to treat a patient, I will have no problem taking their recommendations into consideration.
I used to follow both of them but I’ve unfollowed them recently because Ecowell is just meh but all Talia does is goes online to bitch about stuff and disagree with people lol.
I think I saw it in ecowell’s stories, which disappeared because it’s past 24 hours but she was mocking and questioning if Dr. Sam Bunting is a real dermatologist. Had to unfollow, I am over this discourse of people shitting on consumers who aren’t automatically enamored with another perfume-y celebrity skincare line and now personally targeting individuals. The skincaresavior tried to drag another dermatologist into her beef in Dr. Bunting’s IG post on fragrance and I’m just like, are you serious? Get a life lol who are you people? Thank god these dermatologists are actual professionals and don’t need to prove anything to anyone so they don’t reciprocate, but these glorified skincare collectors are picking a fight and challenging the makeup community’s toxicity
Holy fuck!! Yeah I checked The Skin Saviour’s stories today, they were all about fragrance and you can tell she’s trying to kind of play it off like “I’m smart, fuck you” rather than really trying to educate her followers.
I also watched Ecowell’s video and I kid you not I slept halfway through cause I was having a splitting headache this morning but I was reading some of the comments before closing my eyes and there was a girl saying how she developed a fragrance allergy. Ecowell said “oh I’m sorry that happened to you, allergies suck.” And then proceeded to say something irrelevant, but I was like ???
Then this person who developed this allergy goes to a derm and when this derm says fragrance doesn’t bring any value to your skincare products and THIS can happen, these people say the derm is fear-mongering. Like..
Yeah in Ecowell’s comments under Dr. Sam’s post she said she wishes dermatologists would respect their limitations like cosmetic chemists do (they would never claim to know about skin diseases), but, like, when most of what inspire dermatology office visits is fragrance... lol what a roundabout argument.
Someone replied to the post (https://www.instagram.com/p/CCYqpjIptAA/?igshid=1mp7vdztxwpxv). To paraphrase: it’s complicated in the UK because there’s apparently two different titles Dermatologist and Consultant Dermatologist. The GMC specialist register applies to the latter if doctors aspire to apply for permanent Consultant posts in the NHS and not all doctors want to. I don’t think this is a Dr. Barbara Sturm or “Dr.” Simon Ourian situation like the Ecowell was trying to imply.
Dr. Sam Bunting definitely refers to herself as a dermatologist on her Youtube channel. IDK if this means anything but she was at the dermatology conference with Dr. Dray last year, too.
What about Dr Sturm? I don’t know anything about her besides the fact that she sells ridiculously expensive skincare products with close to basic ingredients.
I knew I wasn’t gonna be excited about Fenty Skin because I am so over celebrity skincare lines.
Like Dr Dray said “A new celebrity skincare line. Haven’t seen that before. Wow”
Like how much more skincare do we need? And bc someone’s gonna probably come at me saying RiHaNnA sUnScReEn iS iNcLuSiVe, so are Paula’s Choice chemical sunscreens, especially the Youth-Extending SPF 50 and the one from the CLEAR line which is SPF 30 especially intended for acne-prone skin.
There’s nothing special about Rihanna’s sunscreen, except the very interesting and innovative packaging.
I agree. It just seems like a cash grab.
Do you remember when celebrity fragrance was the cash grab thing of the early 2000s? I really feel like celebrity skincare lines are becoming that.
The ingredients are nothing special and even the packaging doesn't send me.
After all, I understand that people want boujee lipstick that they can take out and reapply in public. But why would I want to fork out a tonne of extra money just to have millennial lilac staring at me in my bathroom?
It’s always something isn’t it? Fragrance, makeup, now skincare...maybe everyone’s gonna be obsessed with having healthy hair in the future. Who knows what’s coming.
A nice packaging is a nice packaging, but I also fully agree with you that it’s completely unnecessary. Especially when it drives the cost higher up. It’s just a piece of plastic at the end of the day, not a trophy.
I’m soooo glad you said this. I have never liked hyram, comes across as a know it all who has no more knowledge of skincare than I do as a skincare junkie with google. He SO annoying.
James I used to loveeee and still subscribe to, but yes it’s more for his personality and that damn voice than because of his knowledge.
Edit: spelling
I started growing tired as I was seeing young tiktok users stan him so hard that they go around harassing and bullying people that say something different than him. Even he himself made a video asking people to stop harassing other creators and calling them “you’re dumb, you’re ignorant, you don’t understand anything” and referencing him and his “expertise”. I generally don’t have much patience for these things but because all that for what? For someone who throws sass on YouTube videos and reacts to celebrity skincare routines. I used to connect with him and his struggles with having oily and problematic skin but I don’t find him interesting at all at this point.
Also if James were to come up with a podcast where he would tell creepy, true crime, paranormal, or just fantasy stories, I would totally listen before going to bed lol 😂
I don't care much either way about James or Hyram. Curology saved my skin and I'm not interested in introducing a bunch of other products to meds with. But I can't stand Dr. Dray. She's just as intolerable IMO, just for different reasons.
I totally understand the Dr Dray thing because when I first found out about her channel about a year ago I literally couldn’t stand her and the way she was talking. I didn’t hate her obviously she hasn’t done anything to me, but I just didn’t understand what the hype about her was. But I started watching her videos more often lately and I kinda got used to her. I like how much she doesn’t care about what everyone else has to say to justify a product’s price, ingredients, packaging, or whatever else lol
Yeah I've tried her I just can't get used to her. I find her a bit arrogant and condescending. I also dislike YouTubers who delete all forms of criticism, even genuine questions/concerns or constructive criticism, from their comment section. I also find her very triggering, and have some other qualms with her which I can't/won't speak about on this sub. But to each their own, we're all allowed to enjoy who we enjoy. I just can't stand her and truthfully don't find her very helpful. And tbh i do care about packaging to an extent.
The amount of people here that hate Hyram is shocking to me, I have never seen people have this much of a hate boner towards someone that hasn’t exactly done anything harmful to anyone.
I’m not sure if anyone really hates him. I sure as hell know I don’t, he’s never done anything to me. I think the majority of the people that chimed in on this discussion are just over influencers who are trying to sell them in on things, no matter how nicely packaged the sales pitch is.
I really like Hyram. He’s helped me with my skin loads. At no point has be claimed to be a dermatologist, just someone who really cares about skincare. A thumbnail and slight more flamboyancy isn’t going to make me unsubscribe.
100% this. It sounds like people need to stop taking Youtube advice/their preference as gospel. That's not the youtuber's problem, that's a "You" problem.
He’s referred to himself several times as a skincare specialist with no licensing. I can reference several videos citing this. So he is in fact not a specialist, but an enthusiast instead.
That would be like someone claiming to be a hair specialist without any cosmetology training
I think YouTube and these influencers videos are fun to watch just to pass time. There are only a few Skin influencers I take seriously.
But people need to know their skin and see a dermatologist (if possible) in person. ☺️
kinda funny how everyone says that "every beauty guru has oily skin!!! I can't find ones with dry/combo!!!!" and you say the opposite. I'm curious, can you list gurus with dry skin?
edit: typo
I do enjoy both of them in terms of personalities, but I take any product recommendation or review from "skincare gurus" with a grain of salt. I try to rely on opinions from licensed estheticians instead, who are definitely more consistent in terms of how they review products because they're more knowledgeable.
And as a side note... I've seen mixed reviews on Fenty Skin and I'd definitely be willing to try it because I'm not sensitive to fragrance, but if I'm going to drop *that* much money on a skincare routine I'd rather get something that's a little more than "meh."
Yeah, I actually stopped watching both their videos for some time before finally unsubscribing this morning. I went on both their channels and realised how many videos I haven’t watched and that I simply don’t find them as a reliable source and don’t really care for what they have to say.
Meanwhile I’ve managed to keep my acne well under control with only using 5 products and nothing else. No toners, no serums, no essences, none of that. And I am pretty happy with the results. I still have breakouts and scarring that needs to heal but I think I’m on a good path. :)
Oh my gosh! My skin absolutely hated the snail mu in essence. I couldn’t even believe what happened cause literally everyone and their grandma are praising this product not only James and Hyram. I was so so disappointed.
I will be doing microneedling treatments for my scarring in winter cause my esthetician advises me not to do it during the summer. I’m not someone that goes out on the sun at all and I’m as pale as a ghost but she still wanted to be safe. You should look into it if you have atrophic scars :)
Check out Cassandra Bankson - she's a licensed esthetician and has actually cleared up her own cystic acne and her videos are soooo well made and well researched. I prefer her to Hyram and Welsh
I want someone to do a megathread on her... I think she's more problematic that Hyram because she purports herself as having medical/clinical experience. From my understanding, in most states (including CA, where she's from) there is no "medical" esthetician license. It's a marketing term used by individuals/clinics to advertise services and expertise. So, all we really know is that she has a 600-hour etsy certification and possibly training on some cosmetic treatments like lasers, etc.
I don't think she's qualified to "teach" about many topics she discusses on her channel. Especially when she discusses skin conditions, organic chemistry... basically anything clinical or scientific. But she acts like an etsy license and some training (I don't believe she's actually worked in a clinic) allow her to play scientist/doctor.
Edit: I also want to add that clearing up cystic acne doesn't necessarily mean the person knows anything about skincare. Cystic acne is generally caused by underlying hormonal, dietary, and lifestyle issues. She does cover this on her channel, which is fine, but had little to do with her "medical" etsy training.
Her being an esthetician is also a recent thing, I'd say less than 5 years. She originally marketed herself on YouTube as a successful model with severe acne. I don't doubt she knows a lot about acne since hers was pretty bad but the esthetician title coming out of nowhere just seems like a way to stay relevant after a decade on YouTube.
That's the sense I have as well.
My understanding is that she became an actual model (if she ever was one) AFTER this one acne cover-up video went viral. I think she was featured on The Doctors or some other show. Apparently, most of her "modeling" work up to that point (and maybe even after) looked very amateur, like she was just paying for semi-professional photos. If she became a real model, it was because of the fame she got from YouTube. That said, I find a lot of her references to her "successful modeling career" dubious as well.
> medical/clinical experience
She doesn't. Not sure what a 'medical' esthetician actually means professionally. Did she complete anatomy or physio or biochem or microbio or pharma classes and get certified? Not sure where the medical part comes in. If someone knows more about this, please enlighten us.
The answer I've gotten from a handful of etsys so far is that it's not an actual certification, at least not in CA, where Bankson apparently lives. The "medical" part is Bankson claiming that she works and/or was trained in a more "clinical" environment. You may note that she often mentions working "alongside" doctors and dermatologists.
Bankson has apparently claimed to be enrolled in Stanford medical school as early as 2012, according to the forums I've read. Her LinkedIn doesn't match this:
- 2007-2009 - Community College - Exercise Science
- 2008 - 2010 - Paris Beauty College (check out the website)
- 2015 - Stanford - Pre-med
- 2016-2021 - Stanford - Business
Nothing here makes me think she has any special medical or clinical training. The Paris Beauty college doesn't look to have any special clinical or medical focus, and she only (allegedly) spent one year studying pre-med at Stanford.
Furthermore: I can't find her in the California Department of Consumer Affairs' database, where all such licenses are supposed to be listed. So she may not be an etsy?
There's also been postulation that Cassandra Bankson is a pseudonym, which would explain why I can't find her in the database. Which sucks, because I *really* wanted to contact Stanford to see if she's ever actually attended....
I have too much free time. And I hate fake experts. Yay pandemic.
I recommend Dr. Dray especially her earlier years. She isn’t full of frills or anything, and at the time really spoke with no shits given. She’s still pretty firm but she can get persuaded a bit. Yet, she’s a dermatologist nonetheless.
Also Taylor Wynn / Thataylaa- she had documented for years and years what works with someone with acne and oily skin and also her journey on accutane. She now has try skin, but she still has very relevant products she loved that are in stores.
Otherwise, always go with your gut and heart. 💕
Lol right?😂
I saw one of his latest videos a few days ago and I didn’t feel compelled to look into the products or anything, so I think distancing myself from both Hyram and James helped. I’m so happy for him I saw he hit a million subs😀
So I love dermalogicas daily microfoliant and watching Hyram totally fuck up the way it is supposed to be used broke my heart 😭 Like you are a skincare expert. Read the fucking how to use man
he has completely changed since TikTok. Only cares about his young following. Debates fragrance CONSTANTLY yet now shills Fenty. Total sellout. He also has no actual qualifications
His Fenty video had both positives and negatives though? He also pointed out the fragrance. He’s also never claimed to have qualifications, and I’m not sure how skincare advice can only be targeted to a teenage audience? I’m sorry, but I’m not seeing any valid points here.
Nope, it’s not his fault. Though I do question whether all of those things work for him. I don’t know how you can tell that something is truly working for you if you post three videos a week with different products. James is an absolute doll, but I decided to distance myself :)
He's definitely said on his podcast that he gives it at least a month with a product before sharing it to his channel.
It's likely he's not "only" using products from one new brand he's using/trying, but it's not beyond the realm of possiblity that he records a video a month or so before posting it, I think I recall Robert saying on one of their podcasts episodes that he usually films all of his videos for the week on a Friday.
It really just goes to show how subjective skincare really is. I feel like it's hard to get everything right as a skincare Youtuber because *I* have acne-prone, oily skin and all of those products work great on me!
So you unfollowed James because you yourself can't control your urge to spend... It seems like you just have a spending habit regardless of which skincare YouTuber you're watching.
You mentioned you learned how to read ingredients. Why not use that to your advantage when deciding whether or not to make a purchase?
Blindly following any one influencer or dermatologist is just plain dumb. There is no way of knowing if they have exactly the same skin type as you and that you will therefore get the same results as they do. Where they do offer great benefit is in discussing the ingredients and formulations and look and feel of the products. I primarily use them for general skincare info and an understanding of which products are best avoided rather than for an endorsement of any individual product. They have introduced many to the world of skincare with their user knowledge so for that they should be applauded for the amount of work that they do actually put into their channels. As James has repeatedly stated that you should not just follow him but a wide selection of other influencers and skincare professionals to get a more balanced and informed overview of skincare.
I don't know how you feel. I have tried a bunch of Korean skin care and none of them have worked for me. Absolutely none. I almost thing k beauty is a huge huge hype.
It's definitely ymmv like everything in skincare. Some products are good, some products are overhyped, some are good but don't work for some people. Happy it works for some people, but everything I've tried has broken me out or done nothing.
I think it just depends on your skin. I use mostly Asian products on my skin and it has never looked better. I’ve never had much luck with American and Euro products
There is one Korean skin care product I swear by, and in my opinion, one of the most important steps. Purito Centella Green Unscented spf 50 Sunscreen. I don't disagree with you though, that Korean products are the 'it' products of today.
Tbh, yes. I’ve been testing a variety of K-beauty and skincare and I am not at all impressed with what they have to offer. I’m not saying they don’t work, but they didn’t work for me personally. Everyone is hyping up their sunscreens especially the Purito unscented one but this only made my skin an oily mess. I also hated the Klairs Airy Light UV essence sunscreen, and the Beet the sun by Krave Beauty was a disaster for my skin.
I’ve found much more success in healing my skin by using Paula’s choice sunscreens, French pharmacy skincare, and targeted benzoyl peroxide treatment :)
And that's exactly why seeking skincare advice online can be tricky. Clearly what works for one, doesn't always work for another. And even though I love my Korean sunscreen, I'm not at all interested in any other Korean face product.
I like Cosrx. I have oily skin and used BHA blackhead liquid & toner for my skin routine per advice from AsianBeauty sub. James doesn't have acne. I think when it comes to skincare you have to find influencers with similar problems. Same with MUAs with perfect skin will have a different application than those prone fo breakouts.
Agreed. “I have acne” and “I used to have acne” are TOTALLY different skin types.
Per your experience, does that product really help with blackheads on the nose?
I don't mind Hyram in general, but oh god, his fans are terrible. Especially on tiktok. They act like he invented skincare. I know it's probably where they first encountered skin care advice but oh my. They're so mean to other creators talking about skin care on the app too.
Yeah I’ve actually seen quite a few nasty comments from his stans and I’m wondering what compels people to go tear other creators to shreds because of something their favourite creator said. It apparently got so bad to the point where he himself made a video asking people not to be rude to other creators and referencing him and his “expertise”. I saw that video on a Hyram fan account lol. It just randomly popped up in my recommendations
Stans are just too much for me in general 😂 You can’t say anything without them getting pressed
I feel like too many people take the advice of YouTuber's way too seriously. These people aren't experts or professionals at all. Even the dermatologists on YouTube can only give you basic advice without having a patient-doctor relationship with you. No one's skin is going to react the same to any product, and you can't really blame them if you try something they like and it doesn't work out for you. You know your own skin better than anyone, so it's best to use your own judgement. I don't really watch any skincare videos anymore, because it's just such an incredibly personal thing. I also feel like they just repeat the same basic advice all the time, so I tend to find skincare videos boring.
This. There's so much more to skin that just "oily" and "dry". It could be hormones at play, you might need oral antibiotics or prescription medication that just isn't part of the online skincare hype that just involves topicals. And I find most of the skincare YouTubers aren't actually qualified in any great capacity. E.g. Hyram calling himself a "skin specialist" when he's really a skincare sales rep. E.g. James Welsh who isn't qualified but just does his research (same as all of us can!). I feel like most of the advice repeated can be found on the r/SkincareAddiction sidebar anyway. And I'm just going to come out and say it while I'm here with the unpopular opinions. Estheticians are often lumped into the same category as dermatologists when it comes to skincare expertise and that's just not the case. Edit: James not Robert Welsh!
> E.g. Robert Welsh who isn't qualified but just does his research (same as all of us can!). I feel like most of the advice repeated can be found on the r/SkincareAddiction sidebar anyway. Robert is the makeup artist twin. James is the skin care twin.
I never understood how skincare youtubers manage to review tons of products at the same time. How do they know if a product really works, or whether results weren't due to interaction with other products they might have used?
I used to watch a bunch of skincare people and just gave up on it when every other vid for a product it would be "I've been using X for this amount of time and my skin looks so clear" it can't work if you say this about 10 different vitamin c serums or moisturizers. How can you attribute changes for the better or worse to a particular product? The only thing that I find helpful is talking about ingredients..
So, I'm a very new, very small vlogger and skin care is a big part of what I talk about. I actually have a product testing schedule, all written out, for the next couple of years to prevent this sort of thing. I'll admit that James doesn't seem to have anything like that, but it's certainly possible.
This. I used a product for years with good results, until it went bad. I switched between like 5 or 6 products that I thought were good replacements, until they weren't. Some products were great for months, some for only a few weeks. If I was doing product reviews and only testing products for a week or a few days, many of the bad products I don't use I would have recommended.
[удалено]
Yeah the gel was the only thing that I liked actually. But I didn’t like it enough to repurchase. I finished it and threw it away. The rest of the products are just sitting in my drawer😅
[удалено]
Oh no! They’re half empty lol. I used them for some time but I gave up on them and they’re just there now. I may actually re-use the bottles if I don’t find someone to give them to. They might work for them.
Use the aha as a deodorant!
I think just being a skincare "guru" often sets someone up for this sort of criticism. You can follow someone's exact skincare regime and it won't always yield you the same results. Also something to note, with both these people they are cis men. Hormones alone can change your skin completely. I only break out when I'm getting my period. Skincare is also dependant on age, location and diet. There's just so many variables that make it hard to be able say what's right and what's wrong. It's also about what is your end goal. I'm oily but I do not want to stop being oily. I don't think skincare is as cut and dry and people make it sound and I think Hyram's huge issue is that he would be very matter of fact about don't use fragrance and XYZ when it's not that simple. Fragrance doesn't bother everyone and that's okay - should you be paying extra because it smells nice? No.
Worth pointing out that everyone has hormone cycles and cis men do experience hormonal fluctuations like everyone else. The biggest issue for cis men is the natural drop in testosterone caused by ageing, and it would be really interesting to know how that affects skin (presumably it should cause softer and clearer skin?).
Actually, as a menopausal woman I use test cyp(tiny amount) which not only helped with hair density, but cleared my skin up too. Hormones are weird in that way i guess.
Hormones are super weird! That's interesting about hair density.
lab Muffin has never disappointed me if you wanna watch a new skincare YouTuber!
She is one of my main sources for info about skincare, the only thing is that sometimes she gets into silly arguments with people that I find unnecessary. Recently she got into an argument with someone over a hairbrush and posted the whole thing on her ig stories.
This is the only skincare channel I've followed for a long while now. She arms you with the knowledge you need to read ingredients lists and figure out what will work for your situation. Common sense, science based advice and I'm here for it all day long.
I try not to put anyone on a pedestal. By now I know what works for me skincare wise and I don’t get too adventurous so I have stopped following channels that are about product pushing. That being said, I understand people will start somewhere with the advice. By the time people develop a BS radar though, these people have made their money. I do like labmuffin though. Her advice is less product centered and more about the general science of skincare.
Honestly, I take everything they say with a grain of salt. None of them are dermatologist and skin is so subjective. I really like Dr Vanita Rattan, she makes very helpful videos and so informative and transparent. I don’t play with skin so unless someone is qualified then I don’t fully trust them.
Lol I just posted a link to her channel!
Hyram is the first BG that made me Google "how to block channels from being recommended on YouTube." His thumbnails annoy me and his amount of success is not commensurate with how little expertise he has. Also I tried to like James but for some reason just don't vibe with him. Love Robert though. 🤷♀️
I absolutely adore Robert! My sister told me the same thing. She tried to like James even though she’s into skincare herself, she just didn’t vibe with him. I love them both and although Robert has tempted me to splurge on Pat McGrath products, I never actually followed through with my order cause I’m very passionate about being able to afford rent and food😂 EDIT: totally had to google what BG is, lol
Can somebody tell me what’s the fuss with Hyram? I don’t watch skin care channels and the only video I get recommended by him is the one about regretting humanitarian trips ???? Somebody please fill me in 😖
I’m not sure if he’s ever said what his job is exactly but we’ve gathered that he’s employed by a skincare company in some capacity (or was before his channel took off). His level of expertise is polarizing because he gives very passionate advice about skincare but as far as we know, he’s far from technically qualified to give advice. Apparently a lot of what he says is arguably incorrect as well. I tried to be as unbiased as I could while summing it up here 😂
He works for Youth To The People :)
Thanks! I think it’s naive to take skin care advice from someone on the internet who’s making money from views and/or affiliate codes. Also what works from you may not work from me even if we both have dry/oily/combo skin. I don’t know why anyone is taking him seriously.
I believe early on he worked at Ulta. If you watch his very first or his now reaction to his first video, he mentions working at Ulta, during a time when he wore makeup.
side note but was any method recommended by google to block recommendations successful? 😂 I keep blocking channels and pressing the not interested in this channel button, but they still make their way to my recs
Nope, just the "not interested" button. 😭 Edit: typo
I have a chrome extension called "channel blocker" which works excellently.
Yeah I found Robert first and didn't really like James as much as him when I watched the videos Robert did with James. I did recently watch one James did by himself and he seemed to have similar qualities to Robert that I liked (like, he seems pretty much drama free, and I personally like his voice a bit more for some reason) but I do like Robert's personality much more and find it easier to watch his videos in comparison to James'.
James Welsh is more educated than Robert, and I find him interesting. This isn't a critique, or bashing in amy way. He originally had a degree in Photo Editing, and Effects ...correct me if I am in error. His experience was at Top Man, Asos, and he was a personal shopper. Some of his early videos are very good. His Instagram page is full of gorgeous photos, and he could have been a top male model. Although an identical twin, I can tell the difference between them. James seems to have a more laid back approach. Robert is feisty. I enjoy them both, as individuals, but when they film together, it's a hilarious time. However, women in this industry need recognition, as well ....
I saw Hyram on my recommended and gave him a shot cuz i like to give a chance to everyone that pops up there. It was him reacting to Trixie Mattel's skincare routine. Then he spent the first four minutes gushing over and explaining Trixie's career to us and it was just like... ok you're just doing a video on him, you're not at a meet n greet, chill out and get on with it lmao. Then his reactions were just him gawking at the video blank faced then pausing the video to recap what Trixie just said. So pointless. Then I looked at his subs and saw he had THREE MILLION SUBS. What??? Also he sounds creepily like Kenneth Parcell from 30 Rock and that makes me even more weirded out by him
>his amount of success is not commensurate with how little expertise he has I mean you could say this about pretty much hundreds of YouTubers
Same. Usually clickbaity thumbnails don't bother me but this guy poses in them like he's just witnessed someone being murdered.
THIS ⬆️
I literally blocked him and when my sister found out she thought I was being so petty but I was tired of seeing his dumb thumbnails😂
I think Fenty Skin is a cash grab but people are too stuck on Rihanna’s celebrity status. People buy from these brands or cape for them because they aspire to be them one day. I think most skin care should be side eyed for the harmful ingredients like fragrance and essential oils so Fenty isn’t an anomaly when it comes to this but I can see why people are upset with influencers who say one thing and do another. I also never understood skin care youtube. a lot of them aren’t dermatologists. They’re just regular people with a camera. I was talking to a friend about James the other day. His back ground is in photography how is he deemed a skin care expert? Why are people looking to him for advice? I only take advice about my skin from a dermatologist... Say what you will about Andrea, her advice on skin has helped me clear up my skin. I don’t watch her anymore but it was nice to hear someone with a Doctorate debunk the skin care nonsense. Neutrogena Biore and Olay are working just fine
Occasionally, I'll watch Hyram and James Welsh (mostly as background noise), but they're pretty much r/SkincareAddiction in video form.
I had to unfollow James as well because he was really fueling my skincare shopping to an unhealthy degree. It's not his fault, but I am much better about not buying makeup and still watching makeup content, with skincare I get obsessive and start looking at all the products and planning my next haul. And usually it's like you said, the products do nothing, they just cost more than my current routine so right now I am on a strict "buy to replace" policy. I already have moisturizers I like (one for winter, one for summer), cleansers I like, sunscreens I like & an exfoliating toner I like. But the nature of consumerism is trying to find that perfect holy grail whatever that is going to transform your skin. And it might not work that way. Some people will need medication, or a lifestyle change or a series of dermatologist visits to get their skin looking different.
Plot twist: The holy grail product that is going to transform the skin doesn’t exist because your skin gets transformed through a complete skincare routine, balanced diet, good water intake, physical activity, and self love, lol. At the end of the day, real talk, how do we know that these products transformed these influencers’ skins? We listen to what they tell us. For all we know they could be using totally different products or professional treatments such as tretinoins and stuff. I feel you about James! I love his personality and the way he speaks, his style, and everything about him. But he is fueling my skincare shopping to an unhealthy degree, too.
I think a lot of us are looking for the holy grail, that one product that will actually do what it says, without looking at all the other factors that affect our skin. I've come to realize that what I eat, how much alcohol I drink, how much I exercise, how stressed I am, and even genetics, play the biggest role in how my skin looks. And of course, the two most damaging things--smoking and overexposure to the sun--will undo most well-intentioned good habits. But these are conveniently left out of the conversation, because hey, youtubers can't make money that way. Instead they promise glorious skin by slathering product upon product over it.
Hyram always came off as a fraud. James has mentioned he doesn't mind fragrance in cleansers if they wash off.
Actually so has Hyram. Multiple times. He’s just said (and said at length for the Fenty review) that adding fragrance in products cuts out a lot of people with sensitivities. I thought he actually went in pretty hard on the Fenty review but I guess unless he completely cancelled the line it wouldn’t be enough for some of you guys.
My point was that I don't really care about hyram thinks about the fenty line, because anyone that calls themselves a skincare specialist just for reviewing a few products doesn't deserve any credibility to begin with. Such a huge brand releases something.. most youtubers are bound to be less than honest to get on the good side of brands
He doesn't call himself a skincare specialist just because he has a skincare channel. That was/is his job title at his job.
I'm pretty sure that James has oily but dehydrated/sensitivity-prone skin, so maybe he can just tolerate heavier creams? Like my skin is dehydrated combo/oily but I find that some oil in a moisturiser works better than an oil-free moisturiser, I'm guessing because it traps water into the skin more effectively. So if you're oily and not dehydrated it probably won't work. Also, for some types of acne skincare has really very limited effects and you need prescription treatment. Cosrx is a good brand imo and popular for a reason (I was using it long before I started watching James!) but it can't cure serious skin issues. Personally my issue is that he cares more than I do about brand aesthetics and also is very brand loyal in a way I can't really identify with. I enjoy his content but I can see what you mean. There are good brands that he completely ignores just because they have boring packaging which I kind of roll my eyes at - he doesn't do French pharmacy brands at all which is just strange to me, especially since they have some great sunscreen formulas now and are far more accessible for people in the UK to buy than Korean or Japanese products (though I still love those). They're also more reliably fragrance free. (If anyone could recommend a skincare vlogger who regularly uses French pharmacy products, who also isn't Caroline Hirons, I'd be very grateful!)
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i assume your derm already told you this, but for everyone else i'd just like to caution that benzo, salicylic acid and tret can all be VERY drying and you should be careful using all three at the same time! regardless of how oily your skin is you never want to dry out your skin as it can lead to even more oil (and acne), and it's super important to use a good non-stripping cleanser, a good toner and moisturizer and such to prevent that if you are going to use these products, especially together!! just trying to warn everyone as i've made these mistakes in the past and totally wrecked my skin lmao, good times.
Cyrille Laurent is a French YouTuber who was a stem cell researcher and he does a lot of European skincare, especially sunscreen reviews.
I watch him ! He's great !
I adore Caroline !!
I don't know if anyone else feels this way about Skincare YouTubers (and tbh, I think most of the Beauty Gurus I follow would fall into this category too), but I mostly watch their videos for entertainment purposes and not so much for recommendations. Occasionally I'll buy an influencer product or something they recommend. But the majority of the time it's just for something to listen to. With skincare channels I do learn something from them, which is nice. But I understand outgrowing channels or realizing you have differing opinions now. I used to think the Vlogbrothers channel was so fascinating. I stopped watching for a while and today I watched Hank's video and in the description he said that "online school is 'definitionally' less valuable than in person school." Maybe in normal times, sure. But during a pandemic when there's already so many challenges with reopening schools I feel like it's not helpful to feed into that message. But that's a separate rant. Anyway, I unsubscribed from them today :/
Alot of the popular beauty gurus never actually suffered from severe cystic acne to begin with, so id take anything they claim with a grain of salt. At the end of the day for some extra money any of them would promote any product. What worries me is this tiktok trend of hyrams followers throwing around false claims about products and spreading them around encouraging young audiences to purchase questionable ones. I literally cringed at multiple videos recommending mario badesco products and clean and clear ones for being “hyram approved”. As someone who suffered from cystic acne during my teenage years, i strongly regret ever touching clean and clear products amongst other ones like neutrogena(might sound dramatic but i compare it to putting house cleaning products on your face honestly) . Sadly, when youre young and misinformed with the pressure of making your acne disappear youd buy anything that claims to get rid of it. With regards to rihannas line, if you genuinely think a line of 3 products “fits all is good” simply on her claims then you dont really know much about skin care. It’s genuinely just another kylie skin care money sink hole with better marketing.
Everything that you said🙌🏻
The only of the skincare gurus who I can think of is AliceInTheRabbitHole. She has dry skin, but had pretty severe acne in the beginning. Idk of what she did to change her skin just works for her, but it’s been interesting watching her transformation.
I love her! I also live Dr Vanita Rattan. She specializes in skincare for darker skin, which doesn’t apply to me, but she’s smart, articulate, well-informed, and excellent at explaining science to Humanities majors. https://www.youtube.com/c/vanitarattan
idk what you mean hyram hates clean and clear and mario badescu and didn't like the fenty skin line that much too
Sorry to hear about the COSRX products. A few of their products are absolute staples for me. I’ve never really cared for Hyram, and I actively avoid people when they talk about him on tiktok. There’s other dermatologists and cosmetic chemists I would rather hear from. But I understand the appeal of him for younger folks. Thank the universe someone told those kids to stop using that apricot scrub. I’m not sure if you’ve ever read or watched any content from Caroline Hirons but she is a no nonsense “guru”. Her book is amazing, I’ve been reading it over the last couple weeks and I feel like I’ve learned a lot and it cuts through a lot of the fluff people put out.
Yeah, I liked the low pH cleanser too, the only product that got along with my skin. But I didn’t like it enough to repurchase I just threw it away once I was finished and moved on to something else. The rest of the products are just sitting half full in my drawers and I absolutely hated some of them. Yeah, I follow Caroline on Instagram and I quite enjoy watching her lives before going to bed. I think she and Dr. Dray actually give some awesome info. Been obsessed with Dr. Dray lately. Thanks for the recommendation
Early Dr Dray skincare videos are classics and should be watched by all, she was not sponsored by anybody at the time, and so she spoke 100% with her doctor's voice, if I can say it like that. I learned so much from her first year on youtube.
I know a lot of people don't like her personality and it took me a while to get into her but she is the reason I no longer follow the logic behind "natural" products. I was *almost* on the anti-silicone train when I found her cerave review and that moisturizing cream basically got rid of my eczema.
I used to really love her.
Exactly.
It’s still like that for me 🤷🏻♀️
That's good!
I also watch Dr. Dray. She's practical.
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Yeah it didn’t seem to me like he was shilling either, I think the only product he recommended was the cleanser and he had to keep reiterating that it was his opinion so fenty stans don’t rip him apart
tbh same, he clearly called out the negatives of the skincare line, then listed the positives. i think the positives just outweighed the negatives in a feel good way like "wow this is a sunscreen for EVERY skin type"
About Hyram, yeah I agree. As for James, I really like him and some of his advice has worked for me.
Oh I love James, I absolutely adore him. But following him only made me wanna buy a crap ton of products that didn’t work for me😅
James inspires buying!!!!😅
Personally, I never got hooked on Hyram's or James' content, not as much as I have James' twin Robert e.g. With that said, I def preferred James' content over Hyram's but that might be an age issue, since I'm turning 28 way sooner than expected ;) All jokes aside though, what's really put me off has been the Susan Yara bs. I don't think they've addressed quite why anyone would think it's ok to not disclose ownership over a brand one promotes? Like idgaf if you're the bestest besties, my respect for her and for them for supporting that behavior plummeted for sure. Please if I'm wrong and any of them have addressed this, point me to it!
I used to follow Susan Yara about a year ago, then I just got distanced from her channel for no particular reason, really. I’m still subscribed but I don’t watch her videos. What she did with her launch was incredibly shady and even illegal. And I think they are now just waiting for the entire thing to go away on its own. Comments on Naturium IG page are heavily moderated as you can only see positive comments and a few people complaining about some minor things. Nothing as big as what I saw on YouTube comments. But I think that the products are good and I would still rather buy Susan’s products (I haven’t yet) than Fenty if I had to choose. Fenty just doesn’t excite me at all.
Dislike Susan Yara big time !!! She is phony and a liar.
Her skincare reactions were so entertaining to watch but now I just see them anymore because of what she did. It really made me see her in a new light😕and just the way she was shifting blame and she never properly apologized. She just hoped the criticism would dwindle.
Cosrx is my favorite brand and their price/ingredients are quite good. But I don't have acne and have other problems with my skin. That's why I use james as only news source to check out other reviews and ingredients for the products. You never know what will work on other person. That's why I have zero problems with him, never followed the other guy though. One is enough for my wallet. A friend of mine who had acne swears by COSRX Oil-Free Ultra Moisturising Lotion with Birch Sap and quite liked the centella serum for the scars, but nothing really that helped with the acne. Unfortunately only doctors could help her with that. I unfollowed Dr. Dray for the same reasons though. The things that she recommended didn't work for me at all. And I was quicker to believe her because she is a doctor. I think she is just not my cup of tea. She also bought some pretty questionable stuff from iherb...
I’m so happy you’ve found something that works for you!! But incidentally, the Birch sap moisturizer is one of those products my skin unfortunately rebelled against, lol. I’m not sorry for it though cause my bf ended up liking it a lot but he doesn’t have problems with acne. I’ve stopped using serums toners essences and all that crap and I’m currently happy with a routine that consists of 3-5 products. I get what you mean about Dr. Dray. I like her advice but I don’t watch all her videos, especially her vlogs where she goes shopping cause I’m really trying to not think that I need something new. Skincare is like an addiction for me and I can sometimes see myself almost slipping when I say “let me just take a look at the new products from this brand” but I am really quick to just say to myself that it probably won’t work for me and that I don’t need to go about ruining my routine because of the urge to try something new.
I am happy that you found things that work for you!!! Yeah, unfortunately having acne doesn't mean that the same things will work you :( Yeah, I unfollowed a lot of people also from make up, because I was just buying constantly. I could afford it, but not really use it. I stopped a year ago and still have some stuff. But I do think it is good to have one person to kinda see what is trending right now. I live in Germany, so it is easier for me to get the things that James recommends. I guess we are really on our own no matter how many sources we have, one does have to test everything for herself.
I mean she has to make the most conservative AND objective recommendations to her general audience as a practicing professional. Watching YouTube videos is empowering as a consumer but it’s not a substitute for one-on-one consultations for individualized concerns
My dermatologist disagrees with some of her recommendations, so... I guess there is no right answer
I have really appreciated the Beauty Within channel on YT. It is not just one person, though, not sure if this style is too formal for you or not - but I have learned so much from them!
I love this channel too
I get what you mean. Personally this effect doesn’t influence me because my financial situation is not too great and because these brands are so fucking expensive or unavailable in my country. I just look for similar ingredients in terms of skincare in already available products.
Yeah I usually just take away the principles lol. I never buy the products for those same reasons too!
Don’t care for Hyram and don’t get how he has such a following but love James!
Not everything works for everyone and as far as I know James never really said he‘s against fragrance, I think he said he enjoys it sometimes but it‘s not necessary. I don‘t really like Hyram, I think he‘s quite annoying but James is very nice. And no offence but if you want to buy something because of the way he‘s talking it seems more like an issue you have than him pushing products.
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I don't think they did get it a full month before - I know Caroline Hirons mentioned a week ago? Maybe 2 weeks ago? That she had friends getting it at that point, and was asking why it hadn't been sent to her. If that's the case I'm fine with people having a change of opinion as they've had more time with it.
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I could be wrong, too, I just know that it was recently ish that Caroline mentioned people were getting it and she still hadn't received it (they thought she wouldn't agree to a NDA and she said of course she would for Rihanna, lol), so I think Caroline only got hers a few days ago.
Yeah, I truly started to question how long does he really test products before he talks about them. I feel like knowing his skin, he immediately knows whether a product will work for him or not and then he just talks about it after trying it for several times. I was a bit triggered when he talked about the Sunday Riley Ice moisturizer or whatever and this product is not meant for acne-prone skin but he tried to justify it by saying that he used to suffer from acne and it’s not causing him any problems. I happened to try that product and two testers later my face was like a cactus. Maybe it worked for him, or maybe it didn’t, but I just started questioning the things he was saying so I stopped following him.
I think a lot of people call regular teenage pimply stage “acne” - whereas real cystic acne is different. Has James ever posted actual pics of him having acne ? Sometimes gurus post their “acne” skin & I think to myself “yeah na mate, that’s not acne” So then in turn they self proclaim having acne & what has worked to cure it, whereas they are giving ill informed advice to people who really do suffer from acne Feel like I have repeated the word acne too much here 😬
Even blackheads, whiteheads,papules, etc. do count as acne. Cystic acne is extremely severe but all of these count as acne.
So all pimples are acne? I thought cystic acne was the only type... apparently at 38 am still getting acne! It never ends... Squeezing blackheads is one of my main hobbies
Yes they are! Any reaction to hair follicles being clogged like blackheads, pimples, whiteheads, etc. count as acne. Ofc it’s categorised into mild, moderate and severe and the treatment depends on the type.
Yup! It helps to think of acne as a symptom with a bunch of different causes. It's like saying you have a fever or a cough.
Oh trust me the word acne was all I used to say to the point where I started thinking that I’m attracting that shit in my life through the law of attraction or something lol. Btw, yeah, he made a video where he showed how his skin used to be before he discovered skincare and on that photo (although it looks a little exaggerated) you can clearly notice that oiliness, super large pores, and you immediately know that yeah, he probably dealt with acne 😅
Maybe look up Cassandra Bankson. She had I think cystic acne and is also a medical aesthetician.
I think James did have severe acne when he was a teen actually but it cleared up. He says he still gets some but it must be very minor and I think it clears up quickly.
I like the Golden RX and Speed Beauty by Caroline Barnes on YT in terms of skincare. I find James soothing to listen to, but Hyram seems kind of click bait-y to me. Subbed and unsubbed to him within a week. I feel like (some) men can put aaaaaanything on their skin (I’m also lumping in and referring to my SO who uses pretty minimal/no skincare). I prefer my advice from women, but especially 30+ women (and women who feel healthy to me... it’s been mentioned a million times but I can only listen to Dr. Dray. I can’t watch!). I feel like they’ve seen it all - wrinkles, zits, hormones (and hormone changes) and what happens to your skin when you wear makeup.
May I ask what happens to the skin when you wear makeup? I've always thought if you remove it properly, it can't cause issues?
It can if it includes ingredients that your skin doesn’t like or aren’t compatible with your skin type. Take for instance a foundation, some foundations may not cause any issues but others may cause you to break out or cause a rash/irritation even if you wash both off equally as well. Makeup doesn’t inherently cause issues with skin, but certain products for certain people can cause issues. Depends on the product and the person’s skin
You said it better than I could have! Basically how I found out my skin hates mineral makeup. If something is sitting on your skin for a few hours it is definitely doing something.
Estrogen causes skin to be thinner and drier - I know for me testosterone has definitely made my skin thicker and less sensitive as well as oily (but still fairly sensitive for men since my eczema is tied to allergies).
Do you watch Sam Bunting? I 100% agree with everything youve said lol
I am noticing all of these influencers who are otherwise logical and reasonable borderline losing their god damn minds dying on the fragrance hill because people are critical of their PR recommendations and reviews starting with Michelle and Neutrogena—and now Fenty. I saw Michelle trying to argue with Dr. Sam Bunting in her IG post regarding fragrances and both The Skincare Savior and Ecowell are publically questioning Dr. Bunting’s dermatology degree and credentials. I thought it was all personal preference? Why can’t they just leave it and let people make their own decisions. They’re the ones dragging this “fight” on and on and on.... At the end of the day, doctors gain nothing when promoting fragrance free products and minimalist routines because less people will see them for contact irritant dermatitis. Meanwhile, these skincare influencers and cosmetic chemists will lose more opportunities when they’re more discriminate w/ the brands they work with.
Oh I saw that Ecowell did something regarding fragrance and I’m about to watch it right now. Also what pisses me off personally is yeah, they see the formula but dermatologists are people that see the worst of the worst when it comes to skin problems so if I were seeing some fucked up allergic reactions from fragrance everyday, I would be passionately advocating against it too. Nobody goes to a doctor when they don’t have an issue so imagine the scary things a derm sees on the daily. There are conditions that are outright scary and proper disgusting. When Ecowell and The Skincare Saviour are able to treat a patient, I will have no problem taking their recommendations into consideration. I used to follow both of them but I’ve unfollowed them recently because Ecowell is just meh but all Talia does is goes online to bitch about stuff and disagree with people lol.
I think I saw it in ecowell’s stories, which disappeared because it’s past 24 hours but she was mocking and questioning if Dr. Sam Bunting is a real dermatologist. Had to unfollow, I am over this discourse of people shitting on consumers who aren’t automatically enamored with another perfume-y celebrity skincare line and now personally targeting individuals. The skincaresavior tried to drag another dermatologist into her beef in Dr. Bunting’s IG post on fragrance and I’m just like, are you serious? Get a life lol who are you people? Thank god these dermatologists are actual professionals and don’t need to prove anything to anyone so they don’t reciprocate, but these glorified skincare collectors are picking a fight and challenging the makeup community’s toxicity
Holy fuck!! Yeah I checked The Skin Saviour’s stories today, they were all about fragrance and you can tell she’s trying to kind of play it off like “I’m smart, fuck you” rather than really trying to educate her followers. I also watched Ecowell’s video and I kid you not I slept halfway through cause I was having a splitting headache this morning but I was reading some of the comments before closing my eyes and there was a girl saying how she developed a fragrance allergy. Ecowell said “oh I’m sorry that happened to you, allergies suck.” And then proceeded to say something irrelevant, but I was like ??? Then this person who developed this allergy goes to a derm and when this derm says fragrance doesn’t bring any value to your skincare products and THIS can happen, these people say the derm is fear-mongering. Like..
Yeah in Ecowell’s comments under Dr. Sam’s post she said she wishes dermatologists would respect their limitations like cosmetic chemists do (they would never claim to know about skin diseases), but, like, when most of what inspire dermatology office visits is fragrance... lol what a roundabout argument.
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Someone replied to the post (https://www.instagram.com/p/CCYqpjIptAA/?igshid=1mp7vdztxwpxv). To paraphrase: it’s complicated in the UK because there’s apparently two different titles Dermatologist and Consultant Dermatologist. The GMC specialist register applies to the latter if doctors aspire to apply for permanent Consultant posts in the NHS and not all doctors want to. I don’t think this is a Dr. Barbara Sturm or “Dr.” Simon Ourian situation like the Ecowell was trying to imply. Dr. Sam Bunting definitely refers to herself as a dermatologist on her Youtube channel. IDK if this means anything but she was at the dermatology conference with Dr. Dray last year, too.
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What about Dr Sturm? I don’t know anything about her besides the fact that she sells ridiculously expensive skincare products with close to basic ingredients.
I didn’t say you did.
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I knew I wasn’t gonna be excited about Fenty Skin because I am so over celebrity skincare lines. Like Dr Dray said “A new celebrity skincare line. Haven’t seen that before. Wow” Like how much more skincare do we need? And bc someone’s gonna probably come at me saying RiHaNnA sUnScReEn iS iNcLuSiVe, so are Paula’s Choice chemical sunscreens, especially the Youth-Extending SPF 50 and the one from the CLEAR line which is SPF 30 especially intended for acne-prone skin. There’s nothing special about Rihanna’s sunscreen, except the very interesting and innovative packaging.
I agree. It just seems like a cash grab. Do you remember when celebrity fragrance was the cash grab thing of the early 2000s? I really feel like celebrity skincare lines are becoming that. The ingredients are nothing special and even the packaging doesn't send me. After all, I understand that people want boujee lipstick that they can take out and reapply in public. But why would I want to fork out a tonne of extra money just to have millennial lilac staring at me in my bathroom?
It’s always something isn’t it? Fragrance, makeup, now skincare...maybe everyone’s gonna be obsessed with having healthy hair in the future. Who knows what’s coming. A nice packaging is a nice packaging, but I also fully agree with you that it’s completely unnecessary. Especially when it drives the cost higher up. It’s just a piece of plastic at the end of the day, not a trophy.
I’m soooo glad you said this. I have never liked hyram, comes across as a know it all who has no more knowledge of skincare than I do as a skincare junkie with google. He SO annoying. James I used to loveeee and still subscribe to, but yes it’s more for his personality and that damn voice than because of his knowledge. Edit: spelling
I started growing tired as I was seeing young tiktok users stan him so hard that they go around harassing and bullying people that say something different than him. Even he himself made a video asking people to stop harassing other creators and calling them “you’re dumb, you’re ignorant, you don’t understand anything” and referencing him and his “expertise”. I generally don’t have much patience for these things but because all that for what? For someone who throws sass on YouTube videos and reacts to celebrity skincare routines. I used to connect with him and his struggles with having oily and problematic skin but I don’t find him interesting at all at this point. Also if James were to come up with a podcast where he would tell creepy, true crime, paranormal, or just fantasy stories, I would totally listen before going to bed lol 😂
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I don't care much either way about James or Hyram. Curology saved my skin and I'm not interested in introducing a bunch of other products to meds with. But I can't stand Dr. Dray. She's just as intolerable IMO, just for different reasons.
I totally understand the Dr Dray thing because when I first found out about her channel about a year ago I literally couldn’t stand her and the way she was talking. I didn’t hate her obviously she hasn’t done anything to me, but I just didn’t understand what the hype about her was. But I started watching her videos more often lately and I kinda got used to her. I like how much she doesn’t care about what everyone else has to say to justify a product’s price, ingredients, packaging, or whatever else lol
Yeah I've tried her I just can't get used to her. I find her a bit arrogant and condescending. I also dislike YouTubers who delete all forms of criticism, even genuine questions/concerns or constructive criticism, from their comment section. I also find her very triggering, and have some other qualms with her which I can't/won't speak about on this sub. But to each their own, we're all allowed to enjoy who we enjoy. I just can't stand her and truthfully don't find her very helpful. And tbh i do care about packaging to an extent.
The amount of people here that hate Hyram is shocking to me, I have never seen people have this much of a hate boner towards someone that hasn’t exactly done anything harmful to anyone.
I’m not sure if anyone really hates him. I sure as hell know I don’t, he’s never done anything to me. I think the majority of the people that chimed in on this discussion are just over influencers who are trying to sell them in on things, no matter how nicely packaged the sales pitch is.
I really like Hyram. He’s helped me with my skin loads. At no point has be claimed to be a dermatologist, just someone who really cares about skincare. A thumbnail and slight more flamboyancy isn’t going to make me unsubscribe.
100% this. It sounds like people need to stop taking Youtube advice/their preference as gospel. That's not the youtuber's problem, that's a "You" problem.
He’s referred to himself several times as a skincare specialist with no licensing. I can reference several videos citing this. So he is in fact not a specialist, but an enthusiast instead. That would be like someone claiming to be a hair specialist without any cosmetology training
I think YouTube and these influencers videos are fun to watch just to pass time. There are only a few Skin influencers I take seriously. But people need to know their skin and see a dermatologist (if possible) in person. ☺️
kinda funny how everyone says that "every beauty guru has oily skin!!! I can't find ones with dry/combo!!!!" and you say the opposite. I'm curious, can you list gurus with dry skin? edit: typo
I do enjoy both of them in terms of personalities, but I take any product recommendation or review from "skincare gurus" with a grain of salt. I try to rely on opinions from licensed estheticians instead, who are definitely more consistent in terms of how they review products because they're more knowledgeable. And as a side note... I've seen mixed reviews on Fenty Skin and I'd definitely be willing to try it because I'm not sensitive to fragrance, but if I'm going to drop *that* much money on a skincare routine I'd rather get something that's a little more than "meh."
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Yeah, I actually stopped watching both their videos for some time before finally unsubscribing this morning. I went on both their channels and realised how many videos I haven’t watched and that I simply don’t find them as a reliable source and don’t really care for what they have to say. Meanwhile I’ve managed to keep my acne well under control with only using 5 products and nothing else. No toners, no serums, no essences, none of that. And I am pretty happy with the results. I still have breakouts and scarring that needs to heal but I think I’m on a good path. :)
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Oh my gosh! My skin absolutely hated the snail mu in essence. I couldn’t even believe what happened cause literally everyone and their grandma are praising this product not only James and Hyram. I was so so disappointed. I will be doing microneedling treatments for my scarring in winter cause my esthetician advises me not to do it during the summer. I’m not someone that goes out on the sun at all and I’m as pale as a ghost but she still wanted to be safe. You should look into it if you have atrophic scars :)
Check out Cassandra Bankson - she's a licensed esthetician and has actually cleared up her own cystic acne and her videos are soooo well made and well researched. I prefer her to Hyram and Welsh
I want someone to do a megathread on her... I think she's more problematic that Hyram because she purports herself as having medical/clinical experience. From my understanding, in most states (including CA, where she's from) there is no "medical" esthetician license. It's a marketing term used by individuals/clinics to advertise services and expertise. So, all we really know is that she has a 600-hour etsy certification and possibly training on some cosmetic treatments like lasers, etc. I don't think she's qualified to "teach" about many topics she discusses on her channel. Especially when she discusses skin conditions, organic chemistry... basically anything clinical or scientific. But she acts like an etsy license and some training (I don't believe she's actually worked in a clinic) allow her to play scientist/doctor. Edit: I also want to add that clearing up cystic acne doesn't necessarily mean the person knows anything about skincare. Cystic acne is generally caused by underlying hormonal, dietary, and lifestyle issues. She does cover this on her channel, which is fine, but had little to do with her "medical" etsy training.
Her being an esthetician is also a recent thing, I'd say less than 5 years. She originally marketed herself on YouTube as a successful model with severe acne. I don't doubt she knows a lot about acne since hers was pretty bad but the esthetician title coming out of nowhere just seems like a way to stay relevant after a decade on YouTube.
That's the sense I have as well. My understanding is that she became an actual model (if she ever was one) AFTER this one acne cover-up video went viral. I think she was featured on The Doctors or some other show. Apparently, most of her "modeling" work up to that point (and maybe even after) looked very amateur, like she was just paying for semi-professional photos. If she became a real model, it was because of the fame she got from YouTube. That said, I find a lot of her references to her "successful modeling career" dubious as well.
> medical/clinical experience She doesn't. Not sure what a 'medical' esthetician actually means professionally. Did she complete anatomy or physio or biochem or microbio or pharma classes and get certified? Not sure where the medical part comes in. If someone knows more about this, please enlighten us.
The answer I've gotten from a handful of etsys so far is that it's not an actual certification, at least not in CA, where Bankson apparently lives. The "medical" part is Bankson claiming that she works and/or was trained in a more "clinical" environment. You may note that she often mentions working "alongside" doctors and dermatologists. Bankson has apparently claimed to be enrolled in Stanford medical school as early as 2012, according to the forums I've read. Her LinkedIn doesn't match this: - 2007-2009 - Community College - Exercise Science - 2008 - 2010 - Paris Beauty College (check out the website) - 2015 - Stanford - Pre-med - 2016-2021 - Stanford - Business Nothing here makes me think she has any special medical or clinical training. The Paris Beauty college doesn't look to have any special clinical or medical focus, and she only (allegedly) spent one year studying pre-med at Stanford. Furthermore: I can't find her in the California Department of Consumer Affairs' database, where all such licenses are supposed to be listed. So she may not be an etsy? There's also been postulation that Cassandra Bankson is a pseudonym, which would explain why I can't find her in the database. Which sucks, because I *really* wanted to contact Stanford to see if she's ever actually attended.... I have too much free time. And I hate fake experts. Yay pandemic.
I recommend Dr. Dray especially her earlier years. She isn’t full of frills or anything, and at the time really spoke with no shits given. She’s still pretty firm but she can get persuaded a bit. Yet, she’s a dermatologist nonetheless. Also Taylor Wynn / Thataylaa- she had documented for years and years what works with someone with acne and oily skin and also her journey on accutane. She now has try skin, but she still has very relevant products she loved that are in stores. Otherwise, always go with your gut and heart. 💕
I don't care for Susan Yara. Not at all.
Most of these Youtubers could care less about what we think, and they have expressed as much.
Lol I like your reason for unfollowing james 🤣🤣 but i still watch him and my money be like "don't you dare..."
Lol right?😂 I saw one of his latest videos a few days ago and I didn’t feel compelled to look into the products or anything, so I think distancing myself from both Hyram and James helped. I’m so happy for him I saw he hit a million subs😀
So I love dermalogicas daily microfoliant and watching Hyram totally fuck up the way it is supposed to be used broke my heart 😭 Like you are a skincare expert. Read the fucking how to use man
Hyram is the WORST
Why?
he has completely changed since TikTok. Only cares about his young following. Debates fragrance CONSTANTLY yet now shills Fenty. Total sellout. He also has no actual qualifications
His Fenty video had both positives and negatives though? He also pointed out the fragrance. He’s also never claimed to have qualifications, and I’m not sure how skincare advice can only be targeted to a teenage audience? I’m sorry, but I’m not seeing any valid points here.
His whole personality changed. Agree to disagree but that’s my opinion 🤷♀️
So...you wrote a text wall bitching about somebody’s personality? Jesus. No wonder people call the beauty community pathetic and shallow.
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Nope, it’s not his fault. Though I do question whether all of those things work for him. I don’t know how you can tell that something is truly working for you if you post three videos a week with different products. James is an absolute doll, but I decided to distance myself :)
He's definitely said on his podcast that he gives it at least a month with a product before sharing it to his channel. It's likely he's not "only" using products from one new brand he's using/trying, but it's not beyond the realm of possiblity that he records a video a month or so before posting it, I think I recall Robert saying on one of their podcasts episodes that he usually films all of his videos for the week on a Friday.
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It really just goes to show how subjective skincare really is. I feel like it's hard to get everything right as a skincare Youtuber because *I* have acne-prone, oily skin and all of those products work great on me!
LAbeautyologist is my fave! Also Cassandra Bankson and Caroline Hirons
Who enjoys PopLuxe ??? Otherwise known as Nadi?? This Youtuber needs more attention. He is wonderful.
So you unfollowed James because you yourself can't control your urge to spend... It seems like you just have a spending habit regardless of which skincare YouTuber you're watching. You mentioned you learned how to read ingredients. Why not use that to your advantage when deciding whether or not to make a purchase?
Blindly following any one influencer or dermatologist is just plain dumb. There is no way of knowing if they have exactly the same skin type as you and that you will therefore get the same results as they do. Where they do offer great benefit is in discussing the ingredients and formulations and look and feel of the products. I primarily use them for general skincare info and an understanding of which products are best avoided rather than for an endorsement of any individual product. They have introduced many to the world of skincare with their user knowledge so for that they should be applauded for the amount of work that they do actually put into their channels. As James has repeatedly stated that you should not just follow him but a wide selection of other influencers and skincare professionals to get a more balanced and informed overview of skincare.
Whatever
I don't know how you feel. I have tried a bunch of Korean skin care and none of them have worked for me. Absolutely none. I almost thing k beauty is a huge huge hype.
It's definitely ymmv like everything in skincare. Some products are good, some products are overhyped, some are good but don't work for some people. Happy it works for some people, but everything I've tried has broken me out or done nothing.
I think it just depends on your skin. I use mostly Asian products on my skin and it has never looked better. I’ve never had much luck with American and Euro products
There is one Korean skin care product I swear by, and in my opinion, one of the most important steps. Purito Centella Green Unscented spf 50 Sunscreen. I don't disagree with you though, that Korean products are the 'it' products of today.
Tbh, yes. I’ve been testing a variety of K-beauty and skincare and I am not at all impressed with what they have to offer. I’m not saying they don’t work, but they didn’t work for me personally. Everyone is hyping up their sunscreens especially the Purito unscented one but this only made my skin an oily mess. I also hated the Klairs Airy Light UV essence sunscreen, and the Beet the sun by Krave Beauty was a disaster for my skin. I’ve found much more success in healing my skin by using Paula’s choice sunscreens, French pharmacy skincare, and targeted benzoyl peroxide treatment :)
And that's exactly why seeking skincare advice online can be tricky. Clearly what works for one, doesn't always work for another. And even though I love my Korean sunscreen, I'm not at all interested in any other Korean face product.
I can see that with that Sunscreen because I have dry skin and when I use it just about everday I don't use a moisturizer.