How many hours have you spent
Googling acne solutions watching
skincare, tiktoks, asking for product
recommendations in Facebook groups?
If you've been stuck in the
never ending loop of searching,
trying, failing, and repeating.
This episode is for you
because I see it all the time.
People desperate for clear skin,
spending years jumping from one
DIY solution to the next, never
actually committing to one plan.
One expert or one real solution and the
truth, it's not because they don't want
clear skin, it's because they're actually
afraid to invest in the right help.
I'm Abhyona Licensed Esthetician and
skin coach, and today we are talking
about why free skincare advice may
be keeping you stuck and what you
need to do to actually move forward.
So I want us to be real.
You know, the internet is overflowing
with skincare advice, Reddit threads,
YouTube videos, Facebook groups,
podcasts, you know, everywhere you look,
someone is recommending a product, a
routine, or a miracle fix, and I get it.
We love free.
Free feels easy, free
feels accessible, you know?
But here's what no one is telling
you about the free advice and
the problem that I see with it.
The first is that it's generic it's not
made for your skin, your triggers, or your
acne type, and it can be contradictory,
one person says cut out dairy.
Another says dairy is fine.
It's also random.
Oftentimes, you're piecing together
solutions from people who you
don't know and who don't know you,
and they're telling you that this
worked for them and presenting it as
though that will work for you too.
And that's not always true.
And I'll also say it's never ending.
You keep searching because you never
actually commit to ones solution.
And you might be saying
estheticians like me online are
giving advice and what have you.
And yes, we are.
We're giving it from a
professional experience.
But even for us, you will notice
that the advice that we're sharing
with you is only so far because we
too need to know your skin history.
We need to know more about you.
We need to really be able to dig into your
life, your lifestyle, your diet, where
you live, the environmental factors that
can be affecting your body from the inside
out to really help you get to clear skin.
So I will say that's the difference.
If you're someone who is saying,
well, y'all are online doing this,
but we're doing it from a different
standpoint because I don't know
anyone who invests in someone
blindly without knowing information
about them, how they can help them.
So I, I do wanna draw that line.
Gosh, that felt very taking a stance
for the estheticians, but I take
the same stance for clients too.
You'll find that I like to be fair.
So, with that I'll say you're doing
the skincare equivalent of throwing
darts blindfolded, hoping one
sticks when you, take the approach
of going every which way, asking
everyone, taking the free advice.
And this is a cycle again that I see
all the time, especially in online acne
communities very prevalent in Facebook
and in one of our previous episodes, I
kind of talked about how my heart breaks
for those acne sufferers because I once
was her, the Facebook groups weren't as
prevalent then, but I definitely was deep
in Google on all the pages, looking for my
answers, seeing the threads, seeing what
others said that they did and knowledge
at least about melanin skin and acne
wasn't as prevalent then as it is today.
So it was even harder.
And I was trying things that were, um.
Putting my Fitzpatrick is what we
call in the esthetician world, but
my skin tone or skin range at risk.
So there's that piece of info
if you're wondering, you know.
Well, what did she do?
Didn't she do the same thing?
And did that is my response.
But for those online who I see, you
know, again in Facebook where it's very
prevalent, I see people bounce from group
to group one, group to the next, asking
the same questions, getting 20 different
answers, walking away, more confused than
before or walking away willing try them
all, which I think is wild, you know?
And it's heartbreaking because I
know how badly they want clear skin,
but they're treating acne like a
guessing game instead of a science
backed process, and so the real cost
of DI Ying your skin is actually.
Costing you because while free advice
might feel like the affordable option,
in reality it's most expensive,
it's the most expensive mistake
that you can make, because you're
wasting money on the wrong products.
If you sat down now and tallied up how
much you've spent on products over the
years, it's well over $1,500, I'm sure.
Like well over and I will say that the
beauty industry thrives on this cycle.
They're convincing you that the
next serum, the next trend, the
next viral product will be the
one that finally clears your skin.
They're banking on you and you've
come through for them, but when
you're buying based on random
recommendations instead of a real plan.
You throw your money away and so
they're expecting you to come back
because they know that you were sold
on the marketing of this product.
You invested.
You weren't sure of your skin type.
You followed the
recommendation of someone else.
You used too much, so you can't return it.
So you're gonna come back and you're
gonna buy the next thing that's
marketed to you and said to do
this and set to accomplish that.
That may not be for you either.
The second thing I'll say is a
cost to you is that you're wasting
time that you can't get back.
And so if you've started struggling
with acne five years ago and
you're still searching for answers
today, what does that tell you?
That's five years you lost, when you could
have been clear in six months to a year.
I would also encourage you to ask
yourself the question, how much of my
life have I spent frustrated with my
skin, avoiding photos, hiding behind
makeup, feeling insecure, I would ask
myself that question and every day
you spend stuck in the cycle is a day
you could be closer to clear skin.
So number three, I'd say the
thing that's costing you is the
skin damage from bad advice.
DIY treatments can leave
your skin worse than before.
They often leave your skin stripped
irritated and more prone to breakouts
and the one piece of advice that
I really dislike that cost you is,
um, you all know, but I'm gonna ask.
Ever use toothpaste on a zit
as they say, or on a breakout.
Yeah.
Ever slather your face in coconut oil?
Ever used in over the counter treatment
so strong it left your skin peeling?
I am sure you said yes to all of those.
If you've been an acne sufferer,
'cause in your desperation,
you are willing to try it.
And I think those could be farther from
the truth of what you should be doing.
You know, free advice like that is
leading you to overuse, misuse or straight
up harmful skincare practices that
are not leading you to a clear state.
So if free advice is keeping
you stuck, what actually works?
What should you be doing instead are
questions you should be asking yourself.
And guess what?
We're gonna talk about it.
I like to tell my clients that
there are three ways that, they can
break free and actually get clear.
And the first is to stop
chasing random advice.
I encourage unfollowing the Facebook
groups unsubscribing from the plethora
of skincare influencers who are giving
conflicting advice and I encourage
them to stop bouncing between skincare
trends and stick to something that is
science backed and professional grade.
Those are the solutions
that are going to work best.
I've tried over the counter solutions
for myself to be able to advise
clients earlier in my career when we
were in a brick and mortar location,
and I just found that their ability
to get the results that they were
looking for, it was not there.
They were never going to get the
results that they so desired.
They might get to a place, a small
place, but they weren't going
to see the leaps and bounds in
their skin that they were seeking.
And I really wish people paused
to think about that because as a
Fortune 500 company, the quality
of products is a mandate, right?
But the strength of them is subjective
and it has to be subjective or
else they are in a position to be
liable for you damaging your skin.
And so that is the reason why licensed
estheticians exist, in addition to the
other professions that require licensing.
Because if these professional grade
products heavily science backed,
were available to you over the
counter you would likely use them
incorrectly, because you're already
using things incorrectly that are
not formulated at the same strengths,
and you would be a liability to them.
And so I know oftentimes there is this
mindset that I want over the counter.
I want something lesser price
or I want something free.
But those formulas aren't formulated to
get you the results that you so desire.
And in order to achieve those results,
you need a formulation that is going
to be stronger, that is going to
contain the molecular composition
that can actually enter the pore and
address what needs to be addressed.
I just use the big word right there.
I like to use layman terms, but.
There you have it.
So, I want you to stop bouncing
between the skincare trends and the
over the counter products, and I
really want you to stick to something
science backed and professional grade.
The second way that you can break free
and actually get to clear is to find
one expert and commit to their guidance.
You don't need a hundred different
voices telling you what to do.
You need one qualified expert with
real experience treating acne, and
I would say you certainly want to
choose someone with proven results,
not just someone selling a product.
And so on that topic, I'll expound
a little bit further because there
are some dope estheticians out here
with absolutely insane results.
And I've had clients say, oh, well,
when I talked to this esthetician,
they said that they would do this.
And I'm like, yeah, there's
nothing wrong with that path.
Right?
That may be the path they're most familiar
with or they see the most success with.
And stick to one person, even
amongst the esthetician community.
I don't like to do the bouncing between
estheticians because you can be working
with an esthetician who is fire is gonna
get you fire results, and her or his
approach may be different than mine, or my
approach may be different than theirs, but
they know what they're talking about and
that is why you're investing in an expert.
Therefore, trust them.
Go with them.
I think it's okay if you want a second
opinion, we do that in the medical
world, you know, I go to my doctor, I'm
not sure about the advice I'm given.
I may go ask for a second opinion.
I think that's okay.
But what I don't think is okay, is
bouncing between two different licensed
estheticians, because you're, you're
trying to do the matching game.
I don't think it's fair to you.
I don't think it's fair to the esthetician
and it's certainly not fair to your skin
because we're trying to get you to clear.
Okay.
Okay.
The third thing I tell my client, my
clients to is to get a plan and not just
any plan, but a plan that's made for you.
Acne isn't one size fits all.
Your skin needs a plan that considers
your skin history, your triggers,
and any other unique needs that are
uncovered in your skin consultation.
And so I will tell you, as I've said
before, I think in my previous episodes,
that if you're serious about clearing
your skin, you need more than advice.
You need more than the piecemeal.
You need more than Google.
You need a roadmap.
You need one expert.
You need one solution.
You need a licensed
esthetician on your team.
So if you've been stuck in the loop of
free skincare advice, today is the day
that you break the cycle, my friend.
Stop guessing.
Stop bouncing from product to product.
Stop wasting time and make this
the day that you commit to a real
customized plan that actually works.
And if you're ready for
that, I'm here to help.
You can book a skin Consult with me chat.
I will leave the link below in
the description and we can figure
out exactly what's causing your
breakouts and how to clear them good.
And hey, if this episode has
been a blessing to you, I ask
that you share it with a friend.
I ask that you leave a review.
If you are listening in your earbuds
on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or if
you're watching on YouTube, leave a
comment and share with me what your
biggest takeaway was and the value
that you received from this episode.
I think it's gonna be beneficial because
it will help more people find real acne
solutions and I can be one of them.
So until next time, commit to
your skin, trust the process, and
let's get you clear and correct.