Mistakes To Avoid When Buying Skincare Products From The TikTok Shop

In a world that revolves around Web 2.0 and the growth of social media, finding new skincare and beauty products is easy-peasy. Thanks to platforms like TikTok, we now have a sea of recommendations at our fingertips. A simple search will turn up infinite options for all our cosmetic needs, from caffeine eye creams that target puffy skin to the best moisturizers of 2024. But the thing to remember about user-generated content is all in the name — it's user-generated, which means anyone can create it. That includes people who aren't qualified to be making those recommendations. 

Blindly jumping on TikTok skincare product trends just because they come from seemingly trustworthy influencers might not be so beneficial. Not only could you end up wasting money on products that are ineffective for your needs, but you could also do long-term damage to your skin, and even your health. Speaking to Glam exclusively, board-certified dermatologist and founder of MMSkincare Dr. Ellen Marmur revealed that there are several common mistakes to avoid when TikTok shopping for your skincare. She warns not to value the advice of unqualified influencers over certified doctors and industry experts, and in doing so, invest in anti-aging actives before you need them or purchase products with too many harsh ingredients. Ultimately, the key to shopping for cosmetics on TikTok safely is remembering that skincare is personalized; a product can be virally popular, but if it doesn't suit your skin type, it may do more harm than good.

One of the most important things to keep in mind when TikTok shopping for anything — but especially products that will be going on your skin or affecting your health — is that TikTok doesn't gatekeep. Literally anyone can post a video promoting anything. That's not to say that there aren't genuine creators out there with real qualifications who do know what they're talking about, of course. But it's important to make that distinction before you take their word as gospel. According to Dr. Ellen Marmur, "trusting influencers who are not medical professionals but are offering medical/dermatological advice with product recommendations" is a common TikTok shopping mistake to avoid. 

Unfortunately, this issue frequently presents itself in relation to sun protection. "One in seven Americans now believe that sunscreen is worse for your health than skin cancers!" Dr. Marmur shares exclusively with Glam. "This is fueled by TikTok DIY influencers. Meanwhile SPF numbers like 30 or 50 are measured by FDA labs, not fantasized. And skin cancer disfigures millions of Americans every year, tragically taking one lifer per hour." 

Dr. Ellen Marmur stresses the importance of knowing your skin type and using this to guide your purchases, rather than going by what's the most popular product on TikTok. "Oftentimes younger generations believe they should be using whatever the influencers on TikTok are using instead of evaluating their skin type and the correct ingredients for them," she tells us exclusively. Failing to consider your unique needs can lead to you purchasing products that are too strong, not strong enough, or simply incompatible with your skin. Additionally, following the trends can land you with products that are actually harmful for your skin. "Some people end up buying products with 30 ingredients each, which can cause a rash called cosmeceutical contact dermatitis," Dr. Marmur explains. 

There are a few tricks you can try to determine what your skin type really is before you make any purchases. An easy way to get an idea is to look more closely at your current moisturizing routine. Dry skin will often feel tight throughout the day, and won't get greasy even with the use of heavy moisturizers. Meanwhile, combination skin will usually get oily in the T-zone while maintaining that dry feeling on the cheeks and chin. Oily skin, on the other hand, may be prone to breakouts with heavier products and end up overly shiny. You could also look at your pore size, with larger pores pointing to oilier skin, even if it's limited to one area on the face.

Active skincare ingredients become increasingly important as you age, or if you're dealing with a specific skin concern. While TikTok tends to be transparent about when to use active ingredients, advising audiences to steer clear of certain products like retinol in the morning, it's less open about the fact that a huge portion of the market doesn't actually need active ingredients. This is especially true considering a quarter of TikTok users are under the age of 19 and nearly 50% are under the age of 30, as of 2024 (via Exploding Topics). 

"Marketing from certain brands is pushing the younger generations to buy retinol and vitamin C ingredients, however, these ingredients should be used as you get older as they can cause more irritation and damage than good," Dr. Ellen Marmur reveals exclusively to Glam. "I would recommend a gentle moisturizer and daily SPF for a simple routine for those in their teens."

While exfoliation certainly has its place in a good skincare routine, one of the myths to stop believing about this process is that everybody needs to be exfoliating every day. "Exfoliating too much can overstrip the skin's barrier, which produces natural oils," Dr. Ellen Marmur says. In particular, those that have a dry skin type should avoid exfoliating-based cleansers that need to be used daily, even if TikTok influencers make them look amazing. 

"Buying an exfoliating-based wash when you have dry skin can cause further damage and irritation," Dr. Marmur tells Glam exclusively, adding that as the process of exfoliation strips the skin of its oils, it causes even more dryness. "This is another case of buying products you see others using without evaluating your skin type." Those with dry or sensitive skin can still reap the benefits of exfoliation, but using harsher products every day because you see influencers doing it will often make your skin situation worse.  

We have to hand it to the skincare brand marketing departments — they know how to team up with the right influencers to make their products look heavenly. But no matter how good TikTok magic makes a product look, you shouldn't buy it without checking out the ingredients list first. Dr. Ellen Marmur warns that even products that look clean and natural can be made with ingredients that are damaging to your skin in the long run. This is often the case with products that are claimed to smell amazing, per the online reviews. "Buying heavily fragranced products with harsh ingredients will dry out your skin and are not good for your skin overall," Dr. Marmur notes in our exclusive conversation.

Some products that smell great may indeed be free of artificial fragrances and other ingredients that can irritate your skin, but because there's so much misinformation surrounding clean beauty, you won't know until you do your own research. Look for ingredient lists online for the products you want to buy, and if an ingredient list is unavailable, email the company and ask for one. A few of the most common irritants to look out for in your skincare products include sulfates, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide, and alcohol. But with ingredients you're not sure about, it always pays to spend some time digging. While social media has paved the way for misinformation to spread, Web 2.0 also provides fast access to credible, evidence-based online sources that can empower you to understand what you're really putting on your skin.