Celebrity Skincare Lines: Real or Hype?

Celebrity skincare lines have had quite the following lately. Social media allows celebrities to connect with fans like never before. Stars are able to give their followers an intimate look into their skin routines and what they are using. Even though everyone sees beautiful, glowing skin and associates it to their skincare line, it is important to understand what exactly is in these products.

In this deep dive, we’ll cover a few of the most popular celeb skincare lines, their ingredients and my take on what’s offered:

The a.d. esthetics Take

  • Apple AHAs can be confusing when trying to understand what this actually means, however apple AHAs includes malic acid (derived from apples), glycolic (sugar cane), lactic (from milk) and citric acids. AHA’s are exfoliating acids and who doesn’t love an exfoliating cleanser?

  • A coconut oil derived skin surfactant (1), which is present in many of the different cleansers from The Honest Company. It is an alternative to other harsh skincare surfactants on the market.

  • A mixture of fatty acids derived from coconut, commonly found in the moisturizers and cleansers (2) from The Honest Company.

  • A skin softening emollient derived from beets and coconut, which enhances the velvety texture in cleansing skin and hair products. (4) This is common in “natural” skincare found in health food stores and the like.

  • A synthetic antioxidant and preservative booster. (4)

Honest by Jessica Alba

Jessica Alba has been in the wellness space for quite some time. The Honest Company was founded in part by Alba in May of 2012. In the last ten years, Alba has grown The Honest Company from a diapers and wipes e-commerce business into a multi-million dollar wellness brand that includes an in-depth skincare line. 

Her skincare line features a plethora of products for what seems to be any and all skin concerns. The Honest Company recently launched an acne line this year. Let’s take a look at some common ingredients in these products:

My Take:

My Take:

It's a no for me. There are MANY fillers in this line. Film formers give the appearance of glowing skin without actually supporting true skin health. When you support your skin health, you won’t need a film to get the glow.

If green is “go” and red is “don’t use,” I would give this line a yellow light. Take caution, look up the ingredients and if you have resilient skin that isn’t sensitive, go for it. For specific skin concerns, however, see a pro!

rhode skincare by Hailey Bieber

Hailey Bieber has become notorious for her  “glazed donut” skin, so much so that she has started a skincare company where her audience can obtain that same coveted glowing complexion. The model is the face of the line titled “the Creative of Everything.” 

Her love for hydration-based products prompted Bieber to collaborate on a line that focuses on hydrated skin. Her line, rhode skincare, contains a peptide glazing fluid, barrier restore cream and three flavored lip treatments. As a professional in the industry, just know that glowing skin is not achieved from a serum and cream alone.

Here’s a peek into a few ingredients in the model’s line:

  • An ingredient used to increase viscosity, as an emulsion stabilizer and as a film former. (5)

  • A compound used to protect the skin, as an emollient for skin and hair, and to leave a smooth feel to the skin. It is a known film former, skin protectant and conditioner.

  • A polymer of vinyl alcohol used as a binding agent, viscosity increasing agent, and film former. This can support the appearance of a “glow” through a film on the skin.

Kylie Cosmetics by Kylie Jenner

Kylie Jenner is a teen reality star turned beauty mogul. Kylie dipped her toes into the industry by launching her now infamous lip kits. Jenner has recently branched from cosmetics only into skin and baby care. Collaborations with her famous siblings, the Kardashians, have made it easy to spread the word on her new line. 

Although Jenner is no longer the primary shareholder of Kylie Cosmetics - she sold her 51% stake in the company to beauty brand Coty for $600 million in 2019 - she continues to serve as the face of the brand. Let’s check out a few ingredients:

  • A preservative and a stabilizer in perfumes and soaps in cosmetic products. Exposure to phenoxyethanol has been linked to reactions ranging from eczema to severe, life-threatening allergic reactions. Though studies show if you are not allergic it is a relatively safe preservative to be exposed to. (7)

  • A synthetic ingredient used in cosmetics as a pH adjuster. It is considered safe as currently used in amounts of 2% or less in cosmetic formulas. (8)

  • An absorbent, binding agent, stabilizer, film-forming agent, and skin-softener.

My Take:

It’s another no for me, again. Way too many fillers. I would rather focus on skin health and stay away from film forming ingredients. I’d be curious, though, to see the Kar/Jenners using the products they sell as their regular skin routine.

My Overall Review:

When reviewing each skincare line, I found there are more filler and preservative-based ingredients than I would care for as an esthetician. Yet, I expected it… For products to be mass produced and have a longer shelf life, store-bought skincare products need these types of ingredients to meet the average consumer demand. The biggest difference between professional skincare products and drugstore bought items are usually in the quality of the ingredients, amount of actives, and lack of filler and stabilizers. 

Another huge difference between these products is the amount of expert care and support you get. Celebrity lines are enticing, especially when the visuals and ads look incredible, however they are not around to help you understand what their products do for the variety of skin types and challenges we may have. 

That’s where professional skincare products outperform them. Licensed estheticians (like me!) have the expertise to make personal recommendations on products and routines that work best for your skin. Every single person I work with is unique and has different skin challenges, so my time with them is individualized and customized towards their goals. I truly care about the skin health of my clients and the professional products recommended are supportive of them.

The next time you are considering using a product from a celebrity skincare line, make sure you look into their ingredients and check them against your own skincare goals. If you are finding yourself with questions or wanting recommendations, seek a professional opinion, especially with an esthetician who cares about your skin’s health!

In the Denver area? Book with a.d. esthetics for professional support and personal recommendations.

Citations:

  1. “Ewg Skin Deep®: What Is Cocamidopropyl HYDROXYSULTAINE.” EWG, https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/701523-COCAMIDOPROPYL_HYDROXYSULTAINE/. 

  2. “Ewg Skin Deep®: What Is Coconut Acid.” EWG, https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/701551-COCONUT_ACID/. 

  3. “Ewg Skin Deep®: What Is Isoamyl Laurate.” EWG, https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/719892-ISOAMYL_LAURATE/. 

  4. “Ewg Skin Deep®: What Is Hydroxyacetophenone.” EWG, https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/862367-HYDROXYACETOPHENONE/. 

  5. “Peptide Glazing Fluid.” Rhode, https://www.rhodeskin.com/products/peptide-glazing-fluid#ingredients. 

  6. Gruber, Lauren. “How Kylie Jenner Transformed from Reality TV Teen to Beauty Mogul - Kylie Cosmetics.” L'Officiel USA, L'Officiel, 9 Aug. 2022, https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/kylie-cosmetics-kylie-jenner-beauty-brand-success-billionaire. 

  7. “Phenoxyethanol.” Safe Cosmetics, 26 Apr. 2022, https://www.safecosmetics.org/chemicals/phenoxyethanol/. 

  8. “Ewg Skin Deep®: What Is Aminomethyl Propanol.” EWG, https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/700348-AMINOMETHYL_PROPANOL/.