Viral Skincare Trends Decoded

Your social feed says “glass skin” is one serum away, but your face says otherwise. We took the most viral skincare trends—slugging, skin cycling, hypochlorous acid sprays, beef tallow, dupes, at‑home dermaplaning and microneedling—and compared them with what actually works in the treatment room and at home. With Lindsay, lead aesthetician at Couture Med Spa, plus Daimie and Claudia weighing the pro and consumer angles, we break down when a trend helps your barrier, when it wrecks it, and how to tell the difference before you click buy.

We get honest about slugging: a thin occlusive layer can rescue windburned or post‑procedure skin, but sealing tretinoin or acne-prone congestion under petrolatum is a recipe for irritation. Skin cycling? More of a rebrand of solid basics—pace your exfoliants, introduce retinoids gradually, and protect recovery nights—than a miracle method. We also spotlight a keeper: hypochlorous acid. As a gentle, immune‑inspired antimicrobial mist, it calms redness, supports healing, and saves sweaty gym skin without wrecking makeup.

On the no‑go list: beef tallow for faces and any at‑home needles or scalpels. Tallow’s heavy lipids and mismatched pH can congest and disrupt your barrier; DIY microneedling and dermaplaning invite microtears and sanitation risks best left to professionals. For “dupe” culture, we explain why matching ingredient lists doesn’t match results—delivery systems, processing, and final formulation drive effectiveness—and share how to build smart minimalist routines that still correct and protect. Whether you chase glow or prefer matte, we show you how to get healthy, consistent results without falling for black market injectables or TikTok shop traps.

If you’re ready to navigate trends with confidence, hit play. Then tell us: which skincare trend should we decode next? Subscribe, share with a friend who loves a good hack, and leave a review so more skincare lovers can find the show.

Transcript

Meet The Hosts And Today’s Mission

SPEAKER_00 0:15

Hello and welcome to Kutora Conversations. Today we're diving into some of the biggest beauty and skincare trends blowing up on social media. What makes this conversation interesting is that we're looking at these trends from all different perspectives. I'm your host, Lindsay, lead aesthetician at Couture Med Spa. Today we have Damie, who's one of Kutor's aestheticians, bringing the professional skin hair skin health treatment-based view. And we have Claudia, our practice administrator, bringing the consumer perspective. What looks appealing, what's confusing, and what people are trying in real life. This isn't about calling trends right or wrong. It's just fun, real conversations about what we're seeing online and how we actually really feel about them. Damie, Claudia, welcome. So, I mean, you both love TikTok. Yes. Yeah. All kinds of trends that we see on there. Do you see a lot of um skincare trends on your TikTok management social media things? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:09

I'm like, I need to try this. I need to go straight on Amazon. Yeah, anything. She will buy anything. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 1:17

Do you buy from TikTok shop or do you buy it?

SPEAKER_01 1:19

I do, but I'm like, it takes too long. So I need I go on Amazon. I'm like, I'll have it tomorrow. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:26

I do the same thing. I'm always like, let's see if I can find the same thing on I get it. So we all get caught up in the uh the social media trends. Do you have a lot of clients who come in that say, I saw this on TikTok or I saw this on social media? Every day.

Social Media Pressure And Client Stories

SPEAKER_02 1:40

And they're like, some things are like foolery. No, we're not doing that.

SPEAKER_00 1:46

What's the wildest thing you've heard? Can you think of something?

SPEAKER_01 1:49

I think definitely. I think the wildest thing I've heard, maybe okay, definitely like macroniloing on the face is crazy. Like the depth that they go to.

SPEAKER_02 2:00

Yeah, the at-home kiss.

SPEAKER_01 2:01

Yeah, the at-home stuff. Like then they bring it up to like their scalp to help with hair growth. I'm like, guys, no, like that's actually and like they reuse it. It's like not sanitary. I think that's like the craziest one because like deep in their skin.

SPEAKER_02 2:17

Yeah, definitely any like laser treatments, anything that's laser or like needles at home. Like, no, I don't trust that. And they have like no idea what they're doing.

unknown 2:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:26

Like, oh, I don't know. I just do it. I saw it on TikTok. Yeah. I saw it. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 2:31

I see on TikTok all the time. I didn't list this on one of our trends that we were talking about, but I've seen people talk about like doing like neurotoxins and like sculpture. It's not real.

SPEAKER_01 2:41

They buy it off the black market. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:43

And like do it themselves. I'm like, no, we do have pies that do that.

SPEAKER_01 2:46

I'm like, no, it's scary.

SPEAKER_00 2:49

Please go to a professional for this.

SPEAKER_01 2:51

Yeah.

Slugging: When It Helps And When It Hurts

SPEAKER_00 2:52

All right. So one of the first ones we're gonna be talking about is slugging. So for anyone who doesn't know, slugging is applying a thick occlusive layer, usually something like Vaseline or an occlusive balm, over your skincare at night to help seal in moisture and prevent water loss. So what are your thoughts on slugging?

SPEAKER_01 3:10

Okay. I I guess you can say I do a variation of it because I like to use more of like a barrier cream at night. Um, but I can't get behind Vaseline like on the face. Like I can't like the oil, and it's like gonna trap in like any bacteria, and I just wake up congested. I don't know how they're like, oh my skin looks great because my skin looks disgusting.

SPEAKER_02 3:35

I agree. I could never do that. I would break out so bad. It's just oil, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:39

Like, yeah, it's definitely not, I wouldn't say the best for like acne prone skin. Um, I I'm kind of like used to like a variation of slugging, like using a really like so like our TNS or my treatment cream, something that has a lot of like rich emollients in it that are gonna like lock in moisture. Um, I will say there are some people that I think doing like a really, especially if they have a really compromised barrier, um, doing as long as you have to cleanse your skin really, really well first, um, and put on some sort of hydrating serum, putting a very, very thin layer of like a Vaseline or an aquifer or something, if their skin feels really like chapped. Like um, I had a client who she was up north somewhere, like in um like Colorado or somewhere. So, like really, really cold, and her skin was almost like windburned, like chapped, something like that. Right, it's great for it's just gonna lock that in. It's not gonna let any of that moisture escape, but you have to wash it off in the morning. You have to make sure you're getting it really clean. Um, but yeah, I think just like in normal daily, like night or nighttime, I guess, like skincare, I probably would stick for more of like a richer moisturizer. Um also you don't ever want to do slugging with like Vaseline or something with like active ingredients. Right. I think that's the hard part.

SPEAKER_01 5:00

Yeah, like I have clients are like, oh yeah, just do my tretinoin and then like aquafore on top. I'm like, no, please don't ever do that again.

SPEAKER_00 5:07

And then they'll tell you their skin's very sensitive. Super sensitive.

SPEAKER_01 5:10

Yeah, I'm like, yeah, this is why. They're like, oh, because I'm peeling so much. I'm like, it doesn't, yeah, no, it's like you still can't do it. Is it bad to use both together?

SPEAKER_00 5:17

Yeah, you don't want to, so like with when you're using like a trut or something, it is very like active on the skin. And then if you're sealing that in there, it's gonna just make it penetrate like even deeper, which for some things, yeah, you're like, oh, I want it to penetrate deep. Trut works on the surface of the skin, yeah. So it can just make it way more active, and they're gonna get more irritation, more like that like sensitive type feel. Um, so yeah, you don't ever using like TNS Aramite treatment cream or something that's like a good balmy something is great for hydration, but you don't want to like seal it in like slugging with it. You want to do um more just very like hydrating, like a hyaluronic type ingredient if you're gonna do any type of slugging. Um, but again, yeah, make sure you really wash your face off. Double cleanse, yeah, that way. And also, I feel like I just thought of this, like I feel like they get on your pillow.

SPEAKER_02 6:09

Oh, like in your hair and stuff. Yeah, it's not doing very much, it's just annoying, I feel like.

SPEAKER_00 6:14

Yeah, okay. So slugging, that's yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:17

Like we got to a good start.

SPEAKER_00 6:20

Um, I feel like a lot of people, so the next one we're gonna talk about, I feel like a lot of people do slugging with this. So skin cycling. So skin cycling is rotating your active ingredients on specific nights. So, for example, an exfoliation night, a retinol night, a recovery night, um, to minimize irritation and maximize results. I feel like some people add like a night of slugging into like their skin cycling. Um, yeah, what are your thoughts on skin cycling?

SPEAKER_01 6:47

So, first when like skin cycling became a thing, I would think I was just becoming like an esthetician. And I didn't understand it. Like I was, I had I had to like search it up so many times. Like, what even is skin cycling? And then once I became an esthetician and started doing treatments and really started doing skincare, especially um more medical grade skincare, I don't feel like there needs to be different days where you're doing different stuff. I feel like if you have something good that's working, you have your routine, like your corrective, your hydrator, all that stuff. I don't need to be switching through like a niacinamide or uh um acyl ac salicylic acid. I think working with what you know and having like your steps or like a hydrator, corrective, whatever, and then like your moisturizer works the best for me and my clients. So I just I really still don't understand skin cycling, to be honest. I'm like, why am I gonna switch all these, like have 10 different products and do it once or twice a day? I feel like it's kind of like in the gym, like you work out one thing once a week. I don't really feel like you're getting much help from it. So I don't know. That's my opinion on skin cycling.

SPEAKER_02 7:51

Yeah, I didn't really understand it either. And I get very overwhelmed easily. So when I hear like you need like all these different products for all these different nights, I'm like, oh no, oh no, baby.

SPEAKER_00 8:00

Like just so you're talking about like a list of like what day.

SPEAKER_02 8:04

That at that point I'll get so overwhelmed, like, I'm not doing anything. Like, I'm someone like the minute I get overwhelmed, like I'm done with everything. Like, so when I saw that, I was like, oh, this is a bit much for me. Like, I'm not doing this.

SPEAKER_00 8:15

It's like that is not my routine.

SPEAKER_02 8:17

Yeah, no, yeah, I'd be stressed.

SPEAKER_00 8:19

Yeah, I would I would agree with you, Damien. I think I think skin cycling got its start with. I in my mind, I have no idea. I think it kind of got its start with like tret.

SPEAKER_01 8:31

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 8:31

Where yeah, I'll tell my clients, and you're probably the same way, like if you're new to it, if you're just starting it out, like you only want to use it like two nights a week, um, you know, to get your skin used to it, to tolerate it. Yeah, when we talk to them about like exfoliance, you don't want to exfoli, you don't need to exfoliate every single day. Maybe use an exfoliant a couple of times a week. I think that's just general skincare. And I think skin cycling kind of just like took that to the next, like, oh well, what if we do this? Where it's really just kind of a skincare routine. Um, but I I agree with you. I think our skin loves consistency. And yeah, like you said, I liked the analogy of like if you're going to the gym, like if I do my arms one day and I don't do it again for another week, like I'm not gonna see at least the results I'm looking for as quickly. Um, I think it and I agree with you. I think it's very confusing.

SPEAKER_02 9:20

Yeah, and I feel like people that already don't have a lot of knowledge about like skincare, like that's just like too much for them.

SPEAKER_01 9:26

Like, yeah, I don't even know who came up with the term skin. I think it's everything we just do already, and then they kind of have to like make it like a trend. Like, oh, I'm gonna skin cycle, and like, yeah, you're already using a cleanser, a explanated cleanser, two to three times a week. That's not that's nothing different.

SPEAKER_00 9:42

Honestly, I think that's what most trends are. It's things that we do all the time, and people are just like, I need a new trend to talk about. Yeah, like even slugging, like that's a very normal thing, especially when you're like wound healing, you put like an occlusive layer over top, like it's a normal thing. Someone just came up with a fun name for it, and now it's a trend.

SPEAKER_01 10:00

I I when I saw that trend, I was like, what is going on? And it was a lot too, like a lot of younger girls doing like that slugging, like, oh, I'm gonna put a whole like aquifer like layer on my skin, or even um, there was this one that was uh like getting using some moisturizer and like putting a layer of it on your nose, and it's gonna take off like sebaceous filaments. I'm like, Oh, I've seen those videos.

SPEAKER_00 10:25

Yeah, I've seen those videos. I'm like, I want to buy one to try it just to see what it's like. Do I think it's taking on your sebaceous filaments? Exactly. Get a good oil cleanser.

SPEAKER_01 10:35

So I'm like, no, it's not, it doesn't work.

SPEAKER_00 10:36

Yeah, I see those videos all the time though. They just like massage it around. I'm like, what? I don't know what what are they doing? What is that? I know. All right, so hypochlorous acid. Love. Yeah. So hypochlorous acid is a gentle anti-inflammatory ingredient that helps calm redness and support skin barrier. It's also naturally produced by the body's immune system. So it has gained a lot of popularity. Um, there we carry a hypochlorous acid spray at Couture. There's a lot um that are out there, it is very popular. Um, what are your thoughts on hypochlorous acid?

Hypochlorous Acid: A Trend Worth Keeping

SPEAKER_01 11:13

I love it, and I remember when it became viral. I remember the esthetician, the Dallas, I think, esthetician, she was using and especially specifically the hygienity one. And everyone's like, what is this? What is this? What is this? And then when we brought it on, it was perfect because you could also use it post-treatment for that redness, that healing. So when it just kind of really came full circle, like in the treatment room, and I loved it already because I knew I actually knew what it was, and I knew that it worked. I was like, finally, a trend that is like I could get behind when she and I remember her using like, what is that spray that she's using? And she would talk about how it's like um gonna kill all the bacteria in your skin, help with redness, and just kind of did everything. She used like hand sanitizer for your face, like those analogies, and I was like hooked. I'm like, oh, I need this. And then I literally think two weeks later we brought it in like Couture, and I was like, Oh, perfect, like yeah, have a discount on it now.

SPEAKER_02 12:10

Yeah, literally. Damien got me one for my birthday, like before we had it at Couture, and I loved it. So then once we brought it on at Couture, now I use it all the time too.

SPEAKER_00 12:20

Yeah, but I mean, I love a good face mist in general. So the fact that it's just a spray, I'm like, And it feels so nice, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:28

And I feel like I don't know if everyone knows this, but I feel like you can put it over like makeup and stuff too. Like it's fine. Yeah, you can put it in like my makeup come off or anything.

SPEAKER_01 12:35

Yeah, yeah. I always tell clients like if you're going to the gym, they're like, I feel always so like I break out from the gym and like I don't have time to like do my skincare routine before I go to work. I'm like, here, like put this in your car, put it in your work bag. You could just miss it throughout your miss it throughout the day, and like it's gonna give you a whole refresh, reset.

SPEAKER_00 12:53

Yeah, it has so many uses. Like you said, we use it post-procedure, which is amazing. But like you're talking about going to the gym. I tell all my all my gym people, I'm like, you need this, put this in your bag, especially too, like when you're especially like if you get like any breakouts like on your back or like the chest area where we sweat. I know a lot of people struggle with that. But even after you're done at the gym, most people aren't gonna bring their whole like face wash and everything to the gym. Just spray it with that real quick. Spray it down, get on the bacteria off, do your skincare when you get home. Um, but it's so versatile. You can use it on cuts, you can use it on scrapes, you can use it on bug bites, you can use it on wounds, like anything. I have clients that use it on their phone. She's like, My dog had like a scratch, like a like put some hydrantity. Yeah, put some hypochlorous acid on it.

SPEAKER_01 13:37

I use it for everything. I I like sometimes even like spray my phone because I know it's gonna like disinfect it. Yeah, so I love that. It was like the first trend. I'm actually like, okay, now we're kind of talking about, and it wasn't even a random person, I think it was someone who was like knowledgeable, and she kind of made it a thing. And I think already like hygienity was such a good brand to bring into because it was like wound care, wound healing, and that's a lot of what what we do is like post-care, post-treatment. So that's I've still use it to this day, and I don't think I'll ever not use it.

SPEAKER_00 14:09

Yeah, I can't go without it. Yeah, but chloros acid, that one's a must. All right, beef tallow. So, beef tallow is using rendered animal fat as a moisturizer, promoted as all natural. What are your thoughts doing? I can see it in the face.

SPEAKER_01 14:31

When I so I was so confused because I saw videos of like people rendering beef tallow, and I'm like, what are they using this for? And then people were putting it on their face, and I got scared because it's literally fat that you're putting on your face, and you're gonna be so congested after. Like, I can't imagine it working. Like, I would just I've never tried it, I don't think I'll ever try it. But I was genuinely scared, like that became a trend because even watching the video, people like rendering the fat made me never want to use that. And at first, I'm like, oh, it's like bone broth. Like, I know I even know like bone broth's becoming such a big thing. I'm like, oh, it's like feed it to your dog or whatever. And I'm putting it on their skin, and it's oil, it's like literally oil, and I just feel like the bacteria, and like also, where are you getting this beef tallow?

SPEAKER_00 15:20

The buttons, the black market from my smoker out.

SPEAKER_01 15:26

What are you like making some bacon and then taking the fat and like rendering it? Like, there's just no way like you could really like sanitize like this beef tallow. No way, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:36

No, uh, that terrified me. I'm too scared to put Vaseline on my face. I'm not putting beef tallow on my face.

SPEAKER_00 15:42

You're not gonna take it to the next wall.

Beef Tallow Backfire And Barrier Talk

SPEAKER_02 15:44

I just cannot imagine like the amount of acne I'd wake up to if I did that. Yeah, I just know that'd be bad.

SPEAKER_00 15:50

Yeah. I had a Davey and I had this conversation not too long ago, and I um had a client not too long ago. She's so sweet, she always has really dry skin. And I hadn't seen her in a while for a facial. And she came in and she was, you know, we're talking, she's like, Oh, she's like, Yeah, I started using um beef tallow on my face, and I was like, Okay, I'm never gonna be the one that's gonna go right into me. Like, you shouldn't use that. I'm like, okay. Like, she's like, it my skin just feels really hydrated. And I was like, okay. Um, you know, it's one thing with beef tallow too, is it's a completely different pH than our skin. So it really can mess with like your barrier over long-term use. Yeah, when you first put it on, I will completely, I've never tried it, I'm not putting that on my face, but um, just knowing like what it is. It's a it's a large, so it's gonna be like hydrating in a sense. That yeah, you might at first feel really hydrated, but long-term use of it, it's gonna disrupt that skin barrier. Um, it's gonna irritate the skin and it is going to congest those pores. Um, but anyway, so I was just, you know, letting her know I was like, okay, just I want you to pay attention to your skin. Like, you know, if you feel like you start to notice more breakouts or you see any changes, like, you know, and I explained to her about the pH of the skin and everything. And um, I was doing her extractions, and she normally has really like dry skin, so her pores are really tight. I normally don't have to do a lot of extractions because her skin's really dry, which is normal. And I was like doing, I'm like, oh, she that she had a lot more sebaceous this time. And I didn't say anything, you know, I'm just doing my thing. And she's like, I feel like you're doing a lot more than you normally do. And I was like, I am like you have a lot more congestion in there, and you could just see like the oil buildup in the nose and in the chin, and that's the only thing that's different that she has done. And she was like, Do you think it's from that? And I was like, It's a very big possibility, like, you know, that it's such a big molecule that is then just like a fatty molecule that's sitting on top of the face. It's not gonna penetrate in your skin to do anything, it's just gonna sit there. Um, and if you're using like, you know, a cleanser and stuff, especially if you're not using a really good cleanser, it's not gonna get all of that out of there. Um, and so um Damien kind of said it when she said that, but I was like, so I was like, do you know what beef tallow is? And she's like, I mean, not like I know it's you know, from like a meat or whatever, like it's you know, she's like, but I don't really know. And I was like, so beef tallow is from beef, but if you think of like bacon, when you're cooking bacon and it's cooking all up and frying up, and then you just see all the fat liquefied in there, like sitting in there, and then you take your bacon out, and if you let it sit and it like solidifies, I'm like, that's essentially what beef tallow is, but it's just coming from beef, it's all of the fat and everything from it that then gets down in there and then solidifies. Like, that's what you're putting on your face. Like, would you take the grease from bacon and just slop it on your face? And she's like, no, that sounds terrible. I'm like, that's essentially what beef tallow is like that's the same thing. It's just from a different, you know, animal. And she's like, okay, I'm gonna stop using that immediately. So we got her on a different moisturizer to help. Um, but I just I think that there's so many, there's so many other things out there that can hydrate your skin, that can be good for your skin, besides putting animal fat on your face. Um, I know some people who make like chapsticks out of it. Um, or if you have like really, really like dry elbows or something like that, like it still wouldn't be my go-to. We make lotions and moisturizers for no reason. Um, but I can see it helping with that. But the skin on our face is so different. It's a different pH, it's so much more delicate. I just I can't imagine putting beef fat on my face. It's just not a trend I will ever get behind. I'm so sorry if you use it. Like in my pain, but yeah, or you know, go get a facial and have them do a deep cleanse and see how much is still sitting in there. But all I can think about is like my husband husband makes beef brisket and it's amazing. And we literally put a tray underneath of it and it drips the fat and we save it and we like cook with it, but like I would never in my mind be like, let me just lather that on my face.

SPEAKER_01 19:59

No, it's scary.

SPEAKER_00 20:00

It's not a trend I'm gonna get behind. So sorry.

SPEAKER_01 20:03

And I like how when they tell you something, you're you're so good because you're like, oh, they could see the immediate horror. I'm gonna. I'm like, no, I educate obviously, but I'm they could like, and I think they kind of like that honesty. I'm like, are you kidding me? I have all my clients that are like when they bring up a TikTok drone, I just bought this. I'm like, you did what? Like, go return it right now. I cannot hold it in my I can't go get your money back and I'll show you what's gonna be. And I'll show you what's better, and you're probably gonna save money in the long run because and time, like going now to put this back, but um they're immediate. I'm like stunned at the things that they tell me, and and now they know they're like, I'm gonna tell you something. We're like, don't be mad. Don't be mad. I'm like, I just saw you two weeks ago. Yeah, well, what can what kind of what have you done?

Dupe Culture And Formulation Truths

SPEAKER_00 20:54

Yeah, what can we done? TikTok. That's what they've done in that amount of time. They've watched people tick tock, yeah. I know. All right, so beef tails now for us all all across the board. All right, so dupes culture. So a dupe is finding a cheaper product online that claims to mimic luxury or medical grade skincare.

SPEAKER_01 21:16

This one's hard because there are really great dupes out there, but I really haven't found a lot of them for medical grade skincare, honestly, in my opinion. I remember when it was like COVID time and like the ordinary became a thing, and it was just like all these acids for like seven dollars, and people were putting like this peel it's like that red peel. Yeah, you remember? And I was like, and this is when I was again just starting like esthetician school, and I was like, I I may not be an esthetician yet, but I know that's not good for you.

SPEAKER_02 21:45

Now there's like a recall on it.

SPEAKER_01 21:47

Oh is there really?

SPEAKER_02 21:48

That's what I I I I saw it on TikTok.

SPEAKER_01 21:51

Our news source says TikTok, all my information comes from there, yeah. But it's like there's no way, like, and then if you read the ingredients list, and then it's like it's actually just nothing. So I think that kind of started like the culture of like dupes. Um, especially like I came from luxury like cosmetic sales, and we were like clinique, essay, lauder, like land come. That's what you were buying. And I can't believe like those are even considered dupes now, but I would still when people are like, Oh, yeah, I like use my like clinique wash, I'm like, okay, it's she's like, Well, it's like 50 bucks. I'm like, Yeah, it doesn't matter, even the price doesn't matter. So I think dupes depending on if you're doing something corrective or not, um it kind of scare me. I have to do a lot of research and have to really try it, but I think overall I'm not gonna stick to my medical group.

SPEAKER_02 22:40

Yeah, I feel like there's very few dupes that can like compare. I feel like you get what you pay for, like you can't get a dupe and expect it to do the same thing as what we have in the spa.

SPEAKER_00 22:52

Yeah, I always tell my clients because I I very much, like you said, and kind of you know, there are some good dupes out there. There are some good, there are good over-the-counter products. Like, I think if someone really is on a budget, I would rather you be using something that is I'd rather you still have a routine um than not at all. But I think that there goes, I think that there plays a big role in so you brought up the ordinary. And a lot of their products are it's just like a one single ingredient type thing. So one, you're asking consumers to know what all of these ingredients are, how they work together, what they're supposed to be doing, and how to use them. Um, I also think that it's very much formulation, like formulation plays a huge role. And my analogy that I use to my clients all the time is you could hand me, so I'm not, I don't even know a product to compare it to, but I can hand you one of our products that we sell on the spa, and you can hand me a product that is like an over-the-counter and it has large majority like the same ingredients in them, but the formulation of that matters so much. Like our skin is a protective barrier, and its whole goal is to keep stuff out. So when you're putting these products on your skin, they really have to have a delivery system and be formulated to get into the skin to actually make a change. And I always tell them, I'm like, it's the same as if I handed you all the ingredients to make Coca-Cola. And then you have like Coca-Cola and you have the real thing, is yours gonna taste the exact same as what Coca-Cola does. You have all the same ingredients, you don't know how much is in there, you don't know what they do to the ingredients, you don't know how long it does whatever it has to do for, but it's the same ingredients. So it should be the same thing, right? It's a dupe, it's the exact same thing. Um, same as like if you buy Coke and then you buy it with some, what's like the store brand, like the I don't even know what they're called. Like, yeah, like the, you know, like name, like whatever, like the store brand. Yeah. Everyone's like, oh, it doesn't taste like coke. It's not the same. It's the same thing how it goes with skincare. Just because you have the exact same ingredients in something doesn't mean it's gonna give you that same formulation. And just because a product has a certain ingredient in it, it's final formulation. So all of the products that like we carry and that we use, their final formulation is tested and proven to do what it says it's gonna do. Where just because a I'll use like tranxemic acid because it's popular right now and it's great for pigmentation. Tranexemic acid itself as an ingredient has proven like, okay, it can help with pigmentation. But if you give me a product that says, oh, it has tranxomic acid in it, they can say, Oh, it's gonna help with pigmentation. But when it's in its final formulation, whatever else is in it, it might do absolutely nothing for you, where the final formulation of the products that we carry are tested. So they know everything that's in it, what it's gonna do, and what it's gonna show. Um, you know, I do think that there are some dupes out there that are, like you said, that they're good, they're fine, but they're not gonna give you the same result. Right. So if you really are, you really can't afford, you know, something that we're offering to you, yeah, you can find something that might have similar ingredients and you might see a little bit of difference. You know, it might help you a little bit, but overall, it's probably not gonna give you the same effectiveness as it is.

SPEAKER_01 26:34

I think hyaluronics are a good one too. Because I remember even hyaluronics becoming so popular, everything had hyaluronic, whatever. And then when we brought in, like, I think hygienity is hyaluronic, and she came and talked to us about it, she was like, Yeah, like the difference between this hyaluronic and whatever you buy, um, it's like how they press, the way that they press are hyaluronic. So it's even now I like use adnology a lot too, like, yeah, it's hyaluronic, but it's like also like when you get to that hyaluronic point, like how much hyaluronic is in there.

Minimalist Routines That Still Deliver

SPEAKER_00 27:04

Yeah, because hyaluronic is very when it is um heated up, right? It breaks down. So like those chains break down when they get warm. So like you were talking about with hydrenity, they do not use heat at all when they when they make theirs. Yeah, it's like a cold press. And so it doesn't lose, it doesn't break down any of those chains. So you're getting a better formulation. So yeah, they're both hyaluronic acid. It's great. They both have hyaluronic acid in it, but how they're formulated and what they use makes such a big difference.

SPEAKER_02 27:36

Yeah, even when we had Obashi, when the clients would be like, Oh, I bought at TJ Maxx.

SPEAKER_01 27:40

Remember how they would always be like, I found that TJ Maxx? I'm like, and I thought, and I remember at this point, like Obaj had even like two different types of I feel like lines, lines or yeah, because they have um like Susan Obaji as well, that's like they're more sensitive.

SPEAKER_00 27:54

Right.

SPEAKER_01 27:55

And then like they had I know like they had medical grade syndrome. I'm like, okay, and like also then it's like how long is it sitting on the shelves? Yeah, too, like that's scary. I just think there's so many. I don't know. I feel like when you come and like you get a certain skin care, or like even you're spending a little bit more money. I feel like you're spending a little bit more money for a reason. I think it also has to do with research and like what works for you. Um, I think Claudia's a good one because she's Neutrogena. I used to love it when it wasn't working for her. It really showed. Even like I tried, so for a brief moment, I tried the ordinary, and I sorry, I because I know you bought it too through my recommendation. What? But I saw someone like they use their brown lash serum.

SPEAKER_00 28:35

I didn't even know they had a brown lash serum. It doesn't work.

SPEAKER_01 28:38

Okay, yeah, I didn't think it worked either. Yeah, it's like nine dollars, like why not?

SPEAKER_02 28:43

Yeah, she wasn't.

SPEAKER_01 28:43

Worth a try.

SPEAKER_02 28:44

I heard it works so good.

SPEAKER_01 28:45

Yeah, I've used like my neural one again for like a week now, and I've seen a bigger difference than I have in like the ordinary one. So I think like there's just some things like you have to spend the money on, especially like corrective stuff. I get it, maybe we're gonna like save money on like a little bit of a like a cleanser or a moisturizer, but if you're wanting to fine lines and wrinkles, even texture, like you're gonna have to just spend a little bit more money because you know it's the type of acids or the ingredients that are going into the product. Like TNS isn't you know TNS for a reason. Like, there's a reason why, like their growth factors, like what they were like the first yeah, they were the first, yeah, that started with growth factors. So, like, there's a reason why now that they're like the number one like corrective serum, anti-aging serum out there.

SPEAKER_00 29:32

Yeah, and like you're talking about like when finding them at like Marshall's and stuff like that, because even if they don't technically have an expiration date on them, um, I think it's typically like a two year shelf life that most products will have. They've probably sat on a shelf somewhere for over two years and didn't sell.

SPEAKER_02 29:51

Two years is a long time.

SPEAKER_00 29:52

I that's it is, but they probably sat on a shelf for two years somewhere and didn't sell. So then they bring them. So the

SPEAKER_02 30:00

Effectiveness of the product is yeah, because in the very questionable like, well, I bought this and it didn't even work. So, like, I'm not gonna get this because this isn't gonna work. Where'd you buy it from? Yeah, TJ Maxx for eight dollars.

SPEAKER_00 30:11

And Amazon is, I always tell people too. I'm like, Amazon, be careful with Amazon because they sell fakes of I saw someone do a really good comparison. I'd have to see if I can find it. Um, I think it was the some uh Zio products, and they had the real one and then the one that came from Amazon, and they look almost identical. There's like a few little things that you can tell that are different. Oh gosh, I didn't know. Oh, yeah, you can get fakes from they're selling dupes too. For full price, they're scamming, yeah, for full price, and it's so I always I'm like, don't buy your skincare from Amazon, please.

SPEAKER_01 30:46

Please, you could tell. I think it's like if they have a store, like I think a couple like if I buy something on Amazon, I make sure it's like the store, but you can you know, because saying like third party um seller, I'm like, no, who's a seller? Yeah, you're getting it from like yeah, China.

SPEAKER_00 31:04

Literally, yeah, Amazon will get you. Yeah, all right. So dupes, we're so so on. There can be a few good ones, but all right, so minimalist skincare. So minimalist skincare is using fewer products and simpler routines instead of laying multiple serums and actives.

Glass Skin: Goal, Hype, Or Both

SPEAKER_01 31:24

I think it depends on who is your client, who's using these products. Because I know for myself in the morning I tend to keep it a little bit more hydrating, um, sun protection. But at night, that's when I'm like using all my corrective stuff or my preventative stuff, more of my actives. Um, so I really think that one is just like who is it? Are what is their commitment level? And I know a lot of people that don't cleanse their skin in the morning and they like get away with it. I I can't, I have to cleanse in the morning because I just use all my stuff at night. Um, so I really think that one is who, but if you are have if you're someone with acne, fine lines, wrinkles, and you're going more simple approach, you're probably not gonna get the results that you want.

SPEAKER_02 32:13

Yeah, I well I'm a minimalist, we all know. Uh but I've gotten better.

SPEAKER_00 32:19

There's nothing wrong with that.

SPEAKER_02 32:20

I think that's yeah, like starting off slow, like I went from not even using like a moisturizer to having like four steps in my skincare, which is like that's a lot for me. And I'm like, I won't stay consistent with things if there's too many steps. So I've and I I've tried it, I've tried all the steps, and then I've caught myself like, oh, this is too much. Like, I'm I quit, like, I'm done. So I don't know. I like it. I feel like again, like it depends on the person. Like, my mom is the same as Segway. My mom used to like not really like wash her face, but now she only has like pavise and like TNS. Like, that's like all she uses now. I'm like, okay, you went from using nothing to being like bougie, like this is all literally all she has. Pivis and TNS. Yeah, that's all she she's on set with. Just those. Yeah, like that's yeah, like she loves it. Like, she and like she's noticed a big difference. Like, same thing with her. Like, it I feel like you just have to start out slow and then see where it takes you.

SPEAKER_00 33:08

Yeah, I agree. I think that I'm with you, Damien. I think it really just depends on the person. I think it's great that there's a lot of skincare companies out there now that are focusing on like a minimalist routine and kind of like an all-in-one product. So, like you mentioned, Pave's. Um, we've started carrying that one recently, and it literally has four products in its whole entire line right now: a cleanser, a daytime, a nighttime, and an eye cream. Um, and honestly, I love their eye cream. But if you wanted to omit the eye cream and only have three products, you can put the products around your eye. Um, I think it's great and it's very effective and it gives really good results. Um, but I also there's nights too, like you said, I love like my skincare is like my me time sometimes, and it's like my happy, like, so I like sit down at my little desk and I have all my little products, and I just, you know, it's my I wash people's faces all day. Like I want to take care of my face. So there's definitely nights that I sit down and yeah, I want to do my six, 10-step skincare routine, and I layer it all on and I love it. Um, but I think there's a huge need for a minimalist routine. I think, like you said, Claudia, being overwhelming. Um, I don't want to overwhelm someone. I want someone who's gonna be consistent with their routine. And I'd rather you use three, four products that you can be consistent with instead of giving you multiple different products that you're just not gonna use and then you're gonna not see results. Um, but again, like what Damie said, I think it really just depends on your client. And you have the people that they love all the different products and the different things, and it's kind of their time. Um, but I think there is a huge need for a minimalist skincare routine, but a good quality minimalist routine. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:52

I guess that ties into dupes too, because you could have someone like getting like six dupes, but then you have Pavise where it's you're kind of doing all in once. You're maybe you think you're spending a little bit more money, but then you know you're gonna be committed to it. It's one cream. Like my mom just puts them on her bedside table and she just says it like before she goes to bed. A lot of it, yeah. Because she knows, like, okay, well, I just two things I need to do. So I think that also ties into that too, because at least you're using one product, you know you're gonna be commitment committed. So yeah, and may you may think it's a little bit more extra money, but you know it's working, and you're not having a seven lineup of like azalic acid and isinamide.

SPEAKER_02 35:28

And so even like my mom before would use like she had stuff like the ordinary and clean and stuff, and I was like, throw this out, like we gotta get rid of this. But now that like when she's using like she's using less products now, but I feel like she's getting like better results, right?

SPEAKER_00 35:41

That's yeah, you can get amazing results with a minimalist routine if you're using good products. Yeah, love it. All right, next one glass skin. So glass skin is the trend of ultra smooth, luminous, poreless looking skin that gives almost a reflective look.

SPEAKER_01 35:59

I try to do glass skin every day, and I think that's why I'm not a minimalist. Like I have like I know there was like another trend, it was like seven toners.

At-Home Needles And Razors: A Hard No

SPEAKER_00 36:09

I did see that.

SPEAKER_01 36:10

I did. I have those, I have I still have those seven toners and I still use them because I feel like I do get that glass skin with it. Um, but I think it is just you know, consistency, just like everything else, but it makes me feel nice. So like I I feel like with that one, if you're the things that you're doing, like you're kind of gonna see like your results, especially like at night if I'm doing all these toners or whatever. And I do like obviously you're gonna be glowy because what to achieve glass skin, you have to use certain products like hydrators, and so I think it is more like you see it right then and there, so that's what I'm about. Because I just like to look glowy, like off the bat. So I really strive for glass skin that's like my skin care routine.

SPEAKER_02 36:52

I've tried it, I just feel like I'm so like oily, like it makes me look even more oily. Like I don't love like the dewy look, like I want like a matte, like yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:01

There is always that big difference of people who love like a dewy, glowy, like you can see a reflection in your forehead look, and people who are like, get all of that off of me. Um, yeah, I think that's a big thing. I always just I feel like the trend of glass skin is just I think it's unrealistic for a lot of people, and I think a lot of people get upset when they like have a facial and their skin doesn't look like that after, and it's like that's not like like Damie said, that comes with consistency of like using quality skincare every day, getting treatments done, doing microneedling, doing your lasers. Honestly, the most I get glass skin is when I get my disport and my forehead's like frozen, and it's like I get it from that. Like I think it's I think it gives just like an unrealistic. I love a good glowy dewy look too. But I think when you see some of these videos of people like after a facial or something, where they're like glass skin, I'm like, you just look like you have Vaselina on your face. Like um, so I think it just gives a little bit of an unrealistic expectation when it comes to like treatments sometimes, but I do I'm like you, I try and have like that glowy, dewy look, but some of the videos you see are fake. Yeah, it's like they have even like a mirror on their face.

SPEAKER_01 38:14

I think like glass skin also, like I remember it becoming trendy, and it was a lot of like the Korean skincare, and I'm like, eh, they could just really like be this could be like genetics, and like they have like a moisturizer on their face, and they're have like so much stuff on their face, and like they're doing like that plump, and I'm like, Yeah, it's because like obviously she has skincare on, but now we're just putting a whole new trend out there. I'm like, you know, she's just doing her skincare routine. But I like the idea of glass skin, eye sharper every day.

SPEAKER_00 38:45

Yeah, I like a good goal every morning.

SPEAKER_01 38:48

Yeah, my goal is like every I wanted look, I actually took a I'm gonna have to make a TikTok on it on like my seven toner routine because it I can just see what seven toners you're using. I think it does work, but it's just because I've been doing it for like two years now. So, and also like I think I do get glass skin, like skin pen, oh yeah, like right after oh, like the day after I'm like, whoa, my skin is so like reflective. Like, I love that. So I think yeah, it's just like whether people want to look dewy or not. I think that's like the glass skin look.

SPEAKER_00 39:17

Yeah, all right. So we'll combine these two together, but at-home microneedling or at home derma plating in general, just kind of at-home treatments, professional treatments being done by people at home.

SPEAKER_01 39:32

Never ever.

SPEAKER_02 39:33

Yeah, I hate that. Do you remember the trend where people would spray that foam on their face and then take like the razor? Oh my gosh. Yes, it was like baby powder spray. Yes, uh-huh. And then everyone's like, I'm like cutting myself, nicking myself. I have the worst breakouts the next day. That's what I think of.

SPEAKER_01 39:48

Also, they're using like these facial razors and they're using them like three times. And like, okay, that's also another reason why you're breaking out. It's not hygienic, it's you're not sanitizing anything. And it's not, I think derma planing, people are just like, Oh, I'm just shaving my face. No, it's like a deeper exfoliation. We're not just getting like those Vellus hairs off, but we're getting any of like that dead skin, and it's just a deeper exfoliation. I think you can't do that with one of those facial razors. Like, you can't. Every time I like convince a client, like, please. I love like they kind of like get them with they do a treatment, like when we just did Botox, because like, oh, I like I've been doing this at home, like, but I have it banked or whatever. I'm like, okay, well, perfect. This is the perfect time because you're gonna see such a difference, and they're like, Oh, my skin never looks like this after when I do it at home. Like, yeah, because it's not a professional and you're not doing it right.

SPEAKER_02 40:38

Yeah, I feel like if you're not a nostician, you should not have a razor on your face. Like, that truly scares me. I can never imagine going home and like same thing with microneeling. Yeah, Dr. Penn.

SPEAKER_01 40:47

If I did someone say something about Dr. Pen one more time, I think I was like, I bought it on Amazon.

SPEAKER_00 40:52

Yes, it is. I yeah, it's on TikTok, it's on Amazon.

Face Towels: Nice-To-Have Or Necessary

SPEAKER_01 40:56

It's yeah, I'm like, what is uh I haven't even looked into it because I don't I don't even I just know like I will never use anything like if a client's telling me Dr. Pen and it's so hard. Clients that are like, oh, I'm doing Dr. Pen at home, it's so hard to switch them to do skin pen. I don't know why, but they're like, no, this is working for me and it's so much cheaper. I'm like, okay, yeah, give it, give it two years, and I'll see you back.

SPEAKER_00 41:18

Yeah, I agree. I think even I like I dermoplane myself at home, but I use like the blades that we use. And I'll be honest with you, I probably nick myself every time. It's hard to do yourself, like to do it correctly. Um, it's hard. And yeah, you don't, there's so much sanitation that goes into it before doing a treatment. Um, like you were talking about with like the dermoplaning at home, though those like little eyebrows, they're made for your eyebrows, first of all, not for your whole face. Yeah, they're like little eyebrow razors, is actually what they're for. Um, but if you look at them, they're like jagged, like they're not smooth. So when you're taking that across your face, it's just little micro tears, like the whole entire way. We use surgical scalpels, like they are made to like cut very precise lines in surgery. Um, you know, they're very fine, it's very smooth, it's not gonna tear your skin. Same with microneedling. The needles that are on what we have, like they are serile needles, they're tested for up to 90 minutes to make sure they are staying sharp the entire time. Um, those needles start to dull, and when they dull, they're gonna drag on your skin and create tears, and you're not gonna see those right away. They're little micro injuries to the skin, but your skin's eventually gonna start to not be able to like heal itself. So it's just yeah, there's a lot.

SPEAKER_01 42:34

I don't ever throw it away.

SPEAKER_00 42:36

Yeah, don't do it. I hate that. There's professionals for a reason. Yeah, promise you.

SPEAKER_01 42:40

Yeah, everyone wants to do something at home, and I'm I'm DIY do a face mask, yeah. Face masks are great, but not like not skin pen or not microneedling or dermaplaning, or your Botox or your injectable, stay away from needles and sharp things by your face, or anything on the black market, yeah. Stay off the black market.

SPEAKER_02 43:00

So many clients, even like we're like, oh yeah, I'll just get like my Botox, like black market. And then when their friends get together and they inject each other. I'm like, what?

SPEAKER_01 43:10

I'm like, and maybe and even a training professional, how many times I've had clients, even too, they're like, Yeah, I went to my dentist and they did my Botox and it came out. I'm like, yeah, maybe just stick to coming here for everything.

SPEAKER_02 43:22

I'm like, yeah, I went to get a cavity filled and I got Botox. I'm like, oh two for one. Oh yeah, two for one, I guess. Okay, like they don't complain, but sure.

SPEAKER_00 43:31

All right, so last one, um, face towels. So this is using single-use or dedicated facial towels to avoid bacteria transfer.

SPEAKER_01 43:40

Love, use them every day.

SPEAKER_02 43:42

Yeah, I like them. I need to be better. I don't use them every day.

Final Takeaways And Community CTA

SPEAKER_00 43:45

Yeah. I'm I like them. Um, I think that if you can find affordable ones, um, I think they're great. I think they again like they stop, they don't harbor bacteria. Um, I do I think they're necessary. No, I think you can use a washcloth to dry off your face. Um, either one, just make sure you're using like a new washcloth every single night. Um, I use like uh liquid like sanitizer when I wash like all my towels and stuff. So it sanitizes them. So if you have washcloths at home, do I think face towels are a necessity? Absolutely not. I think you can be just fine. Now, yeah, if you're using like a washcloth and you wad it up damp and you leave it sit in a corner and you reuse that same one every single day. Like, yeah, please don't do that. That's gonna harbor bacteria. Um, but if you're using a clean towel, I think it's fine. Do I love face towels? Do I use them? Yes, I do. I love them. I those you can buy on Amazon, those are fine. Um you can get those from Amazon. I found a dupe for a there is a a brand out there that's a name brand. Um, and I was like, you know what, let me try these ones on Amazon. And they were like, you got double the amount and half the price still. And I like them. I like them a lot. They're great. So you can find affordable ones. Um, so if it's something that you like, I think it's great. Um, I don't think they're a necessity. I think you can do just fine using a clean washcloth or towel every day. Um, but they're great. I think they're fine. All right. So final thoughts on TikTok trends for skincare.

SPEAKER_02 45:24

Do your research.

SPEAKER_01 45:25

Yeah. Research. No black market. No black market, no no tick tock shop.

SPEAKER_02 45:30

No at-home treatments.

SPEAKER_01 45:32

It's fun to watch, but yeah, I think if you're getting your skincare off TikTok shop, that's scary. Beef tallow. I have I I don't even know who makes that. Like, I'm scared.

SPEAKER_00 45:45

Some guy in his backyard smoking a breast.

SPEAKER_01 45:48

He's making bank right now. I could do it at home. No, no, you can't. No, you can't.

SPEAKER_00 45:55

All right, guys. Well, thank you so much. That one was fun. Yeah. Liked it. If you see, if you guys, if we missed any trends out there and you guys think of any, put them in the little comments and let us know. We'll do a part two.

SPEAKER_01 46:06

Yeah, and that's like a moment just talking about trends. Wait, and this one, and this one, and this one. Like, it's scary. A new trend comes out every week.

SPEAKER_00 46:11

Yeah, always a new trend. So leave some comments in there, some trends you want us to talk about that we'll uh we'll touch on. So do your research. Don't follow everything that's out there. There are professionals for a reason. Go see them, go talk to them. They'll give you different alternatives. So today's conversation showed us just how the same trends can look totally different depending on whether you're inside the treatment room or scrolling, just like everyone, everyone else. Curiosity is great, but trends aren't inherently good or bad. What matters is understanding your skin and what works best for you. So enjoy scrolling on TikTok. Watch us on TikTok. You can find us on TikTok, on Instagram, YouTube, um, all of our social media channels. You can visit us, visit us at KatorMedspall.com. Um, please like and subscribe and share these episodes with your friends. And again, leave us some comments. We want to interact with you guys. So if you find any more trends, let us know. Until next time. Thanks.