The Decision-Making Process: Navigating Skincare Advice from Bloggers
Bloggers and blogs have become invaluable tools for people seeking information, especially in the world of skincare. Unlike the polished promotional materials that companies often release, blogs provide a more personal and relatable perspective. But while blogs can offer helpful insights, it’s essential to recognize their limitations before relying on them as your sole source of information.
When it comes to making decisions, especially in areas like skincare, there’s often a process that we follow, even if it’s subconscious. This process can be broken down into steps, but how deeply you dive into these steps depends on your level of involvement. For example, think about a situation where you’ve just had a cavity filled at the dentist. On your next shopping trip, you’re more likely to spend extra time choosing the right toothpaste—maybe by checking out reviews, reading the packaging, or even asking your dentist for recommendations. This is what’s known as a high-involvement decision. On the other hand, if you’ve never had dental work done, you might not care about the brand of toothpaste you buy, so you grab whatever’s on sale or looks familiar. This is a low-involvement decision.
In skincare, if you’re dealing with sensitive skin, acne, or other concerns, your decision-making process is likely to be high-involvement. You’re more invested in finding the right product, which means you’ll spend more time researching, reading reviews, and perhaps even consulting with experts. But what do you do when you’re in that deep research mode? Often, you’ll turn to blogs for reviews and advice because they’re an accessible source of information from people who have tried the products themselves. Many blogs also have comment sections where you can engage with the blogger or other readers, further expanding on the ideas shared in the post. It’s like a virtual conversation where you can get different perspectives, ask questions, and gain more clarity.
For bloggers like me, this interaction is gold. Sure, likes and shares are nice, but the real value comes from comments and discussions. To me, every blog post is the beginning of a conversation, and I love when readers join in. However, it’s important to remember that while bloggers can provide valuable insights, they are not the ultimate authority. This brings us to a common pitfall known as the Argument from Authority Bias. This happens when you start to believe that just because a blogger is knowledgeable and active in the skincare community, everything they recommend will work for you. It’s easy to fall into this trap, especially when a product they rave about turns out to work well for you. Suddenly, you might think that everything they suggest is a sure bet.
But here’s the truth: I don’t know everything about skincare. Sure, I might know more than the average person because I’ve spent time reading studies, experimenting with products, and absorbing information from experts. But at the end of the day, I’m just a consumer like you. The only difference is that I share my research and experiences publicly in the hope that they help others make informed decisions.
Bloggers Are Enthusiasts, Not Dermatologists
Let’s address the elephant in the room: I am not a dermatologist or a medical professional. I don’t have the qualifications to diagnose skin conditions or recommend treatments for specific concerns. No blogger, unless they are also a licensed dermatologist or cosmetic chemist, can do this for you. It’s crucial to keep this in mind when reading skincare blogs.
That said, I can still help in certain ways. If you ask me which BHA (beta hydroxy acid) I prefer, or which serum has worked best for my acne, I can give you my personal opinion. I can share my experience with specific products and tell you what worked for me. However, if you come to me with a list of skin concerns—acne, oily skin, blackheads, and more—and ask for a personalized product recommendation, I won’t be able to give you one. It’s not that I don’t want to help, but I’m not equipped to do so. What I can do is suggest that you see a dermatologist, especially if you’re dealing with serious skin issues like cystic acne, rosacea, or eczema.
There’s also a legal and ethical side to this. Offering personalized skincare advice can open a can of worms in terms of liability. Posting a general product review is one thing, but telling someone directly what they should use for their skin crosses into a different territory. It’s like hosting a brunch buffet: if a guest chooses a sandwich with peanut butter, they’re responsible for their own choice, even if they have a peanut allergy. But if they hand me their plate and ask me to choose something for them, the responsibility shifts to me, and that’s a risk I’m not willing to take.
Recommending Products for Other Skin Types
Sometimes, bloggers joke that they wish they had more than one face so they could try all the products they’re interested in. This is especially true when people ask for recommendations for different skin types. But the reality is, I can’t recommend products for other skin types with any confidence. I can’t even recommend products for my own skin type if the climate changes!
For example, I have oily-dehydrated skin, and I live in an arid climate. My skincare routine works well for me here, but if I were to move to a humid climate, it might fall apart. Even the products that I rely on daily could betray me in a different environment. My mother experiences this firsthand, as she splits her time between two drastically different climates. Some products work wonders in one location but become unusable in the other, which can be incredibly frustrating.
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from reading reviews written by bloggers with different skin types or climates. Even if a blogger has a different skin type, you can still gain valuable insights from their experiences. For example, if a product is too rich for someone with oily skin, it might work well for someone with dry skin. Or if a product is too drying for them, it’s probably going to be even more drying for someone with sensitive skin.
Skincare Is a Journey
At the end of the day, skincare is a journey filled with educated guesses and trial and error. You gather as much information as you can, make a decision, and see what happens. No matter how closely your skin type matches a blogger’s, there’s always a chance that what works for them won’t work for you. Factors like climate, hormones, stress levels, and even water quality can all play a role in how your skin reacts to a product.
So while bloggers can be a helpful resource, remember that skincare is a personal journey. Use the information you find as a starting point, but always be prepared to experiment and adjust based on your own unique needs.