Five skincare red flags dermatologists say shoppers routinely overlook

From viral hype to '100% results' claims, dermatologists outline five subtle yet crucial red flags that often mislead shoppers into buying products that overpromise and underdeliver

Why do so many skincare products feel exciting, convincing, and still disappoint you? You pick up a serum that everyone online seems to be raving about, the bottle promises miracles, the price feels suspiciously great, and before you know it, it is in your cart. But after application, when your skin looks no better, you wonder if you fell for a fad again.

 

Dermatologist Dr (Lt Cdr) Siddharth Garekar, who practises at Garekars MD Dermatology & Aesthetics Clinic and Artemis Hospital in Gurgaon, explains in a post on Instagram the warning signs shoppers routinely ignore and end up falling prey to clever marketing.

 

Why is a product “everywhere you look” — and should that worry you?

If a product pops up every time you open Instagram, chances are you are not witnessing a scientific revolution. You are witnessing a marketing budget at work.

 

Dr Garekar flags that when influencers, actors and sponsored posts all push the same product, it usually reflects a PR-heavy launch, not a breakthrough formula. Strong skincare typically comes out of clinical research, not celebrity reels.

 

This doesn’t mean everything promoted online is bad. It simply means visibility is not evidence. For good skin, care more about the ingredients, concentrations, formulation quality and stability.

Can any skincare product deliver results 'overnight'?

Dr Garekar stresses that human physiology has timelines of its own, and marketers cannot speed those up no matter how catchy the claim. He warns against phrases such as “erase dark spots in a week”, “pores vanish overnight” and “miracles while you sleep”.

 

Skin works in cycles. Epidermal turnover takes 28–40 days. Melanin reduction needs several weeks. Collagen remodelling stretches into months. Anything promising to outpace your biology is essentially science fiction and not science. 

Should extremely cheap ‘active’ skincare make you suspicious?

If a serum claims to contain retinoids, peptides, L-ascorbic acid (the purest form of vitamin C) or growth factors, but costs less than your coffee, it is suspicious.

 

These ingredients are expensive to source, difficult to stabilise and tricky to keep bioavailable. Dr Garekar notes that when such formulations are unbelievably cheap, it often means the concentrations are negligible or the ingredients are unstable.

Is any skincare product truly '100 per cent effective'?

Even prescription-grade dermatology does not achieve perfection for everyone. Human skin varies widely in genetics, environment, habits, stress and gut health.

 

So when a brand insists its product delivers “100 per cent results”, Dr Garekar suggests interpreting that as enthusiasm rather than evidence.

 

A better promise is “clinically tested”, “proven to improve” or “effective for most users”. 

Why are fear-based labels like 'toxin-free' a red flag?

“Toxin-free.” “No chemicals.” “Avoid them, choose us.” These labels are plastered on everything from face wash to toners.

 

Dr Garekar warns against brands that sell by inducing fear. When a product positions competitors as dangerous without explaining what they contain, it is often because the evidence behind their own claims is thin.

 

According to doctors, chemicals are not scary and everything, including water, is a chemical. What matters is formulation, testing, safety data and transparency.

 

Dr Garekar urges people to pay attention to science, not slogans, check ingredients, not endorsements and notice how your skin responds. 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Dr Garekar l Dermatologist (@garekarsmddermatologyclinic)

 

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This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.