THE skin on our faces is always on show for the world to see, so it makes sense that we’d want it to look the best it can.
However, it can be hard to know what's actually worth buying.
The pharmacy aisles are overwhelming, the TikTok tips conflicting and the skincare product reviews are endless.
To make matters even worse, skincare can be expensive – especially the popular products, it seems.
And as the cost-of-living continues to bite, affordable products are more important than ever.
Thankfully, a dermatologist has shared what he believes are the worst skincare fads – and what you should invest in instead.
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1. Cleansing brushes
Dr Muneeb Shah, TikTok's derm doctor urged people not to buy cleansing brushes.
The silicon face washing devices have been all the rage on social media over the last few years.
"The brushes can be a great addition to your routine, but are they necessary? No," he said in a video shared on social media.
Several experts have even warned of their potentially damaging affects.
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Dr David Leffell, the chief of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine, US, told Insider: "They can cause a form of acne, and generally traumatize the epidermis."
Similarly, Christian Surber, a professor of dermatopharmacology at the University of Basel and the University of Zurich, told The New York Times that they "abuse the skin".
Instead of investing in a brush, Dr Muneeb suggests people simply use their fingers to clean their face – which he says is just as effective, and free.
2. Pore strips
In a separate video, the doctor slams TikTok's beloved pore strips.
We all knew, deep down, these skin ripping products were probably not doing our noses a whole lot of good.
"Pore strips are pretty harsh and don't address the underlying problem," Dr Muneeb said.
The spots found on your nose are usually blackheads, which are blocked pores, skincare specialist Susie Bridgeman-Sutton, previously told The Sun.
"When the pores are clogged with an oily substance known as sebum and filled with dead skin cells, they react with oxygen in the air and turn black," Susie, who is an expert at Thunderbird Skin, said.
"Hormonal changes such as puberty, pregnancy, menopause, birth control pills etc, can all trigger an excess level of sebum production, and therefore blackheads," she added.
Even if you rip blackheads out with a pore strip, they are likely to return, she also explained.
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The best way to get rid of and reduce your chances of developing blackheads is by gentile chemical exfoliation, Dr Muneeb said.
He suggests people use a product which contains salicylic acid, which works by promoting the skin's natural exfoliation process.
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