From ice cubes to apple cider vinegar: I’m a skincare fanatic – these are the WORST trends of 2023

A skincare fanatic has shared what she thinks are this year's worst trends, but not everyone agrees.

Natalie O'Neill has a blog, podcast and TikTok page dedicated to skin care, where she advises viewers on what works and doesn't work for her.

In a recent videoshe told her 377,000 followers through the trends she wants to leave in 2023.

The TikTok was seen by more than 540,000 people in less than 24 hours, with commenters expressing their own opinions and experiences.

Natalie told viewers: 'Girl, we gotta talk about the worst skincare trends of 2023 because I've seen enough this year and I'm sick to my stomach' – read on for the practices and products she says you should 'absolutely stop'.

Ice treatment

She started, “In issue one, Glow Cube or any kind of ice treatment – ​​these guys contacted me, I left them on read.”

The skincare fan warned: 'This is unhygienic, dangerous and will not help your skin.

'It feels nice, it gives the illusion that things are going well, because it feels nice, but that's where the benefits end, my friend.

'The skin doesn't like extreme temperatures, can cause irritation, redness and even varicose veins and absolutely doesn't like being rubbed all over its body with a popsicle in a piece of Shein plastic – put it down.'

However, not everyone is convinced and one user commented: 'Skin icing cleared up my inflamed, painful pimples (but I use ice cubes)', alongside a sad emoji.

Others agreed: 'I'm not going to stop applying ice to my face because it soothes my skin and works for me' and 'Totally disagree with the skin icing, it helps a lot with puffiness'.

British medical and cosmetic doctor, Dr. Leah Tottonadvised 'This may work to reduce bags or swelling, but there is no evidence that it is an effective way to treat inflammatory skin conditions or that it is anti-ageing.

'Using ice on the skin can certainly help reduce bags or swelling on the face and especially around the eyes.

'The motion of moving the ice around the skin can also promote lymphatic drainage, but there is very little evidence that this is anti-aging.

'There is currently very little research into the effectiveness of ice in treating inflammatory skin conditions such as acne.

'There are well-established and effective treatments available to treat inflammatory acne, and I would advise anyone suffering from acne to consult an experienced cosmetic doctor who can provide advice.'

apple cider vinegar

Natalie then recommended against using apple cider vinegar on your face – a DIY skincare trend that has been popular all year round.

She argued, “Apple cider vinegar is meant to be consumed, you are meant to consume it.

“It's for food, it's for ingesting, it's not for swiping all over your skin as a toner.”

“The most inappropriate thing to wipe on your skin is that it will only harm you in the long run.”

Adding: 'It's not even cheaper than buying a toner, so why is this happening? Spending too much time on Pinterest'.

Viewers agreed and wondered, 'Will people ever stop using apple cider vinegar? it's so bad you can literally destroy your skin barrier' and 'Apple cider vinegar seriously has the best marketing team… it keeps coming back again and again'.

Although again she received some backlash – one person wrote: 'Apple cider vinegar *diluted with spring water* is actually great for my acne-prone skin, sorry'.

Someone else claims that “apple cider cleared up my acne.”

Dr. Totton agreed with the TikToker: “This may have some antibacterial properties, but there are much better acne-fighting ingredients than this.”

She wouldn't recommend using apple cider vinegar on the face because there is little research on it and it can cause skin irritation.

Dermaplaning

Third on the skincare bloggers' list is dermaplaning: an exfoliation procedure that removes dirt and 'peach' hairs on your face.

Natalie said: 'Put it down, especially if you suffer from acne.

She said: 'I think this trend has been around for a while, not only is it new for 2023 but this isn't for people who are prone to acne.

“If you disrupt the hair follicles, you're likely to get bacteria in.”

Natalie advised: 'Waking up with lots of pimples is what you expect when you do this, and I understand because I have PCOS, I'm a hairy girl.

'I have hair growing out of my neck and hair growing out of my chest that I need to pluck.

'But please, maybe try IPL, pluck it, something like that – you're in denial about this.'

The top comment on the video, with over 400 likes, is “Dermaplaning saved my face, what are you talking about lol?”

Another agreed: 'Dermaplaning is great, I've been doing it for years. My foundation looks so much better after I did it,” while someone else wrote: “I bought a professional blade for dermaplaning, I love it so much.”

When it comes to dermaplaning, Dr. Totton explained that it is better to get treatment at a clinic than to try it yourself at home.

She said: 'Many people confuse dermaplaning with shaving the face, but specific tools are designed for that and a different technique will be used.

'When done correctly and by a professional, dermaplaning can exfoliate the skin by removing dead skin cells.'

DIY face mask makers

Finally, the skincare enthusiast criticizes the makers of DIY face masks, which she says are the “biggest waste of money” she's ever seen.

She admitted, “Okay, if you want to do this for fun or with your kids, I understand, but absolutely 0% of people see any benefit in this.

'Just because you put something in a mask, make it into jelly and then put it on your face doesn't mean your face is absorbing the benefits of that thing.

'There's a bit more to it than that: a waste of money, but if you enjoy it, I think it's fun.'

Dr. Totton agreed: “I love natural ingredients, but they need to be tried and tested for safety, interactions and efficacy.

'When formulating masks or products there is a long and thorough testing process to ensure that they are safe, and secondly that they are effective on the skin.

'If the right ingredients are used this can obviously be beneficial, but you need to know that the right ingredients and amounts are combined to have the desired effect on the skin.'