Investigating the Stories
Welcome back to my channel, where skincare is all about progression over perfection, because perfection doesn’t exist. And welcome back to another When Beauty Turns Ugly. For these videos, I always collect little stories and sometimes they never make it to a video.. But I’ve noticed that there’s something in common with the three stories I want to share today. And I’ll be doing my skincare routine as well..
The Allure of Budget Skincare
Now I love a good bargain.. I love a good skincare bargain, mainly because I love a product that emphasizes the fact that you don’t have to be spending a small fortune on your skincare in order to see results. Just gonna spray, this to calm my skin down a bit., Whatever skincare goals, You are after. Now.
The Click-Worthy Headlines
Unfortunately, there are a few stories that make it to the media that make very click-bait worthy headlines, like the title for this video that talk about people who have purchased skincare on a budget then have had devastating results from those skincare products., And they kind of emphasize the fact that these products are cheap and that’s. What cheap products do when we know that’s, not the case., Further perpetuating the myth that cheap, affordable budget skincare equals non-effective and dangerous.
Unraveling the Issues with Budget Skincare
So in today’s, When Beauty Turns Ugly, I want to investigate some of these stories and maybe see what really was the issue surrounding These budget cheap skincare products, and why did they potentially cause such negative skincare reactions.
Unexpected Reactions
Sandra’s daughter eagerly applied the budget skincare products from Kmart’s OXX brand, excited to have a fun skincare session with her friend at the sleepover. However, what transpired next was beyond their imagination. The products, which were supposed to enhance their beauty routine, ended up causing harm to their skin.
Unidentified Side Effects
Within moments of using the skincare products, Sandra’s daughter and her friend started experiencing a burning sensation on their skin. Alarmed by the unexpected reaction, Sandra immediately washed off the products from their faces, hoping to alleviate the discomfort. To their horror, they noticed that their skin was starting to develop redness and irritation.
Seeking Medical Help
Concerned about the severity of the skin reaction, Sandra rushed her daughter and her friend to the nearest medical facility. The doctors diagnosed them with chemical burns caused by the budget skincare products they had used. The harsh chemicals in the products had caused their skin to react adversely, resulting in painful burns.
Manufacturer’s Response
Following the incident, Kmart issued a statement acknowledging the reports of skin reactions to their OXX skincare products. They assured customers that they were investigating the matter and working to ensure the safety of their products. The incident served as a wake-up call for consumers to be cautious when using budget skincare items, as their affordability might come at a cost to their skin health.
Lessons Learned
The case of Sandra’s daughter and her friend serves as a cautionary tale about the potential risks associated with using budget skincare products. While affordability is a key factor for many consumers, it is essential to prioritize the safety and quality of the products being applied to the skin. The incident highlights the importance of conducting thorough research and patch tests before incorporating new skincare items into one’s routine. Beauty should never come at the expense of health.
The Shocking Discovery
You know like Garnier and all that kind of stuff., But they also do a lot of dupes of many popular brands, not necessarily cheaper versions but kind of shameless copies of other brands. Like e.l.f Sol De Janeiro, I saw on there and Glow Recipe as well.. So in particular, Sandras daughter decided that she wanted to buy this 3 Niacinamide serum, not this one., One Im showing you here and their grapefruit facial scrub. Im having flashbacks to that grapefruit sheet mask.. Now this is where it gets a little bit more interesting. Cause when speaking to media outlet Sandra lets them know that she is in fact a cosmetic nurse or an aesthetics nurse..
The Expert’s Approval
So she took the products she looked at the ingredients before the girls used them before. She decided to say yes to her buying them and she deemed them safe to use. Sandra says, quotI. Just never thought there would be anything active enough to cause such a problem.. When I did look at the ingredients, it had something like chamomile, which is essentially a calming product.. So Im surprised this has actually happened.quot
Exploring Cosmetic Nursing
So lets. Take a real, quick detour, quick and lets just confirm what a cosmetic nurse or an aesthetic nurse is. According to HealthCareerCenter.com quotCosmetic nursing focuses primarily on cosmetic and dermatologic. Procedures. Cosmetic nurses are responsible for performing or assisting with less invasive cosmetic procedures, such as Botox dermal fillers. Laser hair removal, collagen replacement therapy and chemical peels.
The Shocking Discovery
They can also be involved in more intense surgery like cosmetic surgery. As an assistant… They go on to say, “This nursing speciality centers around providing patients with the cosmetic or dermatologic procedures they inquire for health reasons or opt to have done for personal cosmetic reasons.” Some of the typical job functions of cosmetic nursing professions are assessing skin aging or other skin-related health problems and performing research to stay up to date on new procedures and protocols.
The Innocent Experiment
But I thought they were the most relevant. Anyway, well come back to that in a minute. So they bought the products took them home. Sandra’s daughter and her friend used them without any problems. I presume they had a good night. I don’t know. However, the following week it’s summertime in Australia, right. Summertime they’re still at school. They’re about to break up for their summer holidays. So it’s warm, it’s hot right and Sandra’s daughter started complaining that whenever she would get hot and sweaty, you know when she was playing and running around. And throughout that week her skin started to sting more. It got redder and redder and redder, and then it eventually started to peel. This reaction was so bad that Sandra actually thought that her daughter had snuck into her cosmetic salon, esthetician salon where she worked and had taken a product that she shouldn’t have and used on her face. She was like this reaction is so bad.
The Shocking Incident
She thought it was something a lot more medical. Sandra told the Herald Sun that even in her practice where she works, she has never seen somebody react to a skincare product like this ever. That’s why she was so concerned. Now it’s unclear whether or not Sandra took her daughter to a specialist of whatever kind, to take a look at her skin. All it says in the media is that she used a healing serum, a gentle healing serum and her skin recovered in a few weeks’ time.
Kmart’s Response
Kmart did release a statement regarding the situation. They said: “At Kmart, we take the quality and safety of all our products very seriously. Whilst these products comply with all required standards, we investigate any incidents that are raised with us.” They go on to say, “We encourage this customer or any customer who experiences an issue with a product to get in touch with our customer service team to ensure that it can be investigated properly.”
A Mother’s Warning
Sandra is now asking parents to be wary of the dangers of buying cheap beauty products, so another child doesn’t have to go through what her daughter went through.
The Investigation
So what really happened here? I’m sure you’ve noticed quite a few red flags during that story right. Why did her daughter’s skin melt off, as some of these articles said? Let’s take a look at the actual products that she used, starting with their 3 Niacinamide serum.
The Misleading Packaging
Any bottle with a percentage, a number then a percentage next to the active ingredient. A child doesn’t have to be using or should use at all. Without even looking at the ingredients just looking at the packaging and what’s written on the front of this bottle, you can tell this isn’t for an eleven year old.
Questionable Assumptions
Sandra’s statement that she didn’t think there would be any active enough ingredients in this product is a little bit strange. It’s very strange. Then she also says that the product was so cheap she didn’t think it would be strong enough, which doesn’t make sense to me. Because 3 Niacinamide is 3 Niacinamide. Of course, you can’t judge a product simply by looking at its ingredient list, but let’s have a look.
Skin Reactions
Looking at the ingredient list, it’s very, very, very, very simple. And of course, so many people can react to so many things in so many different ways. But just looking at this product, it doesn’t look like there’s a lot in there that can cause this kind of reaction. Other than the Niacinamide at 3, which is like the mid level percentage of Niacinamide. You see in skincare, it’s like zero to 5.
The Real Issue
The next product, personally, for me, I would have more of an issue with. The budget skincare products that are supposedly melting people’s skin raise concerns about the assumptions people make based on packaging and pricing. It’s a reminder that when it comes to skincare, quality should always come before cost.
The Issue at Hand
No, not more of an issue with the budget skincare products ‘melting’ people’s skin, but rather an issue with the Grapefruit Facial Scrub that has been causing problems. Just as good an issue with as the serum, the scrub contains ingredients that may be problematic for certain individuals.
The Problematic Ingredients
Now we’ve seen grapefruit in skincare before bothering children’s skin, but I just want to highlight a few ingredients. Formulation is really important here, but the sheer amount of perfuming and fragrance could be a cause for concern. While fragrance can be enjoyable for some, it can be irritating for others, especially children who have more delicate skin. In particular, the presence of Linalool and Limonene, which are known irritants, along with Ascorbyl Palmitate and Grapefruit Water, could potentially cause issues for young skin.
Possible Reactions
These ingredients are not ideal for kids, as using actives and citrus products may lead to skin irritation and sensitivity, particularly in the summer when the sun’s rays are strong. Without proper sun protection, the skin may experience burning, blistering, or peeling. It is crucial to always apply sunscreen when using such products to protect the skin from damage.
The Unmentioned Face Mask
While the Grapefruit Facial Scrub was pinpointed as a potential culprit for skin issues, there was also a face mask used in the skincare routine that was not disclosed. The effects of this mask on the skin remain unknown, adding another layer of uncertainty to the situation. It is important to be mindful of all products used on the skin, especially when there are already concerns about certain ingredients.
Lack of Ingredient Knowledge
They dont say it anywhere for some reason. So I cant comment on that. But I think this is a really good example that just because somebodys job involves skin, it doesnt mean theyre trained in understanding ingredients. With a lot of these places, especially like aestheticians kind of clinics and stuff, like that they work with Brands. Its those brands that come in and teach the aestheticians how their products work, the scientific findings about their particular ingredients. And not all of it, is scientifically accurate or factual.
Lack of Education in Medical Grade Skincare
This is how medical grade skincare starts right. You get these estheticians people who work for these medical grade. Companies come in and teach them all about their skincare and why medical grade is so much better and what their ingredients do? That budget skincare, doesnt do. So thats all they know. Theyre, not getting any deeper knowledge than that. And I think this is a really worrying but interesting example.
Accountability and Responsibility
I think to blame what happened to this childs skin fully on the product? Is you know, factually correct. The product did hurt this childs skin, but its like pouring vinegar into your eye and then saying it burns and then blaming the vinegar. No thats not … Thats, a really bad example. Children, shouldnt, be using actives. And then to say. Parents should be worried about cheap skincare, its not right. These products, arent made for kids. And Ill be honest. I find it concerning that. A cosmetic nurse didnt realize this.
The Dangers of Budget Skincare
But, like Sandra says herself. This is something that kids are into nowadays. Theyre into skincare.. They want to be doing skincare. And, in my personal opinion, its up to the parent to be researching. If they dont know what the kids are putting on their face. Because the moment you look up Niacinamide, youre gon na know, that is not for your childs face.
The Rise of Lacura Skincare
Do you have Aldi in America? I dont know if you do. Its very popular here in the UK and some parts of Europe as well. And its a supermarket basically. And there they have like a bakery which always smells really good., But they are also known for their skincare. Cosmetics range called Lacura.. Lacura Lacura, I think it is. And theyre known for making dupes too. Theyre super affordable, though so. Unlike Kmart, they do dupe Glow Recipe, Nivea Pixi Elemis., Who else Everyone basically. They go through stages of just copying. People at super, affordable, prices.
A Shocking Discovery
Rochelle Jeffrey purchased one of these dupes on her regular food shopping trip.. She saw that this body lotion by Lucura, said thats for sensitive skin.. It was healing and repairing and she thought perfect. That would be great for me and thatd be great for my daughter.. It kind of looks like a Nivea or like Dove dupe Im, not sure., And it was only a pound.. So she was like why the fck – not You know When she got home, she put it to one side.
Shocking Reactions
She was like its not for now. But her daughter saw it and wanted to try it herself. So she reached for it and put some of this body lotion on her face. Pretty immediately, according to Rochelle, her skin started to get red. You could feel the heat coming from her skin. And then a few seconds later, her daughter was crying like asking for her mum, saying that it was burning. Rochelle said her daughter was covered in tiny blisters.
Unexpected Effects
Rochelle was like it can’t be that body lotion. So she put a little bit of body lotion on her face too, and it immediately started to get red. Her face was stinging. Rochelle rinsed their faces under some running water and their faces calmed down. The burning, the itching, the stinging completely stopped. She did say after that, though, she still felt like heat coming off of their skin.
A Disappointing Response
Rochelle, of course, complained to Aldi because this was meant to be for sensitive skin. It says on the bottle: sensitive skin. Aldi just offered her a 20 voucher, which, you know… They did comment, though. They did make a statement. They said, “We were sorry to hear about the Jeffrey family’s experience. Our skincare range is rigorously tested, and we have received no other similar complaints about this product. As with any cosmetic product, there is always the possibility of an individual intolerance to a particular ingredient.”
The Mysterious Allergic Reaction
Which is true. Right And honestly, looking at the ingredients again its hard to see what could have caused this kind of reaction, because theres no obvious stand out ingredients irritants. Whatever allergens. But anyone can be allergic to anything or get irritation from anything right.
Lack of Clarity in Ingredients
The only thing I could see in here is Lactic Acid. But in such a small percentage I doubt it was in there for exfoliation. But its a bit strange. Two people reacting the same way to this particular product is kind of odd. I dont know. I dont know. I cant comment on this. I dont know enough about cosmetic formulation. I dont know enough about skin conditions to speak about this on a professional level because Im like what would have done this other than the fact that anyone could be allergic to anything. But I dont think its because it was cheap.
A Terrifying Incident
A very similar thing happened With Aldis Extra Sensitive Sunspray again on a child. Now the sunscreen, which Aldi say is approved by the Skin Health Alliance, actually sent a two year old into anaphylactic shock. She was rushed to hospital because her throat was swelling up. Her eyes were swelling. She couldnt stop scratching at her face. Nurses and her mother Chelsea had to hold her down whilst they rinsed out her eyes, where shed been rubbing so much that the sunscreen had got into her eyes as well.
Aftermath and Tests
After 3 hours in hospital, once everything had calmed down, they decided to run tests on her and see what had happened.
The Shocking Discovery
And the Doctors basically said. Your daughter can’t use sunscreen until we get these results back.. Whilst waiting for these results, Chelsea was like this is horrible., Like my daughter. Can never wear sunscreen again., Im gonna have to make sure she’s fully protected in clothing, all the time. She can’t go out and enjoy the sun like a normal child..
The Concerning Experiment
But then she remembered that her friend had actually bought the same sunscreen from Aldi.. So she texts her just updating her saying I’m in the hospital.. This is what happened to my daughter after using that sunscreen we bought.. Can you test it? Can you do a patch test on your child, So her friend decided to patch test this sunscreen on her nine month old baby at the time. And the baby’s skin instantly went red and came up in little blisters.
The Puzzling Connection
Again, another example where yeah? Of course, you could be allergic to anything, but two people being allergic to the same thing, having the same reaction who just happened to live in the same house or know each other it’s kind of strange.. Now the difference here is that Chelsea isn’t blaming cheap products at all..
The Lack of Warning
Again, these headlines always lead with Aldi product or budget product that ruined so and so’s skin.. Now Chelsea isn’t actually blaming blaming cosmetics for this., She’s kind of blaming herself, but also Aldi for not giving enough information.. I forgot I’m doing my skincare routine.. She says that nowhere on this packaging did it say you need to patch test this.
The Misunderstood Patch Test
Obviously, you avoid the eye area just because you do. As I apply moisturizer over my eyes, I think that’s fair enough. Unless you’re really into cosmetics, unless you regularly get your hair dyed or something like that. Not many people actually know what a patch test is.
I remember when I worked in a salon and new clients were coming to get their hair dyed or have some kind of straightening appointment. They didn’t understand how it worked. People come in and they’ve chopped off bits of their hair. It’s not common sense to do a patch test. The packaging should have said that.
The Aldi Sunspray Controversy
A spokesperson for Aldi said, “We were sorry to hear about the Jones family experience. Our Lacura sunspray is dermatologically tested and has been approved by the Skin Health Alliance. Despite our extensive testing, however, there is always the possibility of an individual intolerance to a particular ingredient.”
Now I did a bit more research on this particular sunscreen because I feel like I’ve seen it before. It’s a dupe for a very popular Soltan one. A lot of mummy bloggers in particular, and a lot of mum forums, love this sunscreen. Not just this sunscreen, but this range that Aldi does of sunscreens.
Questionable Sunscreen Quality
They swear by them. And I didnt really see any more negative comments or reactions about this particular sunscreen. However, I did find some stories that were bashing Audis sunscreen in general, saying that theyve been burnt to a crisp after being out in the sun for just 3 hours after applying this sunscreen.
Factors to Consider
Of course, there are factors we need to think about. Like did they apply enough in the first place? Were they really out for 3 hours? Did they reapply within that 2 hours? Im not Im not saying anything about British people in the summertime here, but British people in the summertime put sunscreen on then lay out in the sun for like 6 hours, then go red. Im, not blame them, blaming the consumer, but sunscreen as long as you’re following the instructions should be fine.
Possible Explanations
Or this may have just been a really s*** sunscreen. In fact, I couldn’t find this sunscreen anymore. So I don’t know whether this was just an old sunscreen or if it’s been discontinued. I think it’s fair to say that, throughout this series, we’ve seen that most of these reactions or these disasters that come from cosmetics usually happen for one of three reasons: No patch testing has been done; the products simply aren’t suitable for the consumer, such as children using actives; or some people are just allergic or get irritated by particular ingredients. Some don’t. Unfortunately, it just happens. Very rarely is it down to the fact that the product was too cheap or cheaply made.
Mid-Tier Products Causing Reactions
This happens in luxury skincare too, and I’m the last person who wants to bring up those Sephora kids again. But we’re seeing that now, with kids using mid-tier price cosmetic brands that they’re getting reactions because they don’t need to be using these products.
The Cost of Skincare
I would love to do a deeper dive into what makes a product expensive, how some brands can make products so affordable. But it will take a long time to do. I feel like I got good connections. I’ll be able to figure it out. Let me know if that’s something you’re interested in, because it will take some time, but I don’t want to do it if no one cares.
The Reality Behind Budget Skincare
So, whilst a lot of these headlines make it sound like the budget-friendly, super cheap skincare product was the issue, like most things, like most lawsuits, like most articles, it usually just turns out that someone had a bad reaction. Unfortunately, a very rare but bad reaction.
Finding Affordable Products
You know what? Let’s share some of our favorite cheap, affordable under $10 skincare products in the comments down below.