If It’s Burning, It’s Not Working: A PSA

Read on to find out why we’re probably not your best bet for skincare advice.

Skin Type: Oily/Acne Prone. Combo in the winter.

I have been on Reddit every single day for the last year or so religiously. It’s almost disgusting how often I open it. I deleted my Facebook app without hesitation and yet still cannot let Reddit go. With that being said, yes, I very much enjoy a particular subreddit, /r/AsianBeauty. YES the very popular and ever-growing sub about Asian beauty and all of its wonders.

Now, there are things that I enjoy and could do without but for the most part, we’re a pretty happy family of 40,000+ and growing. There are three things we discuss the most on here which is pretty agreeable across the board. One, awesome deals, which usually ends up being 5 people screaming the same exact sale since they were too excited to see if anyone else already posted about it which also gets me extremely excited because NOW I WANNA KNOW. Two, hauls, which also excite me to the point of squealing because I live in this beautiful sunshine state with beaches and the nation’s second most visited mall and yet NOT A SINGLE STORE TO BUY ASIAN BEAUTY PRODUCTS THAT ALSO ISN’T SELLING WHOLE ROASTED DUCKS IN THE BACK. And lastly, three, the “help” posts. These are posts from people that want something to work so badly, they ask us all if the hives and third degree burns on their cheeks mean they should stop using the product.

My short answer is: What would you suggest?

Now, most of us are probably familiar with this Listerine commercial featuring a grandfather’s unsolicited advice to his grandson, “If it burns, that means it’s working.” The commercial is cute and plays into the crowd of people that have done the “oh God I need to spit this out” dance while gargling pretty much all of Listerine’s products. But is gramps correct? Does that burning sensation mean it’s working? Maybe for a clean mouth, but not for our delicate skin.

Our skin is a strong, yet vulnerable organ. Our face skin in particular is a newborn baby, precious and dependent on us to care for it. If you accidentally dipped Junior into a scolding tub, would you keep bathing him or take his cries as a lesson to never do that again? We’re all reasonable people. Let’s answer this for ourselves.

Now I am not bashing the people who ask these questions. I have spent, like many of us, HUNDREDS, if not close to a thousand dollars on Asian beauty products in order to look like Shin Min-a.

Seriously. Look at her.

I understand your pain. I am not going to say I’ve never tried something twice in order to see if it as really the culprit of my new cystic chin decorations. I am also not going to say I was never disappointed when the main product in someone’s greatly transformed before and after pictures did not work out for me. It happens. To all of us. Make a post asking how many people have never gotten a single skin problem from any of their products and I bet the results would shock you.

What I want people to understand is that disappointment comes from all types of people on the Asian Beauty subreddit so don’t justify that pricey product as the reason you’re further damaging your skin. The /r/AsianBeautyExchange was designed for people like you who did not discover their Holy Grail essence or sheet mask or whatever it may have been. Do not solicit advice from us on your damaged skin because:

1. None of us claim to be dermatologists or skincare professionals (not to say they don’t participate in this reddit with us)
2. We most likely don’t know what’s happening to your skin. I JUST found out the difference between purging and a breakout. Most of us still don’t know. It is literally the equivalent of me showing you a rash on my butt and asking you what’s wrong with me. I’m a psych major, not a doctor.
3. It is, and I apologize if it sounds mean, pretty annoying. It’s not once in a blue moon. It’s every day and it’s all day. ALL DAY. EVERY DAY. I signed up for pictures of things I shouldn’t be wasting my money on and foot peel results. The only advice we want to give is on which fingers to use to apply eye cream.

Wrapping up, just know burning your flesh off is not okay. Cystic acne is not purging. Getting pimples when you’ve never had a single one in your life is also not okay. Throw it out. Burn it. Sell it. Trade it. Do whatever you want, just stop using it.

This was a PSA from HGS. Love your skin, and each other.