When Instagram gives you the rage.

I started this little corner of the internet in 2010 in response to friends on Twitter telling me to stop trying to explain how to cleanse in 140 characters and ‘just blog it’. In the old days there was very little skincare coverage on blogs, it was all makeup, everywhere. That has now obviously changed and skincare advice is everywhere.

However.

That doesn’t mean it’s always solid advice.

Facialists, doctors, brands – we all have varying opinions on routines/products and when and how they should be used. It can be a minefield. I know this.
My ‘Routines’ Cheat Sheet is over 4 years old and is still one of my most-viewed posts. I think we are all pretty much in agreement on important factors though. Wipes are generally best used on occasion, not daily. SPF is a must, retinoids are a good, solid idea and vitamin C is a no-brainer.

You would think with the amount of educators that Sephora has at their fingertips, that they would be leading the pack with the advice on social media.

Step forward Exhibit A.

If they had left it at: ‘if you can’t because you have no access to a sink or a bottle of water’ that would be fine. But to say if you ‘can’t even’ means ‘when you cannot be bothered’.

Why would you encourage people to NOT cleanse? It is, to me, genuinely, no different to offering a packet of wipes for the body because you cannot be ‘bothered’ to shower.

And then, the juxtaposition of their next post, which showed this list as their nighttime routine:

One cleanse.

No acid.

Essence on top of a mask.

No specifics on the serum – aka a retinoid recommendation.

And eye cream LAST.

I know Sephora is a retailer and has to make money. I get it. Genuinely. But at least get your steps right, and elongate the product stage to explain further. Their comment section is full of people saying ‘WTH is an ‘essence’?, and because this is a huge corporation, probably posted by a media agency and a Saturday, no-one is replying to the questions. A wasted opportunity.

Come on Sephora. We love you more than carbs. Sort your life out. You can do so much better than this.

In the meantime, read these:

Cheat Sheet – Routines

Cheat Sheet – Where to spend money in your routine

Cheat Sheet – Top Tips for great skin

Cheat Sheet – Top 5 things American Women are doing wrong in their routine