Doctor Slams Kim Kardashian’s Skincare Brand & Reveals What Products To Use Instead
SKKN by Kim might be worth skipping.
Instagram / YouTube Kim Kardashian’s SKKN brand skincare line may be new to the market but experts and fans are already sharing some mixed reviews.
SKKN By Kim is the beauty mogul's latest business venture and features expensive products that Kardashian claims to use in her 9-step routine.
While the products seem to be selling well, adding to Kardashian's ever-growing fortune, one expert has her doubt.
A doctor's 'SKKN By Kim' review suggests Kardashian's brand is not worth the hype.
Dr. Vanita Rattan describes herself as a cosmetic formulator with an MBBS in Medicine. She is not, however, a dermatologist or esthetician but does consider herself a hyperpigmentation specialist and owns her own skincare line.
In the TikTok posted to her account “@drvanitarattan,” she reviews eight of the nine products released on June 21st, 2022 — leaving out SKKN's Hyaluronic Acid Serum which claims to just be “a daily water shot for the skin.”
“I like the cleanser, but it’s expensive,” she starts her review. “It is fragrance-free. Don’t use it if you have oily/acne-prone skin, and honestly, a better dupe would be Cetaphil gentle cleansing balm.”
Measuring in at $43, this 4 oz cleanser is extremely expensive when compared to the Cetaphil cleanser she mentioned — a whopping 20 oz for only $13.25 on Amazon.
Rattan's reviews of the rest of the products line up in a similar way.
She confirms whether or not she likes it, lists the effective ingredients, comments on the price, and refers viewers to products that would simply perform better at a cheaper price.
“This ‘toner,’ is not a toner. It’s an exfoliator,” she says about the Kardashian's $43 toner, slamming the ingredients inside as being too harsh for the skin. “This one’s a big no from me.”
Up next, she reviews the actual exfoliator, a scrub that is supposed to remove dead skin cells. Like the toner, Rattan says this is a "mechanical exfoliator with enzymes" meaning there is both a physical scrub and a chemical element.
Rattan says this is “Kim Kardashian’s favorite product, but is the worst so far.”
She says that following the toner with this exfoliator is “too harsh” and tells people to avoid it if they have sensitive skin.
“This [$85] moisturizer is a basic moisturizer,” Dr. Rattan says about SKKN's face cream, noting that it has no ceramides, peptides, or vitamins that could have made it stand out.
She recommends Cetraben instead, claiming it would do “just as good.”
A 16 oz bottle of Cetraben costs less than $20 compared to the 1.6 oz SKKN face cream for $85.
The eye cream, she says, is similar to the face cream but contains an active ingredient that is missing from the face cream — peptides.
Despite that, “it’s got nothing to treat fine lines or dark circles,” adding that she doubts Kardashian actually uses that product.
Dr. Rattan says that the Vitamin C Serum is okay, but a good replacement for it would be the FaceTheory Regena C30, which contains more Ethyl Ascorbic Acid for one-third of the price.
Reaching the end of her review, she actually says that she likes the Night Oil and Oil Drops products, but cannot recommend them due to the absurd price point — $95 for each.
Instead, she recommends Paula's Choice Face Renewal Oil and her own Dr. V Body Brightening Oil.
Ultimately, it seems like the SKKN by Kim products only do a half-decent job for nearly quadruple the average price of skin care products that exist on the market now.
“The big question is: Does Kim K actually use her skincare line?” Rattan asks her viewers at the end. “I believe she uses most of it, however, she’s supplementing with ceramides, peptides, vitamins, plus professional-grade treatments.”
Isaac Serna-Diez is an Assistant Editor who focuses on entertainment and news, social justice, and politics. Since graduating from Rutgers University, he spends most of his free time gaming or playing a fictional sport. Keep up with his rants about current events on his Twitter.