It hasn’t even launched yet, but Kylie Jenner is already getting a lot of backlash over her forthcoming Kylie Skin Walnut Scrub. So, we decided to go to the experts to find out whether or not the uproar is justified.
Just for a bit of background: On Tuesday, May 14, the new skincare company (which officially debuts on Wednesday, May 22) posted a video on Twitter with the 21-year-old promoting her “secret to a fresh face.” She explained that it’s “gentle enough to use everyday,” however, she recommends two to three times a week (i.e. her personal routine). These comments immediately sent fans into a tizzy.
Many commenters clapped back, claiming that using this type of physical exfoliation every day would harm and damage skin. “This must be a joke walnut face scrub is SO bad for your skin! 2-3 times a week?” wrote @_aWhyn. “OMG why is she doing this to her fans smfh.”
@JLaura68 tweeted, “We stopped using walnut face scrubs two decades ago.”
walnut face scrub. my secret to a fresh face. xo, Kylie pic.twitter.com/zRPwqKv0HA
— Kylie Skin (@kylieskin) May 14, 2019
With such a strong reaction, we decided to tap a couple experts to give Us their take on the controversy.
“Seems like there’s an awful lot of hysteria here over nothing,” says cosmetic chemist Jim Hammer. “It really comes down to two things: size of the particle and hardness of the material.” He explains that coarsely ground nut shells would scratch the skin, but fine powder (which is what the Walnut Scrub claims is in it) is an “excellent choice.”
“Advances in cosmetic formulation can make a huge difference in the effectiveness and safety of an ingredient,” dermatologist Joshua Zeichner tells Us. “What may have been irritating to the skin in the past, may not be so with new formulation technology.” So even though he doesn’t know if it truly is used with these advances, it’s not a one-size-fits-all issue anymore when it comes to walnut exfoliants.
Hammer also points out that walnut powder is a great natural, biodegradable alternative to polyethylene beads.
While it may be effective and gentle enough to use in general, both experts agree that people shouldn’t be exfoliating with anything everyday. “I generally recommend that my patient start exfoliating only once per week,” Zeichner says. “If the skin is not irritated, then you can advance to twice weekly.” He continues that since it takes baby skin cells two weeks to move from the base to the surface, there’s simply no need to exfoliate every day.
It’s important to remember that skin care is different for everyone, so talk to your derm and start introducing new products slowly before diving straight into a new regimen.
