Aug 24, 2026 · 33 min
Dermatologist challenges social-media skincare excess
Why Your Skincare Routine May Be Doing More Harm
For teenagers especially, chasing elaborate routines can worsen skin problems while acne carries consequences for confidence, anxiety, and depression.
- 1Teenagers need age-appropriate skincare, not the excessive product routines promoted across social media.
- 2Effective sunscreen depends on ingredients, adequate application, reapplication, and coverage beyond the face.
- 3Acne treatment increasingly combines emotional support with newer technologies targeting the condition’s biological causes.
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Cassé explains how acne’s emotional effects on teenagers motivate her upcoming book and her emphasis on supportive, comprehensive treatment.
The brief
Board-certified dermatologist Billie Cassé argues that skincare advice aimed at teenagers often confuses more products with better prevention, while acne can affect confidence, anxiety, and depression.
The sunscreen discussion moves past SPF numbers: Cassé covers cloudy-day exposure, ears and neck, application amounts, reapplication, ingredient sensitivities, and mineral application without white residue.
Cassé frames prevention as age-specific rather than trend-driven, discussing actinic sun damage, collagen and elastin loss, antioxidants, and the limits of influencer recommendations.
Her account of dermatology spans acne, skin cancer, cosmetic care, and emerging laser treatments that deactivate sebaceous glands, with education central to her practice.
The episode closes with Cassé’s own morning sequence, from cleansing and toner through serums and sunscreen, illustrating why active products need time to absorb between steps.
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