The Skinfluencers Shaping The Industry

Instagram is full skinfluencers who are all too keen to share their knowledge and expertise about skincare.

From products to celebrity skincare lines to the latest treatments, these influencers are not shy to put their opinions forward. Meet the Black skinfluencers who are shaping the industry. 

Busola Sennuga aka @_beautywithb_

24 and a trainee primary school teacher. 

Skin type

Dry

Skin concerns

Hyperpigmentation and dehydration 

Skin history

From age 19 is when my skin became problematic. I got a lot of hormonal breakouts and my skin became severely dry. This is where my passion in skincare was really birthed. I got a job at Lush and learnt about ingredients and what works best for different skin types. I started getting into a routine of wearing SPF, using hydrating products and Tyrosinase inhibitors, which has helped my skin tremendously.

Products used

Superfacialist Cleansing Oil, First Aid beauty Cleanser, Boots Rosewater and Glycerin, Klairs Preparation Toner, The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid, Antipodes Eye Cream and Face Cream, Mebare Facial Oil and Keep Cool Sun Essence SPF.

Hero products

Deviant Skincare GRL, Keep Cool Sun Essence and The Inkey List HA Serum. 

What made you start sharing your skin journey on Social Media?

I needed a platform to share my skincare journey, routine, products as my friends and family were sick of hearing me talk about skincare all the time. I had a personal Instagram which I wasn’t using much so I thought I’d turn it into something useful and start blogging about skincare.

Things you wish you knew before you started your skin care journey?

I wish someone advised me to stay grounded on Instagram. It’s very easy to get swept up in what is popular, which meant that I was constantly buying skincare products that I didn’t needed in order to stay current. I’m glad I don’t care for popularity anymore, I just simply buy what I need and if I have nothing new to post, I simply won’t post.

Tips for anyone suffering from skincare issues

Figure out what your skin type is first before worrying about skincare issues. Once you address that, it’s easier to know what type of skincare products you should use. Also make use of aestheticians and dermatologists on Social Media, they often given gems for free on their platforms.

Tomi Ologundudu aka fussfreeskin

26 and a Client Success Manager

Skin type

Normal/dry

Skin concerns

Dehydration and post inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Skin history

I’ve always had pretty unproblematic skin but I unfortunately went through a phase of shaving my face which caused a lot of ingrown hairs and post inflammatory hyperpigmentation around my chin and jawline.

Products used

I use a lot of acids such as mandelic, glycolic and salicylic. I also incorporate retinol into my routine a few nights a week. I also make sure to never skip sunscreen

Hero products

My hero products are Cerave Hydrating Cleanser, Deviant Skincare Enzymatic Cleansing Oil, Deviant Skincare Gentle Resurfacing Liquid, Aquaphor Skin Soothing Balm and Keep Cool Bamboo Sunscreen.

What made you start sharing your skin journey on Social Media? 

I have always loved skincare and I wanted to share my knowledge with people outside my family and circle of friends. 

Things you wish you knew before you started your skin care journey? 

Don’t follow Pinterest recipes. Also, everyone’s skin is different.

Tips for anyone suffering from skincare issues

Be patient with your skin, ask questions if you are unsure of a product or ingredient, do your research and always listen to your skin.

Danielle Jackson aka @daniellemjackson_

23, a student and beauty blogger

Skin type 

I have combination/oily skin.

Skin concerns 

My main skin concerns are hydration and reducing Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation.

Skin history

I used to have severe acne growing up, so I was prescribed strong treatments to reduce it. The treatments made my skin really dry, flaky and dull, so I started to use products to help boost hydration and now, my skin is healthy.

Products she uses

I use Dermalogica’s Hydro Masque Exfoliant, Deviant’s Gentle Resurfacing Liquid and The Inkey List’s Rosehip Oil. 

Hero products

My hero products are CeraVe’s Foaming Cleanser and Dermalogica’s Hydro Masque Exfoliant. 

What made you start sharing your skin journey on Social Media? 

I started sharing my skin journey on Social Media because customers that I spoke to when I worked in the beauty industry, and my friends, encouraged me to. Customers would be fascinated by my skin journey and how I manage to have such glowy, healthy skin after years of having the opposite. My friends would overhear the conversations that I would have with customers, and they really motivated me to start sharing my journey on social media. 

Things you wish you knew before you started your skin care journey

I wish I knew how important it is to exfoliate. I also wish I knew about chemical exfoliants when I was younger because it would have really helped my skin.

Tips for anyone suffering from skincare issues

Less is more. If you have loads of products in your routine and something doesn’t seem to be going right, strip it back to the basics. A basic routine for me is cleansing, hydrating and moisturising (and sun protection for the daytime of course.)

No matter what your skin type is, hydration is a must so ensure that your routine has a Hyaluronic Acid serum - or some sort of hydrating product such as a mist - and it will make a great difference to your skin.

If in doubt, speak to a dermatologist or aesthetician. Either are very knowledgeable about skincare and will be able to provide you with skincare advice which is personalised to your skin.