A dermatologist explains why Kylie Jenner's new walnut face scrub can be bad for skin
If you haven’t heard the news, “self-made” beauty mogul Kylie Jenner is launching a new skin care brand called Kylie Skin. To celebrate the upcoming release, Jenner posted a series of short Instagram videos talking about how much she loves each of the six products in her line. However, fans saw right through the crisp millennial pink branding to criticize one particular product: the Walnut Face Scrub.
my secret to a fresh face... #kylieskin walnut face scrub. may 22
A post shared by @ kylieskin on May 14, 2019 at 9:50am PDT
Everyone and their mothers hopped onto Twitter to roast the walnut scrub, pointing out how dangerous an ingredient walnut can be for your skin.
do NOT pay this billionaire your hard earned money so you can tear up your precious faces with tiny bits of walnut. DO NOT
— beth mccoll (@imteddybless) May 14, 2019
Why but the walnut scrub when you could go scrape your face against tree bark for the same effect
— andi 🤧 (@andrijeaa) May 14, 2019
The Twitterverse also found similarities between Jenner’s Walnut Face Scrub and the controversial Apricot Scrub by St. Ives.
Omg not WALNUT Kylie the girls have been dragging St. Ives for 10 years now lol read the ROOM https://t.co/GlTFO2XMpC
— Jasmine Sha-Ree Sanders (@JasMoneyRecords) May 14, 2019
In late 2016, St. Ives was sued in a class-action lawsuit spearheaded by Kaylee Browning and Sarah Basile, who claimed that the Apricot Scrub was “unfit to be sold or used as a facial scrub.” The beautyverse was split, with some users and dermatologists claiming that the walnut powder in the scrub was too abrasive for the face, while others remained dedicated to the classic beauty product. (Gigi Hadid called it a fave in 2018, and it went on to win Allure Readers’ Choice awards in both 2017 and 2018.)
A post shared by @ kylieskin on May 14, 2019 at 9:45am PDT
In the introductory video for the product, Kylie claims that the Walnut Scrub in question “is gentle enough to be used every day,” yet she admits to only using it two to three times per week. With this in mind, we reached out to Dr. Deanne Mraz Robinson, an award-winning, board-certified dermatologist, to see if Jenner’s exfoliation tips were valid.
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walnut face scrub. $22 #kylieskin may 22
A post shared by @ kylieskin on May 14, 2019 at 9:48am PDT
Regarding the ingredient that apparently no one wants on their face, walnut powder, Dr. Robinson says:
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Additionally, many critics believe Jenner’s claim that the Walnut Scrub is the secret to her healthy, glowing skin is deceptive, and that it’s more likely the result of expensive celebrity facials and skin treatments (and, you know, being young).
*being a billionaire who gets consistent facial treatments by professionals as well as cosmetic enhancements like fillers and has access to expensive skincare products. My secret to a fresh face xo https://t.co/JPU3Vkw78l
— . (@rachelcmakeup) May 14, 2019
Jenner has a responsibility to her fans to make sure she’s putting out safe products and properly instructing consumers on how to apply the product. Within the 37-second video, her fans seem to think that she already came up short on that responsibility.
Of course, Jenner and her eponymous line are no stranger to controversy, and although she’s been called out and criticized for various offenses over the years, it hasn’t seemed to hurt her business. Kylie Skin drops on May 22nd, so we’ll all have to see how the Walnut Face Scrub fares then.
