India, Nov. 19 -- Skincare hacks are all the rage on social media these days, but there is a darker side to this trend. A new post shared by dermatologist Dr. Garekar on Instagram on Wednesday, November 19, laid out a set of red flags the dermatologist believes buyers routinely overlook when it comes to skincare. The points were blunt, aimed at explaining why certain product claims do not line up with how skin actually works.

The first caution was familiar. When a product is suddenly everywhere - influencers, actors, and pages full of paid promotions - it usually signals heavy marketing spend, not scientific breakthroughs. Dr. Garkear said strong formulas typically come out of research teams, not "a PR rollout," adding that visibility on...