Hi everyone! This week I took an extra deep look at the media I consume on a day to day basis and it was definitely very shocking how much misinformation there is online. So let’s dive in and talk about the things I noticed.
7:30 a.m:
Woke up, reached for my phone before even getting out of bed (not proud). Opened Instagram and scrolled through stories while still under the covers. One influencer I follow posted a reel claiming you can “detox your liver in 3 days” with a juice cleanse. It had like 30K likes and tons of comments saying “trying this now!!” Not gonna lie, the post caught my eye.. but also a little skeptical. Liver detox? Isn’t that what our liver literally does on its own? Not to mention the fact that this influencer literally is sponsored by the brand that makes the teas.
8:15 a.m: Got ready for work while playing a “Get Ready With Me” YouTube vlog in the background. The influencer is someone I have been following for quite some time now. I enjoy watching her skin care videos and she is very knowledgeable about different products on te market. She mentioned a new skincare serum that apparently “resets your skin barrier in 24 hours.” Sounds amazing, but… 24 hours? I wonder if that is even possible. I have bought products that this influencer has recommended before. However, 24 hours for a completely healed skin barrier is quite a big claim.
9:00 a.m: Along with beauty and wellness I do also lobe some reality T.V. On the way to work, I listened to a podcast episode deep diving into the most recent season of Love Island. The podcast host was making some pretty bold claims about one of the cast members and mentioned that she had made a negative comment about someone else on the show. I did some more research and found out that this wasn’t entirely accurate. This showed me how quickly misinformation can spread, even through casual entertainment sources like podcasts.
11:30 a.m.: During some downtime at work, scrolled TikTok. Saw a video from a beauty vlogger claiming that a major drugstore sunscreen brand contains “hormone disruptors banned in Europe.” The creator didn’t show sources, but the comment section was popping off with people throwing away their sunscreen. I saved the post to look into it later. I will admit I have had quite bad hormonal breakouts lately. So this definitely raised some concerns for me considering I am currently using drugstore SPF.
1:00 p.m.: Had lunch and watched Emma Chamberlain’s latest podcast. No misinformation there just story time content.
6:00 p.m.: Took a break from homework and got lost in TikTok again and ended up doom scrolling for a bit. Saw a viral “what I eat in a day” from a fitness creator promoting “pro-metabolic eating” she claimed that eating raw carrot salad every day “cleanses estrogen from the body” and can “prevent hormonal acne.” Again, it sounded a little sciencey, but I wasn’t sure if it was real. I do love Carrots and I know there are many different skincare benefits but I wasn’t aware of the estrogen side of things.
8:00 p.m.: Chilled on the couch with my roommate and rewatched some early 2000s reality TV clips on YouTube (Laguna Beach nostalgia hits). No questionable content here, just iconic drama and cute Y2K Fashion.
10:30 p.m.: Did one last scroll on Instagram before bed (again, bad habit). Saw a post from a celebrity hairstylist saying sleeping with wet hair causes “brain inflammation” and can “trigger migraines.” That one I totally believe because my mom has been telling me this my entire life. I never listen to her though and I can definitely confirm I wake up with headaches when I sleep with my hair wet.
Fact-Checking the Questionable Content
1. Upon fact-checking the “Liver Detox” tea through some google searches and WebMD it turns out there is zero evidence that juice cleanses actually detox the liver. The liver already detoxes the body naturally unless of course it’s damaged. There is technically no need to “cleanse” it with expensive teas and juices.
https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/the-facts-behind-4-detox-myths-should-you-detox-your-body.h00-159385890.html
2. As for the Drugstore Sunscreen with “Hormone Disruptors” that I saw on TikTok, I searched the product ingredients in my specific sunscreen (Avobenzone Octinoxate) and while some studies raise some concerns about endocrine disruption at high levels, U.S and EU regulators still allow them in sunscreen. The “banned in Europe” claim was definitely exaggerated. In fact, it is very effective in absorbing UVB rays and protecting against sun damage. However I did find that Key West and Hawaii have banned this ingredient due to it being damaging to their marine ecosystems.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7648445/
3. Raw Carrot Salad to “Cleanse Estrogen” that I saw on TikTok. There’s a tiny bit of evidence that raw carrots can bind certain toxins due to their fiber, but the idea that they cleanse estrogen or treat acne isn’t supported by real science. Seems like biohacking gone TikTok. Healthline on Hormonal Acne
https://www.health.com/raw-carrot-salad-for-hormones-11737136
4. Sleeping with Wet Hair Causes Brain Inflammation (IG post) I couldn’t find any legitimate medical source supporting this. (my mom was not pleased to hear) Wet hair might make you feel cold or even give you a headache from muscle tension, but “brain inflammation” is a massive leap. This just felt like straight-up nonsense. I did read that it is very damaging to your hair though. That was enough to convince me to cut down on sleeping with wet hair.
https://www.healthline.com/health/sleeping-with-hair-wet
Looking back on my day, I’m honestly surprised by how much questionable info I came across without even trying. It’s kind of wild how easy it is to take things at face value, especially when they’re coming from people we like or follow regularly. This little experiment definitely made me more aware of the stuff I scroll past (and sometimes believe) without a second thought. I’m not saying I’ll fact-check every post I see from now on, but I’ll definitely be more cautious moving forward and maybe think twice before buying a $40 detox tea just because it went viral.
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