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One evening in October, Alicia Keys hosted a virtual soirée of conversation and music. The Fallin’ singer was joined by an online guestlist that included author Deepak Chopra, ballet dancer Misty Copeland and poet Rupi Kaur, who entertained an audience of influencers and beauty editors for an hour. This wasn’t a socially distanced performance piece – it was the launch of Keys Soulcare, the musician’s new lifestyle and beauty brand. The line includes a sage and oat-milk candle, a rich moisturizer dubbed “Skin Transformation Cream” and an obsidian facial roller – all meant to elevate your self-care routine into what Keys called a “soulcare ritual.”

Celebrities such as Keys have leased their larger-than-life personas to beauty industry ventures for decades, most notably by partnering on fragrance licensing deals and fronting ad campaigns. But today’s stars, including model Kylie Jenner and tennis phenom Venus Williams, have set their sights on the booming skincare market. Often leveraging their years in the spotlight – and the number it can do on your skin – as their main qualification, their involvement is framed as much as expertise as an endorsement.

Actors, musicians, athletes and influencers aren’t trained experts, of course, and the surge in celebrity skincare has been met with plenty of skepticism. “It’s laughable because it’s just so dishonest to women,” says professional makeup artist Sheri Stroh. Stroh says the stars often don’t acknowledge many of the reasons their skin actually looks so polished – such as access to a team of health and wellness specialists, and genetics, which are a major influence on skin health.

It’s one thing for customers to buy into the ephemeral-scented promise that comes packaged with a celebrity perfume, but skincare products are used to treat very real conditions with medical implications. Should star power really be the centrepiece of anyone’s daily regimen?

It’s only natural that enterprising celebs would want an even bigger slice of the beauty market’s profitable pie. The skincare category is outpacing sales in both fragrance and makeup – growth that has only accelerated during the pandemic. According to research published by NPD Group in September, 22 per cent of women have changed their skincare routine because of the pandemic, with most washing or moisturizing their face more often. One third have expanded their regimen to include more products. With ongoing economic uncertainty, skincare remains a relatively affordable luxury that evokes self-care and wellness – another area of growth that stars’ marketing teams seem to be very well aware of.

A familiar face on fragrance counters, Jennifer Lopez kicked off 2021 with the New Year’s Day launch of JLo Beauty, granting anyone with a credit card access to the famous J.Lo glow via a serum, moisturizer and the tagline, “Beauty has no expiration date.” In November, cultural savant Pharrell Williams launched Humanrace, a gender-inclusive cleanser, exfoliator and cream that the brand describes as “essential tools for living that support good habits and benefit the mind, body and spirit.” And for the tween set, there’s Florence by Mills, a line of clean skincare and cosmetics from Stranger Things actor Millie Bobbie Brown that lets users define beauty “on our own terms.”

“It seems that every celeb has a skincare range at the moment, and over the last few years it’s been steadily rising,” says Ellie Child, a content editor at Cosmetify, an online beauty pricing comparison platform. The site currently ranks Brown’s line as the top celebrity-led beauty brand, followed by Rihanna’s Fenty Skin and Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop.

Child points to broader shifts in consumer preferences to explain the current interest in A-list skincare. “At the moment we are seeing consumers prioritize skincare over makeup, and this could be down to the current shift in routines due to national lockdowns,” Child says. With recent trends such as the #nomakeup hashtag and lots of self-care content on social media, she says people are feeling empowered by a fresh face and a great skincare routine, and celebrity product lines are reflecting this.

If ensuring your skin is healthy trumps expressing your fandom, you may be wondering what role someone like Victoria Beckham or Cindy Crawford could possibly play when you wash your face in the morning. For Dr. Sonya Abdulla, a dermatologist at Dermatology on Bloor in Toronto, skincare recommendations go beyond questions of efficacy into considerations of safety.

Even if you’re drawn to a celebrity’s product, Abdulla says an understanding of clinical evidence and active ingredients is critical, which may mean seeking out advice from a dermatologist or skincare professional. “When we look at skincare, as much as we are looking for clinical outcomes, we also want to make sure that those products are going to be well tolerated,” she says. “If they have the potential for adverse [reactions] or side effects including irritation, it’s important to know how to use them to try to prevent those side effects.”

There’s no denying the allure of the mega-watt J.Lo glow or Keys’ seemingly flawless natural complexion, but getting there goes beyond what’s in a jar of cream. Stroh notes that celebrities launching a line today likely haven’t been slathering on any of its products to achieve the ideal skin they’re selling. “If you’re coming out with this brand when you’re 50 years old, you haven’t been using these products,” she says. “Just be honest about what your life affords you.”

Abdulla also recommends taking a mindful step back before clicking “buy” on any celeb skincare potions to consider one key question: are your skin’s interests truly aligned with (those of) the stars?

GOOPGENES All-in-One Super Nutrient Face Oil, $135 through sephora.com and goop.com.

Fenty Skin Instant Reset Overnight Recovery Gel-Cream, $51 through sephora.com and fentyskin.com.

Keys Soulcare Skin Transformation Cream, US$30 through keyssoulcare.com.

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