A quick plea: I am not a medical professional

Before I get to my main point, I just want to say that I absolutely love, appreciate, and adore my fellow Asian skincare nerds out there who read, comment, and interact with me on my blog.  And via email, instagram, facebook, and twitter.  Don't think for a moment that I don't feel the pang of empathy and sorrow for what you are going through when you reach out, frustrated and hurting, for help with your skin.

But I can't help you, and please, please do not ask me to.  

It's not that I don't want to help.  I can give you virtual hugs, but what I absolutely cannot do, is offer anyone advice on the diagnosis and/or treatment of their skin.  If you ask me what products I recommend for you to use, legally, I cannot answer that question.  

I live in the US, where I am not backed by proper medical authority, nor insurance, to offer advice.  I tried to express this in the post Blogger Boundaries: Why I Can't Recommend A Product For You, ft. Blogger adoredee, but as I continue to receive (multiple) requests daily, sometimes including photos of skin conditions, sometimes even from minors (I can hear the lawyer I don't have screaming as I type that), it's become clear that this needs to be discussed again.

In order for me to make any comment on any of these requests, I would have to 1. have a liscence, and 2. have insurance.  I have neither, and therefore I legally must decline any requests that technically fall under the purview of a medical professional.

Examples of things that I am OK with answering:

• What's your favourite BHA exfoliant?
• Do you prefer using serums or emulsions?
• What kind of changes did you notice when you used X product?
• Have you used X shopping site and would you recommend them?
• Can you make me a buying service haul spreadsheet that calculates the cost into my own currency? (This answer is always yes.  Send me an email!)
• Have you heard/tried X product?  What did you think of it?
• What's it like having a Dermatologist + using a full Asian skincare routine?

Examples of things that I absolutely cannot answer:

• Should I use a BHA exfoliant?
• I am having X skin issue, what do you recommend?
• I am looking for an [e.g.] essence, what product should I buy?
• This is my routine and, what products should I use?
• I am X years old, these are my skin goals, these are my skin troubles, do you suggest X or Y?
• This is what my skin looks like/how it feels, what do you think I should do?
• I am [legally a minor] what- NOPE.  Whatever it is, nope.  Nope nope nope.
• I've tried Dermatologists and they haven't been able to help me, please help me?

What I am is a nerd who likes details.  I will do my best to provide in-depth, detailed reviews based on my experiences, so that you have more information to work with when you are researching products.  Beyond that, it has to be up to you.

So, if you reach out with a question which (for liability and licensure reasons) I am unable to help you with, and receive a reply asking you to review this post, please know that it's not that I don't care about you.  I do, but I'm not going to overstep my bounds and endanger us both.

Please take care,

-Cat