What Is the ‘Trifecta Skincare Routine’ and Why Is It Causing Drama on TikTok Again?

It goes without saying that we should take health and wellness advice with a grain of salt on the internet. After all, Google’s new AI search feature says you should eat rocks and that pregnant women should smoke two to three cigarettes per day. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good trend, like the relaxing “everything shower,” but I’m also weary. (I gave myself a rendition of French girl bangs in fourth grade and…you will never see that yearbook photo ever again.) So when I saw the trifecta skincare routine resurface on TikTok after a beef between two creators went viral, I had some questions. Especially about using Dial soap on my face. Here’s the tea on the feud—plus, what a dermatologist actually thinks of the regimen.

Dr. Richard Bottiglione is a board-certified dermatologist based in Phoenix, Arizona, who specializes in skin cancer surgery, skincare and general dermatology. He has been practicing for 50 years and is the founder of Dermatologist’s Choice Skincare. Dr. Bottiglione received his medical degree from the Georgetown University School of Medicine.

The trifecta skincare routine, which was created by TikToker Sonya Sed, first gained traction last year. As celebrity beauty expert Angelina Jarboe explains in the video above, there’s now beef between Sed and fellow content creator Dana Flaherty, whom Sed has accused of “stealing” her skincare routine. Though Flaherty has credited Sed on many occasions, the accusations persist, hence the resurgence of the skincare trifecta.

At the center of the dispute are three products: Dial Antibacterial Defense, Gold Bond Diabetics Body Lotion and Neutrogena Retinol Regenerating Cream. Budget-friendly they are, but there’s no consensus about whether or not they’re effective. Jarboe says the only thing she’d endorse is the lotion. When I spoke with Dr. Bottiglione, he said he’d vouch for the hand soap, but that there were more effective moisturizers and retinols available. So, let’s break down the claims, product by product.

When I saw that Dial hand soap was the first step in this skincare routine, I gawked. This couldn’t be true…right? Jarboe’s chief concern with the soap is that the main ingredient is benzalkonium chloride (BAC), a common chemical with antimicrobial properties found in soaps, detergents and disinfectants, among many other applications. BAC is considered a form of bleach, as is benzoyl peroxide, a common acne treatment that Jarboe erroneously equates with BAC in the video. Before you panic, note that “bleach” is simply defined as any product that can lift color or disinfect, which both ingredients can do. Household bleach is usually sodium hypochlorite diluted with water, so it’s not like using BAC or benzoyl peroxide is the equivalent of putting Clorox on your face.

What Jarboe does get right is that the product can be drying. Depending on your skin type, this can be a good or bad thing. Dr. Bottiglione tells me that benzoyl peroxide is effective for people with acne. However, your skin type will determine how well you respond to benzoyl peroxide, and Dr. Bottiglione notes that he’s created formulations of up to 20 percent, as oilier skin requires a stronger concentration. And if you’re worried about benzene exposure per the Valisure findings, context is key. As Emma Andrus reports in Dermatology Times, testing was performed at incredibly high temperatures—up to 70 degrees Celsius, or 158 degrees Fahrenheit. Realistically, you and your product wouldn’t be exposed to those temperatures, unless you were in, say, Death Valley. The only two things to keep in mind are, first, that at 0.13 percent concentration, it’s a little higher than the typical 0.1 percent often found in facial products. Tread with caution, as it can be irritating and/or cause an allergic reaction. And, some people may be allergic to the dye and fragrance.

Next in the regimen is Gold Bond Diabetics Body Lotion. There’s nothing extraordinary about it, but at $13 for 21 ounces, it’s hard to beat in terms of affordability. One of my favorite makeup artists likes to say that moisturizer comes cheap. Seeing how this lotion has most of the usual suspects found in both affordable and higher-end moisturizers (i.e., glycerin, shea butter, vitamin E, aloe, vitamin C, vitamin A), it checks all the boxes, while keep you on a budget.

Lastly, we have Neutrogena’s Retinol Regenerating Cream. Both Dr. Bottiglione and Jarboe are out on this one. In her video, Jarboe points out that retinol is one of the last ingredients listed in Neutrogena’s formula. Insider tip: ingredients are listed from highest concentration to lowest. However, like most actives, retinol’s suggested formulation is maximum 1 percent (often formulated at 0.3 percent), so that doesn’t mean it’s ineffective. Retinol works, but, as Dr. Bottiglione notes, “Retinol is basically the inactive form of real retin-A (tretinoin).” What would be more efficacious, he says, is retin-A, glycolic acid or trichloroacetic acid.

While everyone’s skin is different, the trifecta skincare routine will probably be most effective for those with mild acne and oily skin, Dr. Bottiglione says, though he would recommend retin-A over retinol. Those with oiler skin might benefit more from glycolic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid that helps treat acne scarring and pigmentation issues. (Those with dry or sensitive skin may want to skip or at least patch test the ingredient first, as glycolic acid may cause irritation and redness.)

Ultimately, the best thing you can do is book yourself an appointment with the dermatologist, as Dr. Bottiglione stresses, “There is no such thing as one [treatment] that works for [everyone].”