Industry
Skincare video ads: answer one real customer question per ad
The skincare video ads that work best answer one question customers really ask, like whether a serum pills under makeup. A person explains the texture, the routine and how long it takes.
In short
- The best skincare video ads show a real person answering one customer question, like whether it pills under makeup.
- A cosmetic may say it moisturises or makes skin look smoother. A claim to treat acne makes it a drug.
- A skincare ad with before-and-after photos may only be shown to people 18 and over on Facebook and Instagram. TikTok does not allow misleading before-and-after comparisons.
- Meta also rejects ads that put down how someone looks, such as a negative question about their skin.
- Cutroom turns a phone video of you talking into a finished, captioned vertical ad. Your first video is free.
What makes a good skincare video ad
A good skincare ad answers the question a buyer has before they buy. These are the parts it needs.
- A real person on camera, such as the founder, the formulator or a customer who uses it.
- One question per ad, taken from your comments, reviews or inbox.
- The texture described out loud, like "thin, almost watery, sinks in fast", with a close-up of it on skin.
- Who it suits and who should skip it, such as people with very sensitive skin.
- How long it takes before buyers can expect to see a change, said honestly.
- Captions, because many people watch ads with the sound off.
Skincare video ad ideas
Each question customers ask under your posts can become one ad.
Customer questions that make good skincare ads
| Customer question | What the ad shows |
|---|---|
| Will it suit my oily skin? | Who it is made for, and who should skip it |
| Does it pill under makeup? | The serum, then makeup on top, on camera |
| Will it sting? | What it feels like going on, and who should patch test first |
| Is it fragrance free? | What is in it and what is not, read from the label |
| Where does it go in my routine? | The order you apply things in, and why |
| How long until I see a change? | What the first weeks look like, honestly |
Customer question: Will it suit my oily skin?
- What the ad shows
- Who it is made for, and who should skip it
Customer question: Does it pill under makeup?
- What the ad shows
- The serum, then makeup on top, on camera
Customer question: Will it sting?
- What the ad shows
- What it feels like going on, and who should patch test first
Customer question: Is it fragrance free?
- What the ad shows
- What is in it and what is not, read from the label
Customer question: Where does it go in my routine?
- What the ad shows
- The order you apply things in, and why
Customer question: How long until I see a change?
- What the ad shows
- What the first weeks look like, honestly
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
Skincare ad rules: claims and before-and-after photos
In the US, the FDA decides whether a product is a cosmetic or a drug by what you claim it does. Meta and TikTok have their own rules on before-and-after photos. This is not legal advice, so have your counsel check your wording.
- A cosmetic can say it cleans, moisturises or improves how skin looks. A claim to treat a condition or change how skin works makes it a drug.
- Acne treatments and sunscreens are sold as drugs in the US, with their own label rules.
- On Facebook and Instagram, an ad that shows a before-and-after of a cosmetic product may only target people 18 and over.
- Meta rejects ads that put down how someone looks, including negative questions about their skin.
- TikTok does not allow before-and-after comparisons that could give a false idea of what a product does. Its own example is wrinkles disappearing after using a cream.
- An ad where someone explains the texture and their routine has no before-and-after photos and says nothing about the viewer's skin, so these photo rules do not apply to it.
Cosmetic claim or drug claim?
| Example line | What the FDA treats it as |
|---|---|
| Moisturises dry skin | Cosmetic |
| Makes skin look smoother | Cosmetic |
| Treats acne | Drug |
| Protects against sunburn | Drug (sunscreen) |
| Regenerates skin cells | Drug |
Example line: Moisturises dry skin
- What the FDA treats it as
- Cosmetic
Example line: Makes skin look smoother
- What the FDA treats it as
- Cosmetic
Example line: Treats acne
- What the FDA treats it as
- Drug
Example line: Protects against sunburn
- What the FDA treats it as
- Drug (sunscreen)
Example line: Regenerates skin cells
- What the FDA treats it as
- Drug
How to film a skincare video ad
You need a phone, daylight from a window and the product.
- Film in daylight, because colour and texture look truer than under a warm bulb.
- Film the texture as separate short clips, such as a swatch, the product being rubbed in and the bottle in your hand.
- Describe the texture out loud as well, so it comes across in the captions when the sound is off.
Filming a skincare ad
Pick one real question
From comments, reviews or your inbox
Answer it on camera
In one go, facing a window
Film the texture
A swatch on the back of your hand
Edit and add captions
Vertical, for Reels, TikTok and Shorts
Making the ad in Cutroom
Cutroom does the editing. You upload the video of you answering the question, up to 3 minutes. A finished vertical ad comes back in about a minute.
- Cutroom adds captions timed to your voice and drafts a headline for the opening. On Punch and Native it also shortens the pauses.
- Upload your swatch and texture clips once. Pick the words where you describe the texture, and the clip plays over exactly those words.
- Where you have no clip of your own, Cutroom adds free stock clips, such as bathrooms, morning light and hands under a tap.
- You can give the ingredient name its own caption style, so it stands out even with the sound off.
- If your lawyer or Meta's ad review rejects a claim, film the take again without it, because Cutroom keeps the lines you say.
- Cutroom does not colour-correct footage, so film the product in the light you want it judged in.
A serum clip over the words that name it
Pick the phrase that names the serum, and a clip like this fills the frame for exactly those words while you keep talking.
What a skincare video ad costs
In Cutroom, a 30-second ad costs 110 credits: 100 to edit it and 10 to export it.
- Twelve 30-second ads, one per customer question, cost 1,320 credits. That fits in one month of Basic.
- Four ads cost 440 credits, which fits on Lite.
- You pay Meta or TikTok separately to show the ad.
Cutroom plans
| Plan | Price | Credits | 30-second ads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0, no card | 600, for one video | 1, made within 7 days, with a watermark |
| Lite | $19.99 a month | 1,250 | About 11, no watermark |
| Basic | $39.99 a month | 2,500 | About 22, plus AI presenters and music |
| Premium | $79.99 a month | 5,000 | About 45 |
| Top-up | $39.99 once | 2,500 | About 22 more |
Plan: Free
- Price
- $0, no card
- Credits
- 600, for one video
- 30-second ads
- 1, made within 7 days, with a watermark
Plan: Lite
- Price
- $19.99 a month
- Credits
- 1,250
- 30-second ads
- About 11, no watermark
Plan: Basic
- Price
- $39.99 a month
- Credits
- 2,500
- 30-second ads
- About 22, plus AI presenters and music
Plan: Premium
- Price
- $79.99 a month
- Credits
- 5,000
- 30-second ads
- About 45
Plan: Top-up
- Price
- $39.99 once
- Credits
- 2,500
- 30-second ads
- About 22 more
Questions people ask
- Can I use before-and-after photos in skincare ads?
- Yes on Facebook and Instagram, but the ad can only be shown to people 18 and over, and the photos must be real. TikTok does not allow before-and-after comparisons that could give a false idea of the result. On Meta, an ad without before-and-after photos has no age limit.
- What should a skincare video ad say?
- The answer to one question customers ask: skin type, pilling under makeup, stinging, fragrance or how long it takes. Say who it suits and who should skip it.
- Can a skincare ad say it treats acne?
- Only if the product is sold as an acne drug. In the US, a claim to treat acne makes the product a drug, with its own rules. A cosmetic can say it cleans skin or improves how it looks.
- How do I show texture in a skincare video ad?
- Film a swatch on the back of your hand in daylight, and describe it out loud. In Cutroom, the swatch clip plays over the words where you describe it.
- How much does it cost to make a skincare video ad?
- In Cutroom, 110 credits for a 30-second ad. Basic is $39.99 a month for 2,500 credits, about 22 ads. Your first video is free, with no card.
Pick one question a customer asked, answer it on camera, and get a finished ad back. Your first video is free.