Popular YouTube streamer Valkyrae recently caused a stir when she announced her support for a new line of skincare products called RFLCT.
Donations and paid subscriptions are just one way for Twitch and YouTube streamers to make a living. Merchandise and brand partnerships can also help a streamer’s career. Almost every popular streamer has their own line of merchandise that fans can purchase to show their support for their favorite online entertainer. That’s why it’s no surprise that Valkyrae, a popular YouTube streamer recently announced her support for a new line of skincare products called RFLCT, A streamer selling moisturizer and lip balm might not seem noteworthy at first glance, but the specifics of RFLCT’s claims have landed Valkyrae in hot water.
Valkyrae’s new skin line is geared toward gamers like her viewers. The RFLCT products are said to specialize in preventing blue light pollution; meaning that they’re specifically designed to protect against the damage caused by the light of PC screens, which any PC gaming fan spends hours in front of.
Unfortunately, the science behind the said RFLCT’s products is sketchy, and dermatologists have questioned the products, citing limited research on blue light’s effects on the skin. As a result, debate about the types of products that streamers and content creators choose to sell has erupted, with Valkyrae at the center of the discussion.
Valkyrae had always been enthusiastic about RFLCT since the beginning. She is a co-founder of the skincare line, not just a brand ambassador. Valkyrae announced the brand on Twitter, calling it the culmination of years of work. Fans were quick to cast doubt on the brand, but Valkyrae defended it, claiming that she had personally witnessed RFLCT’s research into blue light pollution and that she fully trusted the company’s products to help in the ways that they claim. As a result, debate about the types of products that streamers choose to sell has erupted, with Valkyrae at the center of the discussion.
Despite this, Valkyrae and her skincare products continue to be criticized by fans and other streamers. RFLCT has done its own research, according to Valkyrae, but the company’s website doesn’t show any of it, instead citing a couple of outside studies and WebMD as proof of the dangers of blue light pollution. Valkyrae’s critics have pointed out that the RFLCT terms of service state that the claims on the site are not guaranteed to be accurate. That doesn’t bode well for the website’s scant research or RFLCT’s claims that its products are effective. There is no evidence of RFLCT’s products’ efficacy on the website.
Since announcing RFLCT, Valkyrae has walked back a lot of her comments in support of the brand. Valkyrae apologized to fans in a live YouTube stream a few days after the announcement, explaining that she had assumed RFLCT would publish its blue light pollution research, but that the said company had said that they have no plans to do so. She stated that she no longer wanted to be associated with RFLCT, but that she was unable to do so due to her employment contract with the firm. Although the streamer deleted tweets in support of the RFLCT brand, she remains committed to it.
In the aftermath of the RLFCT controversy, Valkyrae has labeled herself as naive. Valkyrae’s fanbase and other members of the community from YouTube aren’t convinced that RFLCT isn’t a scam that took advantage of her celebrity, and she appears to agree that she should’ve done more research into the company, though she still sees value in it. Valkyrae’s contract with RFLCT creates a complicated legal situation that could haunt her for months or years, so remorse won’t be enough to put this controversy to rest. This should send a strong message to both streamers and their audience.
