The entire point of skin care is, quite literally, to care after our skin. But, sometimes trying a new product can go south. A shining example of this is Guinean model Mariama Diallo, who recently told New York Post about her grueling experience with a skin-care line that left her face covered in scars and blemishes.
Diallo explains that she couldn’t find her go-to French skin-care brand when she moved to the United States, so she started using products from Makari De Suiss, a Swiss skin-care line made specifically for diverse skin tones. After weeks of use, she was left with “break-out scars all over her face.”
According to New York Post, “The 25-year-old Guinean native, who now lives in Manhattan, said she contacted the company about the alleged blemishes and it sent her a new product to correct the issue. Only, the new product left dark scar spots all over her face.”
As a result of this reaction, Diallo—who has previously modeled for well-known brands such as Nike—has been out of work for quite some time. “Nobody would hire me with that face,” Diallo tells New York Post. “It was depressing. I couldn’t go out during the day … I didn’t want anybody looking at me. I didn’t even tell my mom because I didn’t want her to see me like that. I distanced myself from everyone.”
The pageant queen-turned-model also shares that she consulted a board-certified dermatologist in order to resolve her issue, which has helped. However, she’s in a rush to get back to work. To speed up the process, Diallo is investing in chemical peels, ideal for eliminating signs of acne and hyperpigmentation.
After three years out of work and a major lawsuit against Makari De Suiss, Diallo is asking for compensation for her time off. “I also want to bring awareness to their products if they can do this to other people they may need to revise their products,” the model says.