Welcome to the era of SkinTok. Social media has transformed how all of us discover skincare, especially younger generations. If you start scrolling, you will see elaborate morning routines to viral product recommendations. Now skincare is part science, part self-care and part social media coverage. The challenge is that viral does not always mean valuable and a lot of the science or lack thereof is ignored.
So why the social media craze for skincare? Well, first of all, that’s where Gen Z lives. If you think about it, they grew up with social media for entertainment and over time, it has shifted to their primary source of information. The problem is that the sources themselves are often inaccurate or not experts with credentials. And we all must admit it—pictures and videos are powerful and the entertainment factor is intoxicating. How many times have you been sucked in and persuaded to try or buy something because the person on the screen was convincing, either with their words or image or both? You didn’t even wonder about their credentials or their credibility as an educated authority. The reel swayed you. Yep, you know who you are. No judgement here.
The good news is that not all Gen Z skincare trends are bad. One of my favorite trends is skinimalism, where less is more. This trend streamlines your routine around a few effective products. It’s realistic, helps reduce irritation, product overload and unnecessary spending. Another high key trend is sunscreen as a skin essential. There is a lot of noise out there about sunscreen so sun protection as a part of the everyday skincare conversation is a win. And I love how the focus is not just on preventing wrinkles but for skin health and reducing the risk of skin cancer.
And yes, there are the cringe worthy trends, like DIY skincare hacks. DIY skincare can look appealing—it’s inexpensive and uses ingredients you may already have at home. I’m all for improvising but DIY skincare also has its downside. Some ingredients like lemon juice cause irritation, heavy oils can lead to breakouts and often homemade preparations lack preservatives making them a breeding ground for bacteria and contamination. Another trend that drives me crazy is nine-year-olds obsessed with skincare routines. Ever go to Sephora and realize the preteen next to you has a more involved routine that you do and she can pronounce the ingredients correctly? Well, it’s a thing but not a good one. Using antiaging products can cause irritation or damage the skin barrier and contribute to unrealistic beauty pressures.
What’s important to note is that your “For You” page might know what’s trending, but does it know what your skin actually needs? Social media trends often lack context. You might see someone with great skin that they attribute to a particular product or practice, but it may not be exactly what our skin needs or can tolerate. For example, slugging might help someone with dry, flakey skin but if you struggle with acne, slugging might be your worst enemy and worsen breakouts. The take home—slugging isn’t inherently good or bad. It depends on your skin, the products you use and how your skin responds.
No matter the trend, let your skin be skin. What I mean is our focus should be on skin health—not to create pressure to achieve an impossible standard. Remember, filters, lighting and other tricks can convince you that if your skin isn’t perfect, then you’re not either. The pursuit of perfection is imperfect in and of itself. We need to teach our social media audience that healthy skin should be our goal but who you are as a person isn’t defined by your pore size or wrinkles. Yes, and this may sound cheugy, but your character and ability to make this world a better plan are still the gold standard—not your glass skin.
Trotter’s Take: Skincare trends, whether Gen Z or not, should focus on skin health and need to be taken into context with each person’s unique skincare needs.
Low-key obsessed with skincare trends? Then check out my podcast with Abby Sipe, C-NP, as we separate the hype from the science.
