Top: Morning shed routine by Jillian Gottlieb.
In the era of 10-step skincare routines, influencer “get ready with me” videos, and teengers using retinols, skincare has become more than a wellness habit—it’s now a consumer obsession. But, behind the skin glow lies a deeper issue: the environmental, psychological, and ethical consequences of over consuming skincare products.
For WHS senior Nina Rock, the environmental costs are the biggest issue. “Skincare comes in a bunch of tiny plastic bottles, and we’re dealing with microplastics everywhere—literally everywhere. Scientists can barely find a creature that doesn’t have microplastics in it,” she says. The waste doesn’t just stop at packaging. As Rock pointed out, some brands resort to unethical practices, like using animal-based ingredients or exotic materials in the name of “luxury” skincare. “There is a really big environmental cost to think about.”
Skincare overconsumption is also tightly linked to social media’s culture of perfectionism. TikTok trends like “morning shed routines” show influencers waking up with full face masks, serums, and sometimes even mouth tape. This reinforces the idea that even the tiniest blemish is unacceptable. “It’s insane,” Rock says. “It’s not really about skin health—it’s about putting up this perfect image on social media. Especially for teenagers, that’s toxic.”
This pressure doesn’t just come from what influencers do, it’s also in how often and intensely these routines are pushed. Social media feeds are flooded with videos of perfectly edited skin, skincare refills, and skincare fridge tours. It makes skincare seem like a competition on who has the most unique and interesting skincare. “You’ll scroll through your feed and see ten different people using ten different products you’ve never heard of,” states Amy Diep, a Washington senior. The constant comparison creates a false sense of urgency, as if clear skin can only be achieved through constant purchasing and effort.
When promoting “miracle” skincare routines, influencers aren’t just using over-the-counter products–they are getting cosmetic-grade treatments like microneedling, Botox, chemical peels, and even laser therapy. These expensive procedures create results that regular teens simply can’t replicate with a serum. “It’s misleading,” Rock said. “They’ll say it’s just this moisturizer that changed their skin, but in reality, they’re getting professional help behind the scenes.” The lack of transparency fuels unrealistic expectations and makes followers feel like the product and they are failing when they don’t see the same results.
And it’s not just the influencers: brands are feeding on insecurity to sell their products. “I bought so many of The Ordinary products because of TikTok,” Rock admitted. “Most of it? Just a scam. The ads are designed to make you feel like you need it or you’ll be considered ugly.” With teens as the prime demographic, it gets even more complicated as they often don’t have the money to splurge on products or to understand the impacts of complex ingredients.
Rock believes that more regulation in the industry is long overdue. “There should absolutely be third-party checks. Companies will do whatever they can to keep you coming back, even if that means making your skin worse first.” Misleading claims like “non-comedogenic” or “dermatologist approved” are often labeled on packaging without proper research or proof. Another alarming trend is “Sephora kids,” where children as young as eight raid Sephora for anti-aging products and strong chemical exfoliants. “Kids are using retinoids they don’t need and ruining their skin barrier,” Rock said. “We need age limits on certain products. I can’t buy NyQuil without being 21, but an 8-year-old can buy chemical-laced skincare? That’s wild.” She emphasized the role of parents too—many of whom are unaware of what their kids are putting on their skin.
The rise of skincare can be tied to the post COVID era. “Before, it was all about heavy makeup—the 2016 Instagram baddie look,” Rock says. “But now it’s clean girl aesthetics, glass skin, minimalism.” And this shift may be here to stay. Rock claims that, “People feel safer with ‘scientific’ sounding stuff—niacinamide, peptides, whatever. Even makeup is marketed now as ‘skincare-infused.’”
While skincare education is important–especially things like sunscreen to prevent skin cancer, many stress the importance of balance. Rock concludes that, “It’s good to care about your skin. But it’s not good when people think blemishes are unhygienic or that acne makes you dirty. That pressure, especially on young women, is damaging.”
Senior Varya Karpelevitch agrees. “Honestly? I don’t think it’s necessary for most teens,” she says. “If your skin is fine, just wash your face, moisturize, and wear sunscreen. That’s enough.” She believes a lot of the skincare obsession is driven by social media pressure, not actual need. “Teens feel like they need to be doing all these steps just because someone on TikTok said so. But most of them don’t even know what half those ingredients do.” Varya concedes that there is a difference between superficial and medicinal skincare. “If you have serious acne or skin issues, yeah—definitely go to a dermatologist. Get something prescribed. But don’t self-diagnose or overload your face with products just because everyone else is.” Varya states that, “Your skin isn’t supposed to look like glass. It’s supposed to look like skin.”
The cycle doesn’t stop with skincare: it’s also deeply connected to the makeup industry as well. Beauty brands for years have marketed makeup to cover imperfections and “enhance your natural beauty,” but the use of heavy makeup, especially products with pore clogging ingredients, can irritate skin and actually cause more breakouts. As people start to experience skin problems from the use of makeup, they turn to skincare products to fix the damage, only to return to wearing makeup again to cover the new blemishes. “Basically companies love to profit from insecurities,” says Diep. “They create the problem and try to sell us the solution. It’s all capitalism and [they want] to keep you spending your money.”
Kothai Pillai is a senior at Washington High School. She was born in Mountain View and has lived in the Bay Area all her life. This is her first year being a part of The Hatchet, and is excited to cover news in the local community. She enjoys trying different foods, traveling, exploring new cities with her friends,reading, going on nature walks with her labradoodle, as well as going to concerts. In the future she hopes to attend a college in California or on the East Coast majoring in politcal science and philosphy