I just read this article from The Outline that's going around, and my eyes rolled back so far that I think they're permanently stuck back there. It is not wrong about some things? Sure. There's no such thing as perfect skin; women are disproportionately pressured to improve the condition of their skin; and skincare obsession can become an excuse for hyper-consumption and wealth display (I've actually written about that before). But other parts of the article are, to paraphrase, fucking psychotic--it's the typical backlash that you tend to get against typically feminine consumerism (or feminine pursuits in general). You know, where the misogyny is disguised as some sort of feminism. And I'm saying that as someone who fully acknowledges that there is A LOT of bullshit out there when it comes to beauty marketing.
Anyway, there were too many individual lines that had me groaning to quote them all here, but if one in particular stands out to you, please comment on it below. Or if you agree with some or all of the article--either way, I'd love to hear other people's thoughts! I'm still mulling it all over and sighing.
(Ok, just one. The whole "skin has survived forever, why are we doing stuff to it now?" is a lot like the old "women have been giving birth forever, why do they need hospitals now?" Groan.)
One thing from the Handmaids Tail that stuck with me was the handmaid sneaking butter to rub on her dry face and lips. Here is a good rebuttal https://www.racked.com/2018/1/30/16950656/skincare-science. Thanks for your blog. I really enjoy reading.
ReplyDeleteYes! As Rachel says below...moisturizer does a specific thing, and it's not bullshit, however you may feel about glycolic acid. That article is great--they picked out most of the most egregious quotations. I really like Racked. Thanks for reading!
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ReplyDelete"But all of this is a scam. It has to be." Does it, though? Like, okay there's a point to be made about Sunday Riley and Drunk Elephant prices but...you can't pretend like moisturizing is a lie perpetuated by Big Skincare.
ReplyDeleteDid you know that Big Skincare is owned by the Illuminati, who also create chemtrails that give us acne? No, wait, our skin is the same as it has always been (even though the author says pollution and increased stress are making it worse?), so . . . now I'm confused. But someone must be scamming someone if ladies who don't understand science are buying things!
DeleteYou know, we lived for many many many years without most modern conveniences. These things aren't necessary, but they add a lot to our lives. Skincare is the same - obviously we won't die without it, but it's really nice to have something to treat my painful, flaking skin in the winter. Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if people have been using crude forms of skincare for a long time. It's too bad because I think there are some good points in the article, but the erroneous arguments and sanctimonious attitude lost me.
ReplyDeleteYeah, exactly. Humanity survived as a species for a long time without a lot of things, but that doesn't mean individual people didn't live much shorter and more unpleasant lives for most of that period. I'm sure people have been rubbing oils into their skins for at least as long as they've been eating them, though. It's not that hard to figure out.
ReplyDelete"Don’t we all have friends who are fanatical about skin care and don’t… really (whispers) have great skin? How can that be? It’s simple: the end product of a skin care regimen isn’t perfect skin, but the regimen itself — something that, in high American style, you have to steadily escalate over time, lest you stagnate. Don’t you want to improve?"
ReplyDeleteI agree and disagree with this statement from the article.
I'm getting really tired of skincare companies making ridiculous claims about their products. I mean if any of them truly worked then we'd all be wrinkle/blemish free with smooth baby-like skin, right? Yet we remain gullible and persist in buying whatever is the next big thing in skincare- when we know all we can expect is at best a modest improvement. I'm especially tired of people with hormonal acne being sold numerous topicals that simply will not work on acne that is caused by excessive androgens.
I have really nice skin - do I do anything special? No. I clean my face twice daily with Pond's Cleansing Cream and apply Olay 7 twice daily. I have to wear 50 spf daily because I live at high altitude. If I did a 12-step Korean skincare regimen I guarantee you my skin would be red, inflamed, and possibly even pimply. I know this because I used to be a skincare junkie that tried every new & $$$'s product available which resulted in my skin being constantly irritated. I get what the author of the article is trying to say - that a lot of skin products out there are redundant, ridiculous, and possibly even harmful but I think she's pointlessly exaggerating. AndI can say that no $$$'s product ever gave me $$$'s results.
"When the world is chaos, it makes sense for society to take an introspective turn. But the skincare craze isn’t introspective per se: it’s looking into yourself but stopping at the literal outermost layer."
ReplyDeleteThis annoyed me the most. Self-introspection and taking care of my skin (and to want to have better-looking skin) are NOT mutually exclusive.
I know I need to address my skincare over-consumption and I am working on it, but The Outline article sounds very preachy and The Handsmaid Tale-ish to me.