A Viral Article Called Skincare A Hoax & Twitter Said Kiss My Supple Hands
When you're passionate about all things beauty, there will always be a hater waiting in the wings, ready to call you superficial and denounce the rituals that make you happy, like your skincare routine. A new article by The Outline poses the question, "do you really need skincare?" and, in one fell swoop, devalues numerous beauty addicts (like myself) who care for their effective serums and eye creams. Thank goodness, the beauty devotees of Twitter were on hand to immediately clap back.
Let me start by saying I swear by my skincare routine. Five years ago, I had no idea what vitamin C did for the skin or why moisturizer was actually important for my oily face. I had no idea eye creams could prevent damage to the fragile under eye area or that serums could press the reset button on your skin and give you the results you were looking for. Over time, I learned what my skin liked, what it didn't like, and, most importantly, that it doesn't like to be ignored. Skincare changed my skin for the better and gave me confidence to be comfortable in the skin I'm in. Trust me, I'm far from perfect. I still get the occasional breakout and my sensitive face is prone to milia, but skincare has given me the power to change what I can and accept the things I cannot.
If you don't want to use skincare, that's totally fine! Live your best life, but also, let me live mine in a puddle of hydrating moisturizers and glycolic masks, thankyouverymuch.
In a recent article entitled "The Skincare Con," The Outline insists that we don't need skincare because it's all a scam. "Skin has withstood millions of years of evolution without the aid of tinctures and balms," the article reads, "how could we be getting it so wrong now? The only feasible answer is: we aren’t.
The author, Krithika Varagur, states, "Don’t we all have friends who are fanatical about skin care and don’t… really (whispers) have great skin? How can that be?" Here's the gag though: no one has perfect skin. We all know this. The real goal should never be to reach perfection. That's a fictional state. Those of us with skincare routines use our products to maintain the gorgeous bodies we were born in, and numerous other reasons. After all, we can use skincare without hating on the skin we're in. Plus, your friend's skin might be leagues from where it was, and she might be very proud of it. That's not something you have the right to take away from her.
The author also dragged beauty trends like "no-makeup makeup" and "dewiness" (like, what?). She mocked serums with heavy acid contents (which can actually help to sluff off dead skin and help with generation) like Glossier's Solution ($24; glossier.com) and Drunk Elephant's super effective T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum ($90; sephora.com). TBH, she must have it out for Glossier because she also mentioned that, though the brand built itself on dewy skin, it also recently released the Wowder ($22; glossier.com). Honey, that is simply a sensible powder and if you want dewy skin one day and matte the next, that's your prerogative.
Twitter clapped back at the article immediately.
Deputy Editor for Allure, Sam H. Escobar, pointed out that The Outline is suggesting we purchase our products for the benefit of those looking at us, not for the benefit of ourselves. It all does seem a little glam-shame-y, now doesn't it?
She then goes on to point out that we beauty lovers enjoy out products for various reasons, not just because they will make us more attractive to others. Seriously, half the time I'm home with a day off I still do my makeup because it's a morning meditation for me, not because I'm brainwashed into thinking my bare face is too shameful to show the world.
She then follows it up with this wonderful tweet that just says it all.
Another writer, Laura Witt, also took to Twitter to share her take on this twisted skincare-shaming topic.
Witt reminds us all that beauty is what makes you feel beautiful. Whether that's a mask, moisturizer, or nothing at all, it's up to you to choose. That's what makes it so wonderful.
Witt also reminded us that peoples have been using beauty products for thousands of years. Would we survive without them? Absolutely. Would our skin be as happy? Definitely not.
It seems the author of The Outline article is more concerned with the consumerism of it all than with the actual skincare products themselves. In that case, just arm yourself with knowledge and put your money where your mouth is.
Let us use our eye masks in peace. I feel like my undereye bags got much darker and the expression line on my forehead became more pronounced just from reading this article.
