AIBU to feel overwhelmed by skincare routines becoming another pressure?

[GimmieABreakOr3]

I’m mid 30s - plastered all over my social media (Instagram & Facebook) seems to be a bombardment of 10 step skincare routines, everyone going on about what products they’re using, glass skin, Korean skincare, this serum, that serum, snail mucin, glycolic pads, salicylic pads, this moisturiser, that spf…

I just feel like it’s become another obsession for girls and women to fixate and obsess over. Do others agree?! If it’s not our weight, it’s how our pores, lines, skin texture. Enough already.

Don't judge others by your own standards. I'm grown up and savvy enough to understand that most stuff women get sold are a complete waste of money. Hair products, skin products, collagen blah blah blah. You don't need any of it. Virtually every product has zero evidence that they work. You are the problem, not social media, not the companies. Algorithms send you stuff they know you're interested in. It's not random, its you showing interest so Algorithms sending you more. I never see this stuff. I just get cats, dogs and comedians.

Take some responsibility and step away from the products if you're genuinely not interested.

You can reset the algorithm on Instagram- you still keep the accounts you follow but it starts afresh for random posts they shove your way. I do it once a month.

One of the biggest shame in our society is the belief that adults can be "pressured" to do things in their own home by other adults they don't even know.

This is so bizarre to me.

If you don't like skincare, don't engage.

I am so glad I have healthy self esteem.

I totally agree and it’s not adults al the young kids and I mean 5,6 7 year old doing their skin care routine and teens totally getting sucked into wanting byoma, elephant everything insta tells them is essential. Unfortunately trying to tell them it’s a load of bollocks doesn’t work either it’s a craze and u til the next thing comes they all want it. I agree it’s another thing for women to strive for. Same as those who have the face injections, lip injections eyebrows tweeted turkey teeth it’s honestly got so bad I can’t stand it.

@GimmieABreakOr3 do you know anyone who's actually doing those kinds of skincare routines?

I've got a couple of friends who do this kind of thing because they enjoy it

I don't notice their skin being any different to anyone else's. Obviously, people skin varies hugely. I have no idea what they would look like if they didn't do those things.

I also know people having tweaks and I don't know what they would look like without them

But my feeling is a lot of of this social media marketing makes money out of people doing a one off purchase

I don't think there's a lot of women who will stick with the 10 step routine every day

It's just too much hassle and most of us will be sticking make up on top

I think, if you look at all the people you live with work with socialise with, you will find that nobody really looks so stunning that all this nonsense can be justified

and actually good or bad health will normally be the biggest factor in how good your skin looks

It's just social media marketing. And some people enjoy spending their money on expensive product. I enjoy a certain amount of stuff and I have particular product that I like but 10 step routine just sounds like a way to make money or it sounds like someone's kind of made a hobby out of it

I enjoy it to some extent but I cannot believe how much some people are paying for it!

I’m almost mid 30s too. I strongly believe the only things that you need are: spf, hydration and retinol of some form. End of.

I love how everyone is telling me to take responsibility and step away - well yeah, state the obvious. I also don’t need telling. I started this thread as a talking point….

Agreed!

As someone who worked for IG....

This x 1000.

The most razzle dazzle you need is...
Get some sunscreen and decent micellular cleanser and a good vasic moisturiser like the ordinary....
Maybe a bit of tret if you feel fancy....

YABU, because no-one is making you do any of this. No-one is making you look at these webpages/websites.

Also whilst the 'Korean Glass Skin look looks OK on Korean women, it looks ludicrous on most other women. I have seen far too many women looking like THIS. The whole trend is dreadful, most women just look really sweaty! It looks so ridiculous!😆

!

I think your title makes it sounds like it is causing you MH issues which is why you are getting the responses you are getting.

It's one upside of having ASD girls: mine are late teens and they do NOT understand what all the point of smearing your face with stuff is.

I agree,it's easy enough to change what you see on Instagram and FB.

Just ignore it? I'm in my 60's and use soap and water plus a sunscreen. My skin is lovely even if I say so myself.

It is all Marketing and once you realise all they want you to do is buy their shit, it's really easy to disengage.

Who is it you are following and what are you engaging with. I'm in my 40s and don't get any of those kind of posts come up

if your seeing it plastered all over social media then you have liked, clicked in pages etc so algorithm is showing you all that. I have always had a good skin routine. severe acne as a teenager forced me to look after my skin so it's habit now same as washing my face. it's not 10 step. wash serum moisturise eye cream and spf. same at night minuses spf. starting to use retinol now in my 40s. it's not expensive aldi and primark very good products aswell as boots have every thing for all budgets. I like a face mask use in the bath again aldi tk maxx etc. I do like the Korean versions coming out. I use the glass skin face masks when working at home with no calls. no one sees me 😝
I have noticed that since turned 40 if I skip a few days of not doing serum though it starts to look dull so must be doing something
skin care can be what ever you want. do as little or as much as you want. its up to you
what ever you decide there is options out there for every budget

I voted YBU because you can choose to scroll past or to change what you engage with and thus what the algorithm shows you. It's up to you whether you feel pressurised to adopt what you are seeing.

I moisturise because I have horribly dry skin that can become uncomfortable if I don't, especially in winter.

I don't use anything expensive or fancy. Just whatever moisturiser or skin cream I find that doesn't make my skin feel worse.

I'm not conscious of adverts for the sort of thing you describe appearing in my social media feed. They might crop up but if they have done, it's the sort of thing that I' d scroll past and not take in because I'm not interested.

Advertising skincare is nothing new. The products change, but the message is the same.

Also, you get those social media ads partly because you're engaging with content that suggests that you're the target audience for it.

If you feel 'pressure' from advertising, I think that's on you. I see adverts all the time for those meal delivery services like Gusto and Hello Fresh and a million other similar companies, but I don't feel under pressure to use them.

It's been there at least since my grandmother's time, it's not new.

This!

It’s your choice whether to engage with this sort of content shrugs

My social media gives me crochet, knitting, kittens, puppies and the occasional horse. Your social media gives you skincare routines because you keep clicking and watching. I'm 64 and haven't had a skincare routine since my early 20s. My face is fine and hasn't fallen off.

It’s not just on insta though, if you ask in S&B about a basic skin care routine you’ll get responses outlining a 5 step plus SPF twice a day. The beauty market is wild, so many products, so much expense considered “essential” and people don’t look much better for it.

Don’t get suckered in. I’m 55. I go to bed in my make up every night (gross, I know). I wash my face with soap and water and that’s the sum of my skincare routine! I’m fortunate to have really good clear skin.

I see a lot of war stories in the news. Never felt the need to invade a country though.

I get a bit a fed up of the narrative that women are so impressionable and subservient they’ll do anything social media tells them to do.

I enjoy skincare, it makes me feel ready for night / the day. But 10 steps is a bit much, I don’t think each product would have the opportunity to do much when you’re putting so much on your face.

I use a cleanser at night (cleansing balm and separate cleanser if I’ve worn make up, if not just cleanser)
Then I use an exfoliator sometimes but not every day
Then retinol or a serum
eye cream
moisturiser

In the morning I splash my face with water, then use serum, eye cream and an SPF. If I’m wearing make up I’ll skip the serum and use SPF, then primer before foundation.