What if the obsession with perfect skin became an illness?

Do we really need a shelf full of creams, serums, scrubs, cleansers, and devices for our beauty routine? Absolutely not. Yet, we can't resist the hype surrounding new products constantly hitting the market, with their Instagrammable packaging and promises of miraculous results, nor the plethora of TikTok videos where creators and self-proclaimed experts extol the virtues of the latest hyaluronic acid serum. So, we buy and add yet another useless product to a routine with countless steps. Why do we do this? Honestly, it has little to do with skin health and much more with trying to appear perfect, to conform to standards that are often unrealistic, unattainable, toxic, and exclusive. The idea that a wrinkle on your forehead is just the first sign of physical decline, a visible pimple on the tip of your nose, or pores spreading across your face like aliens on lunar soil are not just small flaws to minimize with makeup; they are enemies denying us the privilege of beauty and, for that reason, must be fought with active ingredients. If ferulic acid doesn't work, we switch to tretinoin. If that doesn't deliver the desired results, we try kojic acid, load up on collagen, and so on, layering formulas that worsen the situation instead of helping. We should stop. Limit ourselves to cleansing, moisturizing, and sun protection. But some of us can't. When skincare becomes an obsession, a compulsive behavior, it's called dermorexia.

What is dermorexia?

Borrowing from the term orthorexia, a pathological obsession with healthy food, wellness, and exercise, Jessica DeFino was the first to talk about dermorexia. The Guardian columnist, a journalist specializing in beauty, coined the neologism to refer to "a set of obsessive behaviors towards skincare, enabled and encouraged by the skincare industry: teenagers devising multi-step anti-aging routines out of fear of future wrinkles, adults going into debt to undergo injectable treatments, all united by the frantic, intergenerational concern for retinoids, exfoliating acids, and the pursuit of unattainable glow". In her newsletter, The Review of Beauty, DeFino also cites a study published by the National Library of Medicine that aims to show how the excessive, repeated, and persistent use of various skincare products has become a form of addiction to cosmetic procedures.

The Thin Line Between Routine and Addiction

Taking care of oneself and wanting to look your best are legitimate desires. Sometimes, however, the line between a beauty routine and addiction becomes thin, almost imperceptible. Skincare transforms into a self-perception disorder, into dysmorphophobia, affecting our physical and mental health. The causes? They are many and sometimes subjective. Certainly, the pressure we all face, especially the younger ones, is enormous. The mandate coming from all directions is to have flawless, radiant, ageless skin. Acne and wrinkles are not an option. So, adults and teenagers are constantly worried about skin imperfections, which are often nonexistent or minimal, dedicating time and resources to treatments and products that they probably don't even need. We've moved from caring for our skin to its pathologization, but without a dermatologist guiding us toward a cure, often without a real problem to treat. It’s a bit like the Sephora kids, pre-teens who hoard skincare products, drowning their skin in layers of moisturizers, anti-aging creams, active ingredients, and any other miracle elixirs they don't need, which are unsuitable for their age.

Less is More

The pursuit of aesthetic perfection coincides with a beauty routine of a thousand steps, where layers of creams, serums, and various products are applied, which, instead of helping, tend to sensitize the skin, making it more prone to various issues. The uncontrolled mix of active ingredients risks compromising the skin's natural protective ability, disrupting its microbiome and damaging the skin barrier, causing inflammation, irritation, and sensitivity. This behavior affects not only our physical health but also our mental well-being. As DeFino points out, even though we are told that skincare is self-care and contributes to our well-being, the data shows exactly the opposite: "We are witnessing an increase in cases of anxiety, depression, facial dysmorphia, body dysmorphia, obsessive thoughts, obsessive behaviors, self-harm, and even suicide related to appearance. All of these things are associated with the pressure to meet an unrealistic and inhuman beauty standard". Is there a solution? Perhaps we need to listen to our body's real needs, consult a doctor, and avoid following the advice of an influencer who, in many cases, is paid to promote a particular product. But that's not enough. The problem is broader and more complex. The entire concept of beauty needs to be rethought, and the idea of perfection eradicated. The fear is that this will never happen, that toxic standards are so deeply rooted in us that they are invincible. We hope we’re wrong and see real change.