It's Tuesday, and people on Twitter are arguing about skin care after the Outline published an article titled "The Skincare Con."
The author, Krithika Varagur, argues in the piece that "skin has withstood millions of years of evolution without the aid of tinctures and balms," and intense "regimens" are useless.
"But all of this is a scam. It has to be," the article reads. "Perfect skin is unattainable because it doesn’t exist. The idea that we should both have it and want it is a waste of our time and money. Especially for women, who are disproportionately taxed by both the ideal of perfect skin and its material pursuit."
The article spawned many hot takes online. Some people said they were "validated" by the take.
My most unpopular opinion (that skincare is a scam), validated: https://t.co/fAjZNbFkn2
While a lot of others were...not so happy about it.
the skincare piece has infuriated me..........thank u
A skincare hit piece?
"Oh holy fuck," someone said about the author's description of the popular products as "chemical violence."
@LuxAlptraum "At the core of the New Skincare is chemical violence." oh holy fuck
Others took to mocking.
why would someone with acne-ridden, oily, inflamed, or flaky skin want to invest in skincare? -- an investigation
Sam Escobar, the deputy editor at Allure, said that an argument in the article was similar to the one made about what motivates women to wear makeup: "[They] only wear makeup to feel attractive to others."
congratulations to the Outline, who managed to reinvent the "women only wear makeup to feel attractive to others" t… https://t.co/QeROUQo0In
The lines Escobar shared with the comment read, "New Skincare is (still) chiefly about buying things, and displaying them for others to see — to prove that you worked hard for what you have, even if you’re, say, a model, whose profession self-selects for superior genetics."
Escobar then ~whispered~ something.
here's a thought: women, among many others, enjoy skincare, haircare, makeup, and beauty products for many reasons.… https://t.co/vh43ByXTIq
SOMEONE ELSE HAD SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT CALLING SKIN CARE A SCAM.
skincare is not a scam I HAVE HORRIFIC SKIN AND IT’s STILL BAD BUT IT’S GETTING BETTER THANKS TO SKINCARE PRODUCTS… https://t.co/JvUs59HIsk
Another person pointed to the writer's take on pimples.
Something else that is lazy: painting everyone who is into skincare as strictly in it for vanity purposes. People a… https://t.co/ntlax48Bfp
The deputy beauty editor at Harper's Bazaar said she was both exhausted and "entertained" by the piece.
Woooooo, this article wore me OUT. She referenced Foucault and I wanted to eject from this world. But I was enterta… https://t.co/sp5uhGS1IO
Author Alana Massey directed people to read her article "about how beauty and skincare are sacred communal rituals characterized by mutual femme generosity."
Last year I wrote about how beauty and skincare are sacred communal rituals characterized by mutual femme generosit… https://t.co/eVjcajmW4E
Another person defended a subreddit called "skincare addiction," that was mentioned in the article, describing it as "a warm and wonderful place that just wants people to wear sunscreen and not over-exfoliate."
@Nicole_Cliffe And she goes after r/skincareaddiction which is a warm and wonderful place that just wants people to… https://t.co/xOOZhiFTkz
Sheet-mask selfies were shared.
outline: *publishes bad take on skin care* me:
Someone else referenced a "WAR."
Yes, most skincare is a con but there's also a skin WAR going on out there and the rich are winning
An illustrative clip from The Devil Wears Prada was brought into the conversation (the bit with two totally different turquoise belts.)
You: "Skincare is a scam." Me:
And others were pragmatic, using the chance to mine some free advice from the energized skin care community. Take @SlimiHendrix who is "trying to be moisturized af this year."
in regards to all this skincare talk, how do i get started figuring out a regimen that's right for me? trying to be moisturized af this year
while we're talking about skincare why is my forehead so shiny i powder myself down like a rashed up baby every mor… https://t.co/lsGvR6ef3B
Muahahaha — this person.
personally, I love all these skincare is a scam articles. just puts my face even higher on the bell curve bitch
*eyes emoji*
If people think skincare is a scam, don’t correct them. Save your breath and let them age like milk, while you age… https://t.co/1QOGNzruVj
And for this person, to know the scam is to love the scam.
skincare is a scam but it is also a scam i willingly participate in, sorry https://t.co/oYqSq6tazJ
Scam or not, skin care love lives on.
@elamin88 You can pry my overwrought skincare routine from my cold, dead, beautifully moisturized hands.
CORRECTION
Harper's Bazaar was misspelled in an earlier version of this post.