Late last year, while rearranging my bedside shelf, I paused to take a stock of my skincare collection: Seven face masks, four body lotions, three face cleansers, two body scrubs, a niacinamide serum, a lavender-based body wash, an essence, a hyaluronic serum, an alcohol-based toner, and an eye cream. If this isn’t consumerism at its finest, I don’t know what is.
Why have we developed an intense, almost compulsive relationship with skincare routines? The rise of multi-step routines and the pressure to follow them is more than a trend. It’s a cultural shift. And it’s worth examining.
The Rise of Skincare Routines as a Cultural Phenomenon
A decade ago, a skincare routine consisted of little more than a cleanser and a moisturizer. Today, it’s a multi-step regimen including serums, exfoliants, toners, masks, each product promising something more: brighter skin, a stronger barrier, or even “glass skin”. The rise of skincare as both a ritual and a cultural phenomenon has turned bathroom counters into beauty aisles and self-care into a kind of performance.
But beneath the glossy marketing and influencer recommendations, a question lingers: is this about our skin health, or have we been conditioned to consume? As brands push new formulations, the line between self-care and overconsumption has blurred. The psychology behind our fixation with skincare is worth examining because what we’re really buying isn’t just skincare. It’s hope, validation, and the promise of control.
The Consumerism Behind Skincare
The modern skincare industry doesn’t just sell products, it sells aspirations. A study from Kansas State University on Consumer Attitudes and Emotions Towards Beauty Products found that emotions play a central role in beauty purchases. Consumers aren’t just looking for efficacy; they are chasing the feeling that a new serum, toner or moisturizer will be the one that finally changes everything.
Social media has supercharged this mindset. TikTok and Instagram have made skincare both entertainment and status symbol, with influencers curating aspirational routines and “shelfies” displaying products like trophies. Brands, in turn, feed this cycle, rolling out expensive dermatologist-approved formulas that suggest you are always one product away from better skin. The result? A never-ending pursuit, fueled by the fear that without the latest must-have product, you’re falling behind.
FOMO and the Language of Beauty
If a product is marketed as optional, we might hesitate before buying it. But when it’s framed as essential, the decision feels urgent. An article titled The Unspoken Consequence of Calling Beauty Products a ‘Necessity’ highlights how the industry has mastered this linguistic trick subtly shifting beauty from luxury to obligation. When a serum is positioned as essential for youthful skin, skipping it feels like negligence rather than a choice.
Buzzwords like “anti-aging,” “skin barrier repair,” and “glow-boosting” reinforce this pressure. A research study has documented how FOMO influences purchasing decisions, and in skincare, the effect is particularly potent. A trending product whether it’s snail mucin(which I bought when it was all over TikTok) or peptides quickly becomes a must-have, making consumers feel they need to keep up, lest they miss out on the secret to perfect skin.
Psychological Effects of Overconsumption
The irony is that many of these products, when layered excessively, can do more harm than good. Over-exfoliation, compromised skin barriers, and irritation are common side effects of skincare overload. But the pressure to consume persists because for many of us, skincare isn’t just about skin anymore.
A study on Factors Affecting Consumers’ Repurchase Intentions Toward Skincare Cosmetics found that consumers remain fiercely loyal to skincare brands, often repurchasing products even when they see no clear results. The reasoning? Habit, trust, and the belief that quitting could undo progress. This psychological attachment, paired with the industry’s relentless messaging, turns skincare into an endless cycle: buy, apply, repeat.
Completing the look
At its best, skincare is self-care, a way to nurture and protect the body’s largest organ. But the modern industry has turned it into something more complicated: a symbol of discipline, worth, and status. The pressure to chase perfection, to buy into every trend, has made skincare feel less like care and more like an obligation.
A more mindful approach can be understanding what the skin actually needs, resisting the pull of every new trend, and questioning the marketing that frames beauty as a race as this might be the key to breaking free. Because real self-care isn’t about how many steps you take. It’s about knowing when to stop.
