Nowadays, there seems to be a constant stream of videos, TikToks and reels posted about influencers’ lengthy and costly skincare routines. From Drunk Elephant to Tatcha, there is no shortage of expensive luxury skincare brands to choose from.

The main reason people indulge in these expensive products is because of their fear of aging skin. In fact, there has been a trend of using anti-aging products and methods to prevent wrinkles. However, these methods can become extreme if taken too far. Some of these include teaching yourself to not make exaggerated facial expressions to prevent smile or forehead lines, and buying items such as “anti-wrinkle straws” to prevent getting wrinkles above the upper lip. While many skincare products claim to prevent aging, they don’t always work. Yet consumers still buy them simply because they come from luxury brands, therefore they are believed to be trustworthy.

While it is alright to prioritize self-care and personal hygiene, the obsession with anti-wrinkle and aging products are taking it way too far. It creates yet another beauty standard especially for women, focusing on the idea of staying young forever. It is important to remember aging is a perfectly natural thing for everyone.

However, all this expensive skincare, and anti-aging tools that people are using can also have positive mental effects. In an experiment done by the National Library of Medicine, they have a skincare group and a control group, and “there was a higher number of [those] with positive changes in the skin care group compared to the control group.” So while these glorified products may not have many physical effects, due to the placebo effect, it can make people feel better about themselves and their appearance.

But it’s not just adults and teenagers who are partaking in this trend, there has also been a recent surge of “Sephora girls” who are young pre-teenagers, typically part of Generation Alpha. The trend focuses on the pre-teen influencers who pamper themselves with makeup and skincare products from Sephora and Ulta, typically paid for with their parents’ money. However, many of these viral cosmetics are not even necessary for their younger group. This can be seen with 10-year-olds using retinol to get rid of non-existent wrinkles, and using bronzer on their young skin.

There is controversy over whether or not these luxury skincare products are worth the cost, as it can come with a nice serotonin boost and can improve mental health, but doesn’t provide any real physical effects. Furthermore, being consistent with an extensive skincare routine can also quickly deplete your budget. I would suggest buying only necessities, such as cleansers and moisturizer. Plus, there are tons of brands that offer almost the same quality as the luxury ones, for a fraction of the price.