The newest skincare development sweeping social media is a bit… primitive.
The “caveman methodology” has gone viral after TikTokker Tia Zakher revealed she’s spent greater than six weeks not utilizing any merchandise — together with water — on her face in a bid to let her pores and skin barrier “rebuild” itself naturally.
However to this point, her outcomes have hardly been a promoting level for different girls, and several other consultants have warned of some severe downsides.
Grime and punishment
The “caveman methodology” is as minimal because it will get. No cleanser. No moisturizer. Not even a splash of water.
The concept is that going again to fundamentals — to historic occasions when individuals didn’t have 10-step nightly skincare routines — can “reset” your pores and skin and return it to its healthiest, most pure state.
“For years, I picked and overexfoliated and broken my pores and skin actually badly,” Zakher (@tiazakher) stated in a latest video. “My pores and skin is mainly simply shedding all of the injury and trying to re-regulate itself.”
A number of movies on her web page present shin that seems tough, flaky and discolored, horrifying some viewers. However Tia has repeatedly insisted that that is simply a part of the method — and ultimately, the useless pores and skin will all flake off, leaving recent, wholesome pores and skin behind.
However earlier than you toss your retinol and bounce on this bare-bones bandwagon, you may need to assume twice.
“As a board-certified dermatologist, I can let you know that what you’re seeing just isn’t regular,” Dr. Jeaneen Chappell stated in a TikTok. “It’s a fable to assume that your pores and skin will thrive in a state of neglect.”
She’s not the one skeptical skincare knowledgeable.
“Skincare doesn’t must be an advanced ten-step course of, nonetheless, washing your face each day is advisable to take away oil, sweat and pollutant buildup,” Dr. Jennifer Shastry, a dermatologist at Northwestern MedicalGroup, advised The Publish.
“The ‘caveman’ routine is almost definitely contributing to her scaly look as the conventional pores and skin cell turnover that happens with mild washing just isn’t taking place,” she stated.
Neanderthal, meet anti-fungals
TikTok customers, each involved and enraged, have flooded the feedback on Zakher’s movies, urging her to see a dermatologist — or on the very least, wash her face.
“As a nurse, I’m involved,” TikToker Antoinette (@msrazzledazzle) stated in a video.
She speculated that Zakher might be affected by dermatitis neglecta — a pores and skin situation brought on by poor hygiene that leads to a buildup of dust, sweat, and useless pores and skin, forming crusty patches.
“That normally occurs to lots of people who’re homeless or unhoused as a result of they’re not capable of wash their face,” Antoinette stated. “I’d not be shocked if there was additionally a fungal an infection beneath there.”
Caveman or con job?
However not everybody’s shopping for the “Caveman methodology” rationalization.
Chappell recommended that Zakher’s tough, peeling pores and skin may really be the aftermath of a Fraxel laser therapy, which may typically depart behind a sandpaper-like texture because it heals.
Others on TikTok assume the entire thing’s a stunt, accusing Zakher of faking it with a mixture of clay masks and powder for views.
“It’s bentonite clay or a mud masks with powder over it,” one person commented.
With out analyzing her face, Shastry stated it’s powerful to make a definitive prognosis.
“Even people in historic occasions would wash their our bodies and pores and skin with water with some frequency. Washing is a crucial a part of hygiene.”
Dr. Jennifer Shastry
Nonetheless, she did famous that the buildup of sebum — the oily substance our pores and skin naturally produces to guard and hydrate itself — may enhance the chance of seborrheic dermatitis, a situation the place yeast causes flaking and itching.
One other chance is ichthyosis vulgaris, an inherited situation the place the pores and skin barrier doesn’t perform correctly, resulting in scaly pores and skin.
Maintaining it clear
Regardless of what’s really taking place to Zakher’s face, one factor’s clear: Her movies are sparking a significant dialog about skincare on-line.
“She’s not therapeutic her barrier,” Antoinette stated. “She’s overlaying it and suffocating it.”
So, what do you have to be doing?
Shastry recommends maintaining it easy: wash your face with a mild cleanser, hydrate with a fragrance-free moisturizer, and put on sunscreen daily to forestall UV-related skin-aging and most cancers.
“Even people in historic occasions would wash their our bodies and pores and skin with water with some frequency,” she stated. “Washing is a crucial a part of hygiene.”
In case your pores and skin seems something like Zakher’s, Shastry recommends you see a dermatologist ASAP.
After all of the backlash, Zakher has now stated she’ll begin incorporating water again into her routine. However some are skeptical, questioning if it’s too little, too late.
“We’re previous water,” Antoinette quipped in an up to date response video. “We’re undoubtedly on the stage of a washcloth, some cleanser and a prayer.”
