From morning shed to makeup wipes, this is the beauty propaganda I'm not falling for

While I'm not usually one to fall for social media fads, the 'propaganda I am not falling for' trend is one I can get behind this season. The trend debunks unnecessary online trends. Social media can teem with capitalistic greed as much of the content there is designed to sell products. Beauty and wellness specifically can be less about what the product will do for you and more about why you need to buy it to change your appearance and physique. Multiple beauty and wellness trends are created for shock value without any root in expertise. It's hard to believe that anybody is actually waking up at 4am and dunking their bodies in ice-cold water or sleeping peacefully through the night with 17 rollers tightly coiled in their hair.

10 PIECES OF BEAUTY PROPAGANDA WE ARE NOT FALLING FOR

1. The Morning Shed 

My claustrophobia could never deal with the thought of a morning shed as getting through a night with a face mask, a lip peel, a hair bonnet, under-eye patches, chin straps and more is sure to give me multiple night terrors. This TikTok trend is truly deserving of all the flak it's getting because you definitely don't need to sleep looking like Cinderella's evil stepmother at night to look flawless the next day. 

2. Cold Plunge 

Submerging one's face in ice-cold water in pursuit of beauty is a big NO for me. There are other ways to regulate your nervous system that won't leave you shivering as an after-effect. While there is scientific evidence that cold water is beneficial for your mood and can boost collagen production, it may not be worth the water you are wasting. 

3. Signature scents 

Don't come at me for this one; but signature scents are overrated. I don't want to smell like vanilla or magnolias all the time. I like to mix it up, and so should you. While gourmand scents are a pleasure during cooler months, summers are for fruity, citrusy, and floral scents and there shouldn't be rigidity to conform to only a single bottle year round.

4. PR Packages 

While PR is not the problem itself, the marketing teams of many brands are aiming for virality by packaging beauty products in elaborate ways. As fun as it is to watch fancy PR packages being unboxed, imagine the amount of single-use plastic used, all of which is going to end up in our oceans. 

5. Fruit-inspired makeup 

Strawberry girl makeup and tomato girl makeup had all my heart, but when this started happening to every single fruit from the basket, then it was no longer fun. Then it was just annoying. Let's put an end to the cherry red, pink guava and pineapple makeup, pretty please? Not every makeup look (or fruit!) needs to be a trend. 

6. Botox and lip fillers 

Tighter skin and fuller lips are a dream for many. One way to achieve this is the use of Botox and lip fillers. Botox is a neurotoxin which temporarily paralyses muscles to stop them from ageing and if incorrectly injected, can cause pain and headaches. This is also a temporary treatment that has effects lasting up to 3 to 4 months. Lip fillers involve injecting an external substance into the lips to enhance their volume and shape, which typically last for 6 to 12 months. They can cause swelling and bruising, pain and discomfort, infection, and, sometimes, even allergic reactions. Costly, painful, and short-term pleasure—nah, I am out.

7. Makeup Wipes 

Makeup wipes are a great choice; if you love skin breakouts and acne, that is. These inefficient products give the illusion of removing makeup, leaving clogged pores thanks to the product left behind. They are also single-use products will end up in a landfill after being used for mere seconds, which is terribly wasteful. Replace your makeup wipes with an oil-based cleanser to get rid of makeup without any residue left behind.

8. Overconsumption

Believe it or not, one red lipstick in your vanity is enough. You don't need to have 10 separate reds. Social media has essentially chided us into buying multiples of the same products; from sunscreens and moisturisers to lipsticks and blushers. Different types of products, millions of shades of lipsticks, eyeshadows, blushers, and different finishes of foundations have us hoarding the products before we are even through one bottle with no end in sight.

9. 10 Step Skincare Routines 

Tying in with overconsumption, 10-step skincare routines exist to encourage more product usage. Using multiple skincare products is not magically going to make you look 10 years younger or give you clear skin. On the contrary, using multiple skincare products without knowing how the chemicals in them interact with each other can cause skin irritation. All you need is your basic CTSM routine to get clearer, healthier skin.

10. Skipping Sunscreen

By now everyone knows that sunscreen is a skincare non-negotiable, even if they live under a rock (which might be great for UV exposure, actually!). The holy grail of the skin care industry, sunscreen is extremely important to save your skin from harmful UV radiation, preventing sunburn and reducing the risk of skin cancer. For men, women, babies, everyone – sunscreen is a must when stepping out and a rainy day is no exception.