Skincare Burnout and Beauty Fatigue

Why we outgrew influencer culture, and what we can do next

Hello, Gorgeous!

For those of you who don’t know my background story, I spent a chunk of my career as a celeb makeup artist. That was fun and exciting. At least til I tripped at an unmarked construction site and a chunk of concrete went through the nerves in my wrist. A foolish doctor told me I’d never use my hand again. I can and do, but holding makeup brushes and applying makeup for any great length of time is no longer an option for me.

Fast forward a bit and I segued to digital everything, writing, and marketing strategy, with a concentration in the beauty and celeb sectors. But even with my pedigreed professional background, the idea of beauty influencers kind of freaked me out. I’m also skeptical by nature and profession, so I would do a deeper dive investigation into influencers with zillions of followers and barely any real world experience — and frequently with terrible or downright dangerous advice.

You don’t have to be perfect

I’ve heard from a few of you overwhelmed by choice and pressure to conform to a rigid beauty routine or outlook. One reader poignantly wrote (quoted with her permission).

I’m really comfortable with my age. I just wish the makeup companies and botox docs would let me age the way I want to without making me feel bad about my choices. I like my wrinkles. I like my life. But society sometimes makes me feel ashamed of my face.

She went on to discuss the intense pressure of seeing celebrities her age with so much facial work that they were unrecognizable. But that’s a choice too.

No one should make you feel that you’re not beautiful enough or youthful enough or that you require a surgical procedure of 43 products daily, filters and then editing software before presenting yourself to the world.

I guess it’s easier said than done, but if you feel pressured to say or do or wear just the right thing, you’re never going to enjoy it. Which is kind of why I adapt a zero pressure and complete transparency philosophy here at Hello Gorgeous!

I love to share cute or interesting or trending items or ideas, with no sneaky tactics to try to make you buy anything. Love it? Hurrah! I hope you’ll incorporate it into your routine. Don’t love it? Forget it. I’m never going to try to push you into doing or wearing or buying something I think you’ll regret. Which is the opposite of the hard sell influencer culture that permeated social media for the past few years.

The negative effects of hard sell beauty culture

We’ve all come to accept the fact that bad hair days can cause us great psychological distress. But so can relentless hyper mode beauty culture with a constant need to be trying out that next big thing….before the next next big thing.

Though beauty burnout isn’t recognized as an actual condition, it is becoming more of a serious topic for discussion. The pressure to always adhere to certain beauty standards or routines because of social media or even professional requirements can be draining. And not just for consumers, hair stylists and others in the industry report feeling tremendous pressure to keep their clients happy and on trend. This constant cycle can lead to emotional exhaustion and anxiety.

5 tips to manage beauty burnout

To help avoid beauty burnout, I adapted five tips from the Mayo Clinic’s guide to avoiding job burnout. I hope this reminds the rest of us remember to have fun with beauty and not let it take over our lives.

1. Simplify then Prioritize. What’s the most important part of your beauty routine? Great skin? Bold eyeliner? Cut out unnecessary steps and products that make you feel overwhelmed.

2. Create Zen. It’s okay to love applying makeup. In fact, you can set time every morning that’s just for you. Don’t look at your phone and simply take a beauty break.

3. Create a no judgement zone. Accepting yourself is the greatest gift of all. Refuse to keep judging yourself by anyone else’s beauty standards. .

4. Connect. It isn’t frivolous to need to talk about these pressures with an understanding friend or relative. Don’t have one in your existing social circle? I’m here for you! (should we set up a group chat at some point?).

5. Remember the rest of your healthy habits.

   You know how great you look after a nap or a soothing soak in the tub? Well, beauty comes in many forms. Eating well makes you look better as well. And these healthy habits boost your ability to manage stress.

You know what I’m going to do? As Hello Gorgeous! approaches year two, I’m going to make even more of a concerted effort to curate suggestions and recommendations that won’t add to your stress.

Do you feel burnt out on excessive beauty routines and requirements? Let’s meet in the comment section to discuss!

Rachel, Your beauty concierge 💋