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Lately, I’ve been wondering if I accidentally signed up for a time-travel experiment rather than simply scrolling through my phone.
Every morning, with my coffee in hand, I open social media only to be greeted by an army of glowing, poreless faces, each one promising me that I, too, can look 15 years younger if I just buy one more miraculous serum or moisturiser, or apply layers of foundation and concealer that make you shine brighter than the sun.
It starts innocently enough. A cheerful influencer appears, holding a bottle filled with what looks like liquid gold. “This is the best product I have ever come across,” they declare, as they apply them on their spotless skin. And lo! “Look at me, it’s too good,” they say.
Indeed they are, and then I put my phone on video mode, and suddenly I’m convinced my perfectly normal smile lines are actually urgent problems requiring immediate intervention.
The sheer volume of ‘must-have’ products being promoted is astonishing. There are creams for wrinkles, serums for fine lines, oils for texture, mist for glow, and packs for tightening and firming, which sounds less like skincare and more like a construction project. My bathroom shelf would resemble a small pharmacy if I had to be glass-skin ready.
What makes it more amusing (and slightly alarming) is the pace at which these trends evolve. Just as I begin to understand one routine – cleanse, tone, moisturise, sunscreen – I’m told I’ve been doing it all wrong. Now I need to double cleanse, triple layer, and possibly chant affirmations while applying eye cream in an upward spiral.
Of course, the real problem behind all this lies in how subtly it chips away at your confidence.
You start the day feeling fine, but after 20 minutes online, you’re examining your reflection like a detective at a crime scene. “Was that line always there?” you wonder, tilting your head under different lighting, as though the truth might reveal itself from a better angle.
I have heard that most perfect selfies and videos on social media are created through filters. Ah, the filters, those magical digital veils that blur, smooth, and perfect. They create a standard that no real human face can achieve, yet somehow we feel the need to measure up.
It’s like competing in a race where everyone else is driving a sports car, and you’re jogging behind, wondering what you missed.
Now, I’m not against skincare. There’s something genuinely enjoyable about taking a few moments to care for yourself, and yes, a good moisturiser can work wonders.
But when self-care turns into a relentless pursuit of turning back time, it stops being fun and starts feeling like a full-time job, one with no clear promotion in sight.
Perhaps it’s time we collectively take a step back (and maybe a break from the algorithm). Ageing, after all, is not a flaw to be corrected but a natural process to be lived.
Laugh lines are evidence of joy, not failure. And no serum, no matter how expensive, can replicate the confidence that comes from simply being comfortable in your own skin.
A proudly ageing reader
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