How the Pressure to Fix Our Skin Fuels Overconsumption

Does skincare today mean constantly buying more? It often seems that way. From glass-skin goals to 10-step routines, we’re made to believe that the secret to better, clearer, younger skin lies in the next product drop. What once began as self-care has slowly turned into a cycle of constant fixing, where every new viral trend convinces us to start over again.

Beauty journalist Jessica DeFino, as cited by Harper’s Bazaar India, uses the term dermorexia, a kind of obsessive behaviour around skincare, often enabled and encouraged by the beauty industry itself. The cycle feeds on itself: new launches, trending ingredients push people to keep adding more to their routines rather than finish what they already own.

The impact goes beyond the cycle of consumption. Most skincare products are chemically formulated and come packaged in single-use plastic. Every half-used serum or moisturizer that’s replaced by the next trending one adds up to a growing pile of waste. Behind the glossy marketing lies an uncomfortable truth, our obsession with “fixing” our skin is also silently fuelling overconsumption.

Here are some numbers we need to know:

• The global beauty industry generates around 120 billion units of packaging each year, much of it coming from skincare and cosmetic products.

• The British Beauty Council reports that 95% of cosmetic packaging is thrown away. Even though parts of it could be recycled, most of it isn’t, and instead finds its way to landfills.

• It’s estimated that 20–40% of beauty products are tossed out before they’re even used up, swapped for the next trending serum or cream.

There is a need for skincare which is minimal and sustainable, good for us and good for the plant. We need new-age skincare trends which don't pressure us to optimize every pore, every line, every shade of our skin to meet impossible standards of perfection.

Returning to What Skin Actually Needs

At Bare Necessities, we believe skincare doesn’t have to be complicated or a series of endless steps. It can be minimal, gentle, and honest, focused on nourishment rather than novelty.

Instead of chemical-heavy formulations or synthetic actives, our products draw from traditional, plant-based ingredients that have cared for Indian skin for generations. The plant-based ingredients in our sustainable skincare products heal, soothe, and restore balance in a way that’s kind to your skin and the earth.

Take our Rainforest Moisturiser, for instance. It’s packed with sunflower, apricot, cocoa butter, and jojoba, rich in essential fatty acids and antioxidants that lock in moisture naturally. Infused with vitamin E, grapeseed oil, and aloe, it helps protect collagen and support skin structure over time, without the synthetic silicones or fillers found in many mainstream products.

Or our Soak It Up Moisturiser, made with non-comedogenic oils like jojoba, hemp, and apricot that mimic the skin’s natural sebum. They regulate oil production, calm inflammation, and support skin healing, making it ideal for both sensitive and oily skin types.

Even our body care range is rooted in nature’s simplicity. The Terracotta Body Scrub combines green gram powder, gram flour, and orange peel powder, traditional exfoliants that cleanse gently while brightening skin with natural vitamin C.

Meanwhile, our pure Multani Mitti Face Pack harnesses mineral-rich clay to absorb excess oil, deeply cleanse, and soothe irritation, just as it’s done in Indian homes for centuries.

Future-forward Skincare with Bare Necessities

If overconsumption has become the face of modern skincare, then sustainability must be its antidote. By choosing plant-based, earth-friendly ingredients and consciously packaged products, we can redefine what it means to care for our skin and for the environment it’s part of. After all, true beauty doesn’t leave a footprint, it leaves an impact.