Skincare can be complicated and confusing, and that’s never truer than in adolescence. Maybe that’s why many teens are following the Caveman Skincare method.
Like the rest of their body, teens’ skin is changing in ways that are hard to understand and can be unpredictable from day to day. At the same time, they’re getting so many messages from so many sources about exactly how they should care for their skin—use this product or that one, change their diet, and so on.
It’s no surprise that a skincare trend involving doing absolutely nothing would catch their eye, but doctors say it’s a terrible idea.
What Is The Caveman Skincare Method?
Sometimes, modern society has a tendency to obsess over the way it believes its ancestors did things, which may or may not be in line with reality. Unfortunately, these ideologies may miss important facts, like the short lifespans in those time periods or the fact that we don’t really have complete information about how humans lived prior to well-recorded history.
So, it seems that many people have decided that what cavemen (or cave-teen-girls, as the case may be) did to care for their skin was absolutely nothing, which on the surface seems plausible. After all, our ancient ancestors certainly weren’t comparison shopping acne brands and filming beauty tutorials.
However, this is being taken to an extreme. Adherents believe they should not only skip the Stridex pads, the specialized cleansers, the foundation, and other products, but that even soap and water should never touch their faces!
People following the caveman skin plan vary a little. Some will take the milder route and use only plain water, and others will take an even more extreme route and avoid touching their faces at all.
The Good & The Bad Of The Caveman Skin Trend
Teen girls are so inundated with messages about what products they should be applying to their faces that there’s no doubt many are using too much and hurting their skin. Further, depending on skin sensitivity, some people may need to use far fewer or gentler products than what may be perfectly fine for another person.
So, cutting down on products? For a lot of people, that may be a great idea.
The idea of touching your face less (this isn’t easy to do) is also wise, since your hands have a lot of oils that aren’t great for your face.
However, the line has to be drawn not to wash your face with soap and water, which applies to virtually everyone.
Why Is This Trend Going Viral Now?
Variations on the caveman method have come up over the years. When I tried to hunt (and gather) down the origin, I found a post on Reddit in an acne forum from four years ago asking about it, and a 2021 blog post from SkinHarmonics suggesting that using nothing at all is better than using most conventional products (but that using their brand is even better).
However, in both of those cases, and everywhere else I looked, the description of the caveman method explicitly mentioned that people trying it still wash with plain water! Also, they tend to mention that it’s supposed to be a short-term thing, to do for 30 days (or less) to clear away any buildup in one’s pores from heavy use of products.
The current version and the viral attention seem to come from an unsurprising source: TikTok.
Specifically, TikTok user Tia Zakher has been going viral as she showcases the changes in her skin while trying the Caveman Skincare method.
Below, you can see a video of an allergist responding to one of her videos and get an idea of why this method is a bad idea.
What Are Doctors Saying About The Caveman Skin Trend?
You’ll notice that Dr. Zachary Rubin, in the video above, emphasizes that he is not Zakher’s doctor, has not examined her, and cannot offer her medical advice based on a TikTok video. Still, he does share some general information regarding skincare.
“This caveman method that she talks about where you do nothing to your skin is not generally recommended for most people.”
He warns that not cleaning your skin can result in something called dermatosis neglecta, “a buildup of dead skin cells, oils, bacteria, and potentially fungus,” — and while he doesn’t speculate on the medical conditions of the TikToker, he does show photos of the condition, and viewers can draw their own conclusions.
He’s not alone in his concerns. Dermatologist Dara Spearman, MD, told Parents that failing to clean the skin can result in “acne, clogged pores, and infections,” and that a better path is to cut out “harsh products.”
What Should Parents Do To Help Their Kids
Start when your child is old enough to wash their face by teaching them to do so. When skin starts to change in adolescence, discuss the importance of washing.
When your child begins to ask about makeup, cleansers, acne treatments, and other products, discuss how to pick the safest ones. The National Center for Health Research has a thorough guide that includes checking the label for ingredients like formaldehyde, parabens, and phthalates and making sure that any makeup or other products applied in the morning are thoroughly cleansed away at night.
If your child shows interest in dialing back her product use, help her pick a gentle cleanser and remind her that keeping her pores clear is part of having healthy skin! It’s also worth reminding your child that the caveman skin trend is unproven and that trends like this one come and go all the time.
If you have a boy at home, also watch out for the Bigorexia trend that is also worrying and often involves teen boys.