Jan. 19, 2025
By Isabella Bartlett
Managing Editor
Morning shed, TikTok’s latest beauty trend, has users showcasing elaborate routines of removing overnight products like face masks, jaw straps and pimple patches. However, beneath the clear skin and attractive features lies a growing number of concerns.
Sophomore Sheyanna Urgiles said she has been persuaded by these videos but found that using too many products was bad for her skin.
“I would overcrowd my skin with so many things,” Urgiles said. “I’m going to guess that some of them didn’t react well together, and it just made my skin feel horrible.”
She said the benefits of using single-use products featured in morning shed videos do not justify their negative effects on the environment.
“It’s just a bunch of plastic bottles of [products] that are getting bought because of social media. It’s things that people don’t even need,” Urgiles said.
According to the Plastic Pollution Coalition, a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the impacts of single-use plastics, the beauty industry produces 120 billion units of plastic packaging each year.
To combat plastic pollution, in April 2019, Sephora, a multinational chain that sells beauty and personal care products, started offering refills for its existing packaging.
English teacher Ms. Coppola, who watches “Get Ready With Me” videos on TikTok, said influencers who participate in the morning shed trend are trying to make money rather than take care of their skin.
“Our mothers, and grandmothers and great-grandmothers [had] great skin without eye patches, silk pillowcases and all the other accoutrements that influencers will… provide a link to,” Coppola said. “Everyone is out to make a buck.”
Coppola said morning shed promotes the use of high-end products, fostering a sense of elitism by creating the illusion that clear skin equates to wealth.
“This has always been a problem. Back in the early 20th century, [fashion designer] Coco Chanel set the trend for getting a tan,” Coppola said. “That indicated to people, ‘You have the time for leisure travel? You get to lie on the beach all day? I don’t do that.’ It’s an indicator of privilege.”
Sophomore Joey Romeo said the use of expensive skincare products is excessive, especially because people buy them without knowing if they are suitable for their skin type.
“If you use a [skincare product] on an oily face, you [can] put yourself at risk of feeling oilier,” Romeo said.
He said skincare products can be beneficial in moderation but thinks the morning shed trend is counterproductive, particularly because children are influenced to use products meant for older skin.
“It can get out of hand, for example, if an eight-year-old asked to [use] retinol, an anti-aging agent,” Romeo said.
Junior Chloe Sanchez said she has seen children in TikToks trying to emulate influencers who use products to drastically affect their facial features.
“Our mothers, and grandmothers and great-grandmothers [had] great skin without eye patches, silk pillowcases and all the other accoutrements that influencers will… provide a link to.”
“Children may feel like they need to change the features that they are born with, especially with… morning shed [videos of] people wearing jaw straps to change their faces,” Sanchez said.
She said products featured in morning shed videos fail to provide lasting results.
“I have tried nose taping before and, although I did notice certain differences, [they] would be gone by the end of the day,” Sanchez said. “Unless you’re willing to do these things for the rest of your life, there is no point in it. Your bone structure cannot be changed without surgery.”
While Sanchez has concerns about morning shed, she said having a skincare routine can be beneficial.
“It promotes self-love as [people] navigate how to take care of themselves,” Sanchez said. “Skincare is a great way to start showing love to yourself, and it can help get rid of certain insecurities if you use the right products.”
