“Why is Gen Z aging like milk?” was one of the most popular generation-related questions on Google over the past year, according to a new report released by the search engine.
The question gained momentum after numerous videos went viral across multiple social media platforms discussing how Gen Z looks older than their chronological age, frequently citing their heavy use of medical-grade skin care and injectable beauty treatments like Botox as the reason for this perception.
Gen Z’s obsession with appearance is well-known, and it’s helped fuel the beauty industry’s overall boom in recent years. But their growing concern that they may have gone too far in their pursuit of beauty suggests a major rift is opening in consumer psychology. And new data from Morning Consult suggests the same: This younger generation is far more critical of the beauty industry than anyone else in their generation.
Unfulfilled promises
Although Gen Z adults are the most likely to say they have had cosmetic surgery, they are also the generation least interested in undergoing these treatments, or even using Botox or fillers, in the future (if cost wasn’t an issue).
Additionally, more than a third (35%) of Gen Z adults believe cosmetic surgery makes them look older — double digits higher than U.S. adults overall and any other generation. These numbers make it clear that Gen Z’s first experience with cosmetic surgery, whether direct or indirect, was not a good one.
Nevertheless, the social pressure young people feel to pursue cosmetic surgery remains significant as they spend more time online, and influencers who serve as the primary cultural arbiters for Gen Z, especially when it comes to fashion and beauty, have begun to use cosmetic surgery as fodder for their content.
To affect or not to affect
Over the past year, Internet celebrities including Alix Earl, Jazmyn Smith, Kennedy Urich and Becca Moore have documented the details of their breast augmentation surgeries, while others, including Hallie Kate and Brooke Schofield, have endorsed “preventative” Botox, lip fillers and laser hair removal.
With all this physicality dominating our social feeds, it’s no wonder that Gen Z adults feel a unique sense of urgency towards high-intensity beauty regimes: More than half (55%) say they feel “a lot” or “somewhat” pressured by influencers and celebrities to undergo beauty treatments, more so than millennials, who also spend a significant amount of their time looking at screens.
In addition to promoting their own experiences in the cosmetics industry, influencers are also active in promoting all kinds of beauty and health-related products.
Skincare, makeup, and haircare products receive the stamp of approval from TikTok’s influencer base and go viral and sell out year after year. Legacy brands like Clinique are experiencing a resurgence thanks to social media marketing efforts. Influencers are coining an entirely new beauty vocabulary through trends like “strawberry makeup” and “glazed donut nails.”
Of course, this isn’t all a coincidence: the beauty industry was an early adopter of influencer marketing and remains one of the industries most heavily invested in. But with social media having been in the marketing funnel for many mainstream beauty companies for over a decade, there are some signs that this constant promotion of products (and beauty standards) is exhausting to consumers, especially younger people who are most exposed to such messaging.
The ugly side of beauty?
While 48% of Gen Z adults believe the beauty industry has a negative impact on society, only 30% believe the opposite. These figures are significantly higher and significantly lower, respectively, than those reported by all other generations and genders.
The souring sentiment comes as the industry is experiencing its first slowdown in growth in years and faces continued (albeit mild) backlash over inappropriately targeting younger customers. While most skin care and makeup companies claim they don’t specifically market to kids, a growing online presence through both private label accounts and influencers has made beauty content all but unavoidable for internet users of all ages.
Another headwind is, quite simply, consumer fatigue. This is starting to manifest itself in the form of “core underconsumption” – a prevalent lifestyle that emphasizes consuming as little as possible by making the most of what you already own. And many social media users are on record as tired of, and already embracing, the never-ending stream of (now often artificial intelligence-generated) content that pressures them to buy.
Amid this consumer malaise, beauty brands, especially those with a strong online presence, may want to rethink their approach and focus more on elevating their brand story rather than intrusive performance marketing.
