India, Aug. 17 -- Skincare was supposed to be self-care. Somewhere along the way, for much of Gen Z, it became a second job. The 12-step routine did not emerge from dermatological need. It emerged from content. Social media rewards visibility and process, so a five-minute routine does not perform as well as an elaborate one filled with serums, essences, ampoules, and multiple layers of actives.

"In my clinic, I increasingly see young patients walk in not with a specific skin concern, but with fatigue. They are tired of maintaining routines that stretch to 10 or 12 steps, tired of tracking which serum goes before which essence, and tired of feeling like skipping a step is a personal failure. This is what I call beauty burnout, the exhaust...