Tia Zakher says she stopped washing her face more than a month ago. No cleansers, exfoliants or serums − not even water.
The 22-year-old has gone viral for her skincare routine (or lack thereof), dubbed the “Caveman Method.” In TikTok videos that have millions of views, Zakher shows how dead skin cells started to pile up after weeks of not washing, resulting in a textured layer across her entire face.
“I’ve been obsessing and hyper-fixating on it (my face) for so much and trying all these products,” Zakher, who lives in Montreal, Canada, told USA TODAY on Friday. “Why not just drop everything and push it to the side and see what my skin is able to do naturally and kind of reset that cycle naturally?”
As Zakher continues to post weekly updates, millions are weighing in, including others managing skincare routines, medical professionals looking to diagnosis her condition and some criticizing whether the videos are authentic at all.
What is the Caveman Method?
Though the term “Caveman Method” is associated with Zakher’s no-routine routine, she said it was another TikTok user who came up with the title, leaving a comment on one of her videos.
Zakher’s “Caveman Method” is simple. She doesn’t use any skincare products and doesn’t wash her face. Up until recently, she didn’t even use water, but after realizing water wouldn’t “harm” her process, she started incorporating it again. Zakher told USA TODAY that even when she takes a shower, she tries to avoid getting her face wet.
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Why is Tia Zakher doing the Caveman Method?
Zakher said she dealt with minor acne in high school, which went away with medication, but over time, she adopted a skin-picking habit, which resulted in redness, irritation, pimples and scarring.
After about eight years of managing acne and skin-picking habits, she asked herself: “Why don’t I just stop doing everything?”
A year ago, Zakher tried to stop washing her face, sharing a photo on a Reddit post of her flaky, textured skin. But as dead skin cells piled up, Zakher decided to exfoliate it all off because she didn’t like the texture.
But Zakher said she decided to give it another shot.
She said she conducted “personal research” before kicking her skincare routine to the curb and that she did not meet with a dermatologist to discuss her plan. She started her second attempt at the “caveman method” on March 14. It took about two to three weeks before Zakher started seeing the effects.
More: ‘Sephora kids’ trend prompts bill to ban kids from purchasing makeup (again). Here’s why.
What happens to your skin when you don’t wash it?
In a TikTok video with more than 3.4 million views as of May 2, Zakher explains she is experiencing retention hyperkeratosis, a condition that occurs when skin cells don’t shed properly.
Speaking to USA TODAY, Marisa Garshick, a New York dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology: Medical Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery, agreed.
“That topmost layer of the skin (is) essentially dead skin cells … cells that are no longer healthy. If we don’t actually remove them, then those dead skin cells just kind of build up and that can cause a thickening of that layer,” Garshick explained. “That’s really what’s capable of subsequently clogging pores … and as those become plugged or clogged, it basically gets trapped.”
The result, she said, can be whiteheads, blackheads, inflammation and bacteria.
In addition to shedding dead cells, Garshick said skin produces oil. If too much oil builds up, this can result in clogged pores and breakouts.
Experts don’t recommend trying the Caveman Method
Garshick said it would be unlikely to recommend that patients stop washing their faces. While less can often be more, she typically advises her patients to wash their face at least once a day, especially before bed.
For those looking to trim down their skincare routines, a good solution would be gentle, oil-based cleansers that promote skin barrier repair and contain ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid, both naturally-occurring molecules found in skin, said Stephanie Kosack, a lead esthetician at Woodhouse Spas in Denver, Colorado.
Despite concerns circulating online, Zakher said she isn’t that worried about bacterial infections. Recently, she sent a few photos to a family-friend dermatologist who said her skin is looking fine.
Questions of authenticity lead to online discourse
In addition to medical professionals weighing in on Zakher’s videos, some TikTok users have expressed a distrust in the authenticity of her situtation.
“You’re fooling no one. Just wash ur (your) face gang,” a top comment on one of Zakher’s videos reads.
As she consumed Zakher’s content, content creator Kelsie Carolos began to see theories that Zakher was just using a clay mask in her videos to resemble the effects of a condition like retention hyperkeratosis. Carolos tried three different variations of using a trendy clay mask with foundation to recreate Zakher’s skin texture, but it never looked quite right.
Though she may have been initially skeptical, after testing the online theories, Carolos is convinced that Zakher’s condition is real.
“My videos, I was kind of poking the bear a little bit. I was poking at the whole, ‘Is she? Isn’t she?” conspiracy that people love to engage with,” Carolos told USA TODAY. “People love to rip young women apart online − we all know that. My intention was not to contribute to that all all. I just really wanted to engage in the conversation and put these theories to the test.”
As her videos continue to gain traction and more comments roll in, Zakher said she is just trying to take a light-hearted, humorous approach to addressing those who don’t believe her situation.
What’s next? Tia Zakher said ‘few months’ more of no cleansing
In addition to integrating water back into her routine, Zakher has plans to start using moisturizer to help her skin’s cell production. She told USA TODAY that she will continue this “routine” for “the next few months.”
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Woman’s ‘caveman’ skincare routine goes viral, raises eyebrows
