Wrapped in Pressure: Is This Still Beauty?
Skims Face Wrap.

Last Wednesday, Skims launched a new shapewear product that quickly caught the internet’s attention. The Skims Face Wrap promises to be nothing less than the latest innovation in face sculpting. Essentially, it’s a corset for the face: a piece of fabric (81% Polyamide / 19% Elastane), infused with collagen, that fastens over the top of the head and at the nape of the neck. Worn overnight, it claims to deliver a more lifted, youthful appearance : a defined jawline and striking cheekbones.

The product itself isn’t new—face wraps have existed for years. What is new is that a brand with Skims’ cultural reach and influence is launching one. And unsurprisingly, people are loving it.

The Instagram post announcing the launch garnered 50,000 likes, which is no small feat in the current climate of Instagram’s capricious algorithm. Also: the product is already sold out online.

But what does this demand really say?

Are the girls falling for the propaganda? Do they actually believe that a night spent wrapped in collagen-infused fabric will have them waking up looking like Kim K? Are they really that naive?

Unlikely.

But that doesn’t mean the reality is any more flattering. Skims - like many brands before it, continues to profit from the insecurities and body image issues that women are constantly battling. Most consumers can’t afford the surgical route to reach the beauty ideal of the moment. Still, they may feel compelled to do something. And really, what are 62 Euros for a face wrap if it buys you access—even symbolically—to the snatched, nude-toned universe of Kim Kardashian?

Products like the Face Wrap, the Gua Sha massage tool, or even the beloved reformer Pilates often function far beyond their actual efficacy. They are performance. A statement. A signal:

Yes, I’m playing the game of self-optimization.

Whether we want it or not, we’re living in a time when people showcase their morning shed on TikTok,
a video format that documents the process of taking off all the gadgets and tools worn overnight in the pursuit of waking up more beautiful, more rested, or... something. Think: mouth tape (said to encourage nose breathing and reduce snoring or bad breath), overnight masks (for maximum efficacy), lip stains (for that “naturally flushed” look by morning). This is the world the Skims Face Wrap is stepping into—and it's being warmly welcomed.

Whether parody or not, these morning shed videos—and now the Skims Face Wrap—send a clear message, especially to young women: that even in our sleep, we shouldn't fully let go. That rest isn’t rest unless it’s also productive. That even in bed, we should be actively fighting against our alleged physical decline.

It might sound radical, but how about getting some real rest by not wrapping ourselves inside a tight headband?

Might be worth a try.