NPR

Skincare culture runs deep — and celebrities are cashing in

The promise of the skincare industry – and the celebrities crowding it – is that it's about health, not superficial beauty. But is it?
Source: redit: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Pierre Suu/Getty Images; Frazer Harrison/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images; Clive Mason/Formula 1 via Getty Images; Photo Illustration by Kaz Fantone/NPR

From Rihanna to Brad Pitt, celebrities everywhere seem to be starting their own skincare lines. And they all seem to promise to help us achieve healthy, glowing, youthful skin – just like theirs. And yet most of those stars didn't use their own products to get their clear, Hollywood-smooth complexions. So what are they really selling? And why can't we seem to stop buying in? In this episode of It's Been a Minute, cultural critic Jessica DeFino joins host Brittany Luse in breaking down why skincare can feel morally superior to makeup – all while the body positive movement has yet to extend above the neck.

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