By Ripples Turquand

A morning routine. A nightly ritual. For many, skincare has long been a private sanctuary – strictly reserved for the quiet comfort of home. Some of us wash our faces at dawn or unwind with red light therapy 30 minutes before bed. But lately, a noticeable shift is happening in cities everywhere: young women are taking their skincare routines public.

Star-shaped pimple patches, sheet masks on airplanes, and under-eye patches are no longer hidden. They’re being worn as clear as day, turning self-care into something visible – and even stylish.

Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Peptide Eye Prep Patches have become a prime example of this craze. Designed to depuff, brighten, and stay put without sliding, they’re marketed as “on-the-go” essentials rather than a post-shower accessory. Influencers and Dallas gals are spotted wearing them at Pilates classes, on morning matcha runs, during hot girl walks, or even walking around the SMU dorms.

Rhode intentionally positions products as lifestyle accessories by blending flair and strategic packaging. Their logo-emblazoned patches create a “herd behavior” where young women equate the rhode text with a Goyard print or Golden Goose star – it’s recognizable. Skincare has become street-style. It’s now wearable art.

So, why exactly are we wearing skincare outside the house now? I turned to Will Henderson, Founder of Skincare Generics and Executive Director of Miss Texas USA, for some input on the skincare industry.

At Skincare Generics, recently featured in Harper’s Bazaar for their Lavish Cream, they’re making science-based, ingredient-focused products at an accessible price. Henderson believes that effective skincare should not be exclusive to those who can afford high dollar amounts – our skin is our largest organ and must be properly managed.

In Henderson’s eyes, skincare shouldn’t be for trend purposes: “Things are working beneath the skin as well. That’s important to understand – when you’re engaging in skincare, it’s not just what’s on the outside, but it’s also what’s on the inside.” He also notes that “when you look at luxury products, they’re often driven by branding and packaging – ostentatious elements like heavy glass jars.”

In an era when social media rewards visibility and viral trends, publicly sharing your routine signals self-care as part of your identity. Henderson believes that popularizing skincare can “introduce undue pressure. My stance is that skincare should be about consistency and a personal relationship with your own routine. It shouldn’t be just for content purposes. While it can be aesthetic, it’s important to remember that real benefits happen beneath the surface too. When engaging with skincare, focus on what’s working for you, not just what’s trending or viral.”

Many people say the eyes are the window to the soul. Eye patches, in particular, draw attention to the eyes, turning a functional step into a conversation starter or a subtle message. It’s an unsaid way of saying “I’m confident investing in myself.”

To see if this trend is catching on at SMU, I polled the girls around campus, and the results were eye-opening (see what I did there!). Among respondents, 66.3% of girls wear eye skincare patches, of which 72.7% believe they actually work. One respondent noted: “I think they work for hydration, but if you want to lighten your under-eyes or have proper preventative care, you should probably just use an eye cream. If you want that good eye cream to stay, but a reused patch on top of it, use something like the Dieux ones.” Another said, “I think they can provide some hydration, but overall don’t work as advertised.”

For the best results, board-certified dermatologist Kate Viola, MD, FAAD, explains that undereyes are the “thinnest and most delicate areas of skin on the body and are more susceptible to dryness or lack of moisture. These patches are like face masks but deliver a boost of active ingredients or hydration solely to the under eye.”

A layered approach is recommended: use an eye cream for targeted benefits (caffeine for depuffing or vitamin C for brightening), then apply a reusable silicone patch like Dieux’s Forever Eye Mask to lock it in. This maximizes absorption and turns a basic routine into something more effective. Plus, these patches are sea green and stylish.

That said, this trend isn’t without critique. It has blown up so much that I’m even writing an article about it! Some see it as performative or a flex of affording trendy (and often pricey) single-use products. Others see it as motivation to achieve clearer skin.

Ultimately, wearing skincare outside reflects a with-it moment: self-care is no longer confined to bathrooms. It’s mainstream. Visible. Proud.

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