Self-care made us lonely

How taking care of our needs became about buying things and being isolated. vox.com/culture CULTURE   Vox is 10 years old this week, and isn’t she lovely with her brand-new serif font? To mark the occasion, we’ve put together a package we’re calling [This Changed Everything](, which looks at some of the biggest turning points of the last 10 years. Which, in case you forgot, were eventful! 2014 alone was the year of Gamergate, the Ferguson protests, [The Dress](, and the Fappening, to say nothing of everything that has come since. One of my personal favorites in the package, though, is from my colleague Allie Volpe on [how commodified self-care drove the loneliness epidemic](. Remember when everyone started doing elaborate 10-step skin care routines and going, “It’s called self-care, sweetie”? Allie looks back at how the concept of self-care emerged from medical patient advocacy groups and Black activists in the 1960s and ’70s, and how brands slowly commodified and corrupted the idea to convince us all that self-care meant isolating ourselves and buying unnecessary things. In true Allie fashion, she also looks forward to point us toward ways we can take care of ourselves through building community today. —[Constance Grady,]( senior correspondent How the self-care industry made us so lonely [a pink arrow shooting to a Himalayan salt lamp to an avocado to some makeup into a glass of water]( Getty Images Where were you the first time you heard the words “bath bomb?” What about “[10-step skin care routine](?” Perhaps you have, at some point, canceled plans in order to “unplug,” [drink some tea](, and take a bit of “me time.” Maybe you’ve ordered an [assortment of candles meant to combat anxiety and stress]( or [booked a rage room]( to exorcise your demons. A warped notion of self-care has been normalized to the point where everyday activities like [washing yourself]( and [watching TV]( are now synonymous with the term. Generally understood as the act of lovingly nursing one’s mind and body, a certain kind of self-care has come to dominate the past decade, as events like the 2016 election and the Covid pandemic spurred collective periods of anxiety layered on top of existing societal harms. It makes sense that interest in how to quell that unease has steadily increased. Brands stepped forward with potential solutions from the jump: [lotions, serums](, [journals, blankets, massagers](, [loungewear](, [meditation apps, tinctures](. Between 2014 and 2016, Korean beauty exports to the US [more than doubled](. The [Girls’ Night In newsletter]( was founded in 2017, with a mission to share “recommendations and night-in favorites … all focused on a topic that could use a bigger spotlight right now: downtime.” YouTube was soon saturated with [videos of sponsored self-care routines](. By 2022, a [$5.6 trillion market]( had sprung to life under the guise of helping consumers buy their way to peace. [Read the full story »]( Why are we so obsessed with morning routines? From meditation and cold plunging to coffee and cigarettes, morning routines show us what we value. [Read the full story »]( The backlash against children’s YouTuber Ms Rachel, explained The preschool teacher-turned-content creator is an advocate for all families. Conservatives are mad about it. [Read the full story »](   [Become a Vox Member]( Support our journalism — become a Vox Member and you’ll get exclusive access to the newsroom with members-only perks including newsletters, bonus podcasts and videos, and more. [Join our community](   More good stuff to read today - [Here are all 50+ sexual misconduct allegations against Kevin Spacey]( - [Backgrid paparazzi photos are everywhere. Is that such a big deal?]( - [Serial transformed true crime — and the way we think about criminal justice]( - [Is TikTok breaking young voters’ brains?]( - [Billie Eilish vs. Taylor Swift: Is the feud real? Who’s dissing who?]( - [The secret to modern friendship, according to real friends](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( Manage your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe](param=culture). If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring [contribution](. View our [Privacy Policy]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved.