The problem of the “clean girl” look

If you’re active on social media, you may have noticed that there’s one beauty trend that continues to dominate TikTok & Instagram: clean girl. With over 370 billion views on TikTok, the trend is all about fresh, dewy skin (no blemishes here, please), brushed brows, a natural blush on the cheeks and a smooth complexion. A blemish-free, pimple-free, texture-free skin… impossible beauty standards for most mortals. So let’s talk about the hierarchy and class privilege that underlies the #cleangirl look and why it’s a problematic beauty trend.

@millieleer

🫧🤍☁️ #makeup #cleangirlaesthetic

♬ If you see this follow me lol – Mary🪬

The first problem with the trend is its name, which is already discriminatory. If there is a “clean girl”, there must be a “dirty girl”. Any deviation from the trend is automatically considered “dirty”. Wearing a face full of makeup or having textured skin seems less desirable in this light. And it also makes you wonder if having acne, natural hair or even body hair puts you in the “dirty” category. Once again, aesthetics punishes those who don’t fit this very specific idea of what “clean” means.

The reality is that most people have some kind of skin condition, whatever its nature. And even if you set out to achieve “flawless” skin, splurging on skin care is not an option for everyone. The products and brands typically advertised on “clean girl” TikToks are out of reach for the average individual. The trend establishes a class differentiation that is discriminatory.

Celebrities and ‘clean girls’ led by Hailey Bieber – “clean girl” par excellence– design their perfect skin not only with makeup. Through regular treatments and interventions they can have the desired face. This, automatically, generates frustration to anyone who is not able to afford these treatments to have that idyllic “natural” beauty. And if there’s one thing we’ve learned from social media, it’s that anything that claims to be presented as “effortless” will always be “expensive”, “made up” or “aesthetic modifications required”. For your sake, stay away from that canon!