An Inside Look Into What Gen Z is Slathering On
a guest post from the Selleb Sisters!
Hey hey,
Today we have a Hotline Skin guest post courtesy of Chloe and Claire Selleb—the sisters behind your cool younger cousin’s favorite Substack and social app, who I definitely would have been intimidated by in high school. The good news for us is that I’m now in my 30s and very brave and they’re (unsurprisingly) very friendly people who just happen to have discerning tastes and lots of insider knowledge.
I asked them to tell us about the skincare products currently trending among Gen Z. My Gen Z clients are often how I hear about the latest viral products (most of which I tell them to ignore, ahem beef tallow) so I wanted to learn more about what was actually being used and why. As it turns out, concerns about aging gracefully and reducing acne scars transcend age. Let’s dive in.
What are the trending skincare products among Gen Z?
We’re the sister founders of Selleb, a social app (in private beta) where you can see what real people on the internet are actually buying… No bots, no faceless avatars, no sneaky spon-con. Just the receipts.
Every product shared on Selleb is backed by proof of purchase, as you must submit a receipt in order to post (Jolie’s juicy receipt leak can be found here). As hunter-gatherers of receipts, we hold the keys to a wide swath of data around what’s actually hot and not, as opposed to the agenda-oriented narratives you often see on the internet. Most of our demographic is Gen Z (with Gen Alpha and Millennials in the mix too), but we’re here to give you an insider’s look into what skincare-obsessed users are buying and why we think these products are making their (beauty) mark.
New year, new you, new skin… let’s do this:
For anyone on Selleb, and therefore probably also on the K-beauty side of TikTok, you’ve seen this reedle shot… For everyone else, think of this as micro-needling in a bottle; yes, it hurts. Major sting operation. What we do for small pores and smooth skin. Claire’s best friend Natasha gifted her one of these recently and the difference was immediate (within the week). Like the Biodance mask, mixed reviews online but this one is a winner for now… There are different levels of concentration (100, 300, 700) btw if you want to ease into it.
Soft Services Theraplush Pod and Buffing Bar
Theraplush pod: beautiful packaging (nice one Doris Dev) and v ergonomic. Lotion pod is replaceable and its vessel sits cute on the nightstand. Unlike those all-show-no-go products that just smell nice and look cute, this one really delivers the goods. It's riding the wave of high-performance bodycare that's giving regular skincare a run for its money (with retinol in tow!). As someone (Claire) with “reptilian” hands, I am grateful for this small but luxe wonder to combat the roughness of my hands (and everyday life - kidding). And their newest scented one smells divine! A great motivator, to be sure… Gotta hand it to them ;)
Buffing bar: Scrub a dub dub. This bar is a 2 for 1. In lieu of using soap and an exfoliating mitt. If you want your whole body to be as soft as a baby’s butt, this is for you. It does NOT mess around. One of our app’s top beauty submissions for 2024 and for good reason. Got everyone in our family hooked too.
Biodance Biocollagen Real Deep Mask
Cheap and cheerful, an easy addition to any skincare routine, especially during the winter!! Meant to be left on overnight; puts the deep in deep sleep. Like all viral products, it’s gotten mixed reviews online, but people are open to experimenting because it doesn’t break the bank and they won’t lose sleep over trying it.
Dieux as a brand is having its moment. We first learned of this brand at a fashion show for our friend Dae’s brand Sundae School (how's that for a holy Sunday?) in early 2023. Claire walked the runway and Dieux was all over the BTS where the makeup artists slathered the product on all the models. Claire couldn’t help but notice the featherweight hydration that left her glowing, not greasy. Call it Baader-Meinhof, but we haven’t been able to stop seeing the brand since! Our users especially love the facial gel and the Deliverance serum.
We’ve raved about this product ad infinitum on our Substack but for good reason! We were already big fans of the 111SKIN rose gold face masks but our app users got us hooked on this Repair Serum; it truly is the holiest of holy grails for acne scars. High price tag but high ROI.
Thank you to the Selleb Sisters!
(And to answer your questions: no, I haven’t tried the Reedle shot yet, but I have it and a few other products using similar technology that I picked up in Japan and yes, I’ll write more about it soon.)
Three Other Things
On the topic of skincare in Japan, did you know Shiseido has been around since 1872? I’ve sung the praises of their SPF stick for years, but I’ve become even more interested in the brand since visiting their Ginza flagship in Tokyo. Eudermine Activating Essence was their first skincare product, launched in 1897 and loved by geishas to protect their skin under heavy makeup…honestly they were on to something. It’s probably the juiciest essence I’ve ever used. The floral scent would normally be a dealbreaker, but it dissipates so quickly that I suffer through since I love how my skin looks. Anyway, I love looking at old beauty packaging and can just imagine the precision and care that went into that tying that bow on every bottle.
1897, 1997, present day. Wintertime PSA: it is freezing and hot showers feel great, I agree. Hot showers also dehydrate your skin, which will exacerbate your dry, peeling, itchy winter skin. If this is you, try to limit the length of your shower and be diligent about applying moisturizer afterwards. Hanni’s in-shower moisturizer Splash Salve was born for this moment. (JOLIE15 for 15% off)
Alice’s fundraiser is only at 23%! The mother and grandmother lost her home of 20 years in the Eaton Fire. Can you join me in donating? Remember from last week: in moments like this, do for one person what you wish you could do for everyone.
Office Hours Reminder
Join us for Office Hours on Sunday! This exclusive weekly opportunity is available to paying subscribers.
Every Sunday at 5pm EST, I’ll begin a new thread for the week in Substack Chat, where you can ask me anything. Every Monday from 5-6pm EST, I’ll be in that chat live, answering questions for the hour. That way, if you can’t make it, you can submit any time after 5pm Sunday and still get an answer. If you can make it live, join in! You can ask questions in real time and (hopefully) interact with others in class ;)
Have a great week!
xx,
Jolie
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Love this interview - so insightful.