A Manchester woman has abandoned her twelve-step skincare routine after discovering that water, a substance that emerges from taps at no additional cost, also hydrates skin.
Emma Hartley, 29, had been spending approximately £340 monthly on serums, essences, and targeted treatments before realising she could simply drink liquids. The revelation occurred last Tuesday when a colleague asked if she’d like a glass of water.
“I just thought, why not,” said Hartley, a marketing coordinator who owns three different types of hyaluronic acid. “Within days, my skin looked exactly the same as it did with the routine. Maybe slightly better. I’m furious.”
Hartley’s previous regimen included a vitamin C serum, a niacinamide serum, a peptide complex, two separate retinols for different face zones, a ceramide repair cream, and something called an ‘essence mist’ that cost £68 and was possibly just tap water in a French bottle.
The routine took forty-five minutes each evening. She now drinks approximately eight glasses of water per day, a process that takes roughly eight minutes total and costs nothing.
Dr. Rebecca Winters, a dermatologist at a private Harley Street clinic, expressed concern about the trend. “We’re seeing more patients simply giving up on their £85 retinols for council pop,” she said. “Yes, hydration is important, but these women aren’t even using a essence toner first. They’re drinking it directly from the tap.”
Dr. Winters acknowledged that internal hydration does benefit skin but insisted it should complement, not replace, a comprehensive topical routine. “Water is fine as step thirteen,” she added.
Hartley’s bathroom cabinet now contains soap and a moisturiser. She has redirected her skincare budget towards her pension, which she describes as “depressing but probably sensible.”
The trend has alarmed the beauty industry, which has spent fifteen years convincing consumers that skin requires the same level of intervention as open-heart surgery. A spokesperson for premium skincare brand Aurelia Lumière said the company was monitoring the situation closely.
“We’ve worked hard to educate women that their faces need a minimum of seven active ingredients applied in the correct order,” said brand director James Thornton. “The idea that tap water might be equally effective is frankly insulting to our research team of two biochemists and a graphic designer.”
When asked what she plans to do with her existing skincare products, Hartley said she’s considering selling them on Vinted or possibly using the retinol as a very expensive hand cream.
“I’m keeping the SPF, obviously,” she added. “I’m not a maniac.”