Gen Z has been quietly reshaping the beauty world by letting go of routines that once felt non-negotiable. Instead of piling on heavy products or chasing impossible ideals, they’re choosing simplicity, intuition, and habits that let their natural glow come through.
There’s something refreshing about watching a younger generation reinvent the rules most of us grew up believing were carved in stone.
I’ve spent years noticing how beauty habits reflect our inner lives, and Gen Z seems to have tapped into an honesty and ease that many of us took decades to discover.
These shifts aren’t just about makeup or skincare. They’re about choosing gentleness, trusting your instincts, and letting your natural self take the lead.
Here are seven things Gen Z has let go of that, surprisingly, make them glow more than ever.
1) Heavy, full-coverage everything
I remember the days when foundation had to be thick enough to cover every pore, every mark, every shadow.
If you could still see your skin underneath, you were told to add more.
Gen Z took that idea and quietly set it aside.
They’re choosing lighter formulas, skin tints, and products that let their freckles, textures, and real skin show through.
It’s a shift from perfection to presence, and it shows.
Skin can breathe, move, and look alive, which creates a glow that makeup alone could never replicate.
When I finally let go of full-coverage make-up, I realized how much energy I’d spent trying to hide.
The less I chased the “flawless face,” the more confident I felt walking out the door with my own skin.
2) Over-washing their skin
For years, I thought that tight, squeaky-clean feeling after cleansing meant my skin was spotless and healthy.
Looking back, it’s clear my poor skin was just stripped and desperate for moisture.
Gen Z figured this out early. Many of them skip the morning wash, use gentler cleansers, or reach for micellar water instead of foaming formulas that disrupt the skin barrier.
The result is softer, calmer, more balanced skin.
And there’s something about this gentle approach that feels symbolic too, like an invitation to check in with what you actually need instead of assuming more is better.
It reminds me of gardening, which is one of my favorite weekend activities. Overwatering a plant doesn’t help it grow.
Sometimes the healthiest thing you can do is step back and let nature do its work.
3) Long, complicated routines
There was a time when I genuinely believed that if my skincare routine wasn’t at least ten steps long, I was doing it wrong.
Serums, mists, acids, essences, oils, eye creams, and boosters all lined my bathroom counter like tiny soldiers.
Gen Z took one look at that level of overwhelm and decided they’d rather not spend their evenings performing a chemistry experiment.
They embrace simple routines that focus on essentials like cleansing, moisturizing, and sunscreen, with one or two additional steps only if they’re truly helpful.
Their skin benefits from less irritation and fewer conflicting ingredients. Their minds benefit from not having to make thirty tiny decisions before bed.
And honestly, every time I cut unnecessary steps out of my own routine, I feel lighter mentally too.
Simplicity has a way of creating space, and our skin often responds beautifully to that space.
4) Heat styling every day
I used to think of daily heat styling as part of being “put together.”
Straighteners, curlers, and blow dryers were as routine as brushing my teeth, even though my hair always looked a little fried at the ends.
Gen Z has embraced air-drying and letting natural texture shine.
They use heat tools sparingly, and they don’t apologize for hair that looks like actual hair instead of something sculpted into submission.
This change gives their strands a break from constant damage. It also softens the pressure to present a polished version of yourself at all times.
Whenever I step out with my natural waves, I notice I feel more at ease.
Something about letting go of control brings a glow that has nothing to do with shine sprays or serums.
5) Harsh physical exfoliants
If you’ve ever used a grainy scrub that felt like rubbing sand across your face, you probably thought you were doing something good for your skin.
I certainly did. Those scrubs were sold as the secret to smoothness, even though they often caused more irritation than improvement.
Gen Z quickly moved away from those harsh formulas.
Many of them use chemical exfoliants sparingly, and some skip exfoliation altogether when their skin feels even the slightest bit sensitive.
This intuitive approach keeps their skin barrier strong and reduces redness and inflammation.
It shows an awareness of cause and effect that many of us developed only after years of trial and error.
One esthetician once told me that healthy skin responds best to cooperation, not force. That advice applies to so many areas of life, not just beauty routines.
6) Ignoring the gut health connection
For a long time, skincare was treated as something that happened only on the surface.
Food and stress were seen as separate issues that had little to do with your complexion.
Gen Z has bridged that gap beautifully.
They talk openly about probiotics, hydration, whole foods, and the link between digestion and inflammation, and they recognize that glowing skin often starts with internal balance.
As someone who eats a plant-based diet and spends time around farmers’ markets, I’ve seen firsthand how much our skin reflects what’s happening internally.
Even simple changes like drinking more water, eating more fiber, or reducing processed foods can transform the clarity and texture of your skin.
This generation approaches beauty with a whole-body mindset. They see skincare not as an isolated task but as part of their overall wellbeing.
And honestly, it’s paying off.
7) Chasing one specific beauty ideal
Every generation before Gen Z has had a dominant beauty standard that everyone secretly (or not so secretly) tried to match.
The thin brows, the thick brows, the tanned skin, the ultra-matte look, the glossy look, the perfectly sculpted faces. The pressure to fit a specific mold was relentless.
Gen Z is rewriting that narrative. Instead of chasing one aesthetic, they celebrate individuality and experimentation.
Freckles, texture, bare faces, bold makeup, shaved heads, natural curls, and acne-prone skin are all seen as valid expressions of beauty.
This shift is powerful because it removes the pressure to look a certain way.
Confidence grows when you stop fighting yourself, and that confidence creates a glow that no highlighter can imitate.
There’s a quote I love that says authenticity is magnetic.
You can see that magnetism in the way Gen Z walks through the world without needing to shrink or shape themselves to match a trend.
Final thoughts
What strikes me most about these seven changes is the intention behind them. Gen Z isn’t just ditching old habits.
They’re choosing gentleness over harshness and mindfulness over pressure, and they’re tuning into what feels right rather than what they’re told to do.
That shift creates a deeper kind of glow. It comes from trusting your instincts, caring for yourself with respect, and giving your body room to thrive.
Maybe that’s why these habits resonate so much with me.
They’re not really beauty tricks. They’re quiet lessons in listening inward, letting go of unnecessary stress, and embracing the parts of yourself that were always enough.
If you had to choose one of these changes to try, which one feels like it would support your own version of glowing more?
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