Whether you’re skin-care savvy or not, it’s now impossible to avoid anti-aging messages. As a 28 year old woman, just I started using retinol, but I already feel like I’m behind the curve, and it feels like new products are being released every time I scroll through social media. The latest one? “Anti-wrinkle” straws that claim to reduce the chance of fine lines forming on and around the lips.
The straw has gone viral on TikTok, with one video from beauty creator Michaela Scott receiving nearly 5 million views on the app. “Does anyone else use it?” she says in the video, pointing the straw at the camera.
Michaela then demonstrates how to drink from this “anti-wrinkle straw.” The straw has a curved top and allows you to drink from a hole along the horizontal part. According to her video, this prevents you from “pursing your lips” like you would when drinking from a regular straw.
via @michaelascott20/tiktok.com
But Michaela isn’t the first to show off this straw on TikTok. Last September, Rachel Carlyle’s video of her sipping from an anti-wrinkle straw with an extender that fits perfectly into a Stanley Cup became a huge hit, racking up 10 million views. “It looks really weird when you’re using it, but I mean, if you can maintain a youthful look…” she says in the video. In 2022, Lauren Elo also showed off a slightly different version of the straw with the same “anti-wrinkle” effect, attracting the attention of 5 million viewers.
Many of those who commented on Michaela’s video were a little skeptical. “This is a very tiring way to live,” says the top comment (with over 100,000 likes).
“Life is too short,” someone wrote.
Overall, commenters didn’t seem to want to run out and buy this straw, and seemed content to “grow old in peace.”
And one user asked the question, which apparently many others are thinking too: “Why are people so afraid of aging?”
Well, first, let’s consider whether these straws will work. actually Does it prevent wrinkles or just wrinkles? To that end, we reached out to Dr. Joyce Park, a board-certified dermatologist who has been practicing for nine years. “We develop wrinkles from repeated muscle movements over time,” she told BuzzFeed. Taking them out of your shoes multiple times throughout the day can cause wrinkles to form around your mouth. ”
Yes, in theory, if you purse your lips, few Drinking with anti-wrinkle straws reduces wrinkles around your mouth. But Dr Park revealed that it’s not just repeated sipping through a straw that can cause wrinkles. “Remember that perioral wrinkles are not determined solely by how often you make that facial expression. Other factors such as sun exposure, genetics, and smoking all influence the formation of perioral wrinkles. ” she says.
To better understand how this straw works, I bought one myself. Admittedly, it’s a little different from what Michaela had (not Stanley’s), but its description still says, “Avoid wrinkles around the lips and vertical lines of the lips caused by long-term use of straws.” ” was claimed to be useful.
Honestly, drinking through a straw felt awkward, and I found myself pursing my lips less than I would when drinking from a regular straw, but I couldn’t quite adjust my muscle memory to not purse my lips. Jeez. In fact, it almost felt like a pucker was needed to actually get the same suction power as a regular straw.
Interested commenters on Michaela’s video also wondered how to clean this, so I’ll summarize. This was extremely troublesome. I had to bend it to get the straw brush into the curved area, and even then it didn’t scrub well in that area.
My concerns about this straw aside, it’s clear that consumers are getting younger and more interested in the growing anti-aging market. “This generation is taking over the skin care habits of their elders,” Larissa Jensen, a beauty industry advisor at Sarkana, told CNN in an interview. The information company also reported that 70% of Gen Z use anti-aging serums daily.
With the growing popularity of TikTok skincare, it’s no wonder young people are rushing to get their hands on what they see on the For You page. Sephora Kids made headlines earlier this year as teens and teens flocked to the popular store to get their hands on the latest products. Brands like Drunk Elephant have a big appeal to young consumers with their colorful packaging, and reports from Sephora employees suggest that the scene for young shoppers can be a little confusing. When my co-worker Megan checked out her local Sephora, she even noticed a bunch of teens crowding around the display.
Dr. Park also acknowledged this obsession that younger generations seem to have towards anti-aging products these days. “Younger generations are more interested in anti-aging than ever before!” she told us. “This trend of teenagers spending over $150 on anti-aging skin care products is really alarming. They’re not at the age where they really need to use expensive anti-aging ingredients. My advice is , to focus on age-appropriate skin care.”
Dr. Park recommends cleansers, moisturizers, and sunscreens that are suitable for skin care for tweens and young adults. Once she’s in her late teens or 20s, she says, she can incorporate an “anti-aging” routine that adds products like retinoids and vitamin C.
Sarra22/Getty Images
Anti-wrinkle straws may be the latest fad in anti-aging technology right now. Tim McManaman, founder of the popular anti-wrinkle straw Ripzi, told the New York Times that “tens of thousands of people” have purchased the product. He admitted that he “doesn’t really care” about lip lines, but added: “There are a lot of people who take it pretty seriously.”
After all, you can’t ignore the comments section of anti-wrinkle straw videos by Michaela and many other creators. In Dr. Park’s opinion, there are ways in which we can reframe this narrative around anti-aging. “I think there’s been a lot more backlash against the idea of ’anti-aging’ in recent years, because ‘anti’ makes it sound like aging is a negative thing,” she said. “On the contrary, aging is a privilege. I think we could focus more on the idea of healthy aging, where we strive to maintain maximum skin health according to our current age.” .”
What do you think about this anti-wrinkle straw? Let us know in the comments section below.
