Canadian influencer defends controversial ‘caveman skincare routine’

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A Canadian influencer has created controversy with what is being called her “caveman skincare routine.”

Tia Zakher, 22, posted a video on TikTok in which she declared that she is no longer using any sort of “skin care” and has stopped “using any water” to wash her face.

The TikToker’s followers expressed their concern and questioned Zakher about the state of her skin, which appears flaky and dry on her face.

In her video, the Concordia University graduate said she has adopted a variation of the trending caveman skin method with the hope that her skin barrier will “rebuild itself naturally.

“My skin is basically just shedding all the damage and attempting to re-regulate itself,” Zakher said to her more than 135,000 followers.

In another post, she elaborated further, detailing how “dead skin cells” are piling up on her face because her “skin’s shedding cycle was disrupted for a long time from years of overpicking and removing texture manually.”

She added: “All the dead cells that should have shed naturally over time have built up temporarily.”

As for the “thick, flaky look,” she called it a “normal part of resetting my barrier.”

Zakher said: “It’s called ‘retention hyperkeratosis’ when skin holds onto dead cells instead of shedding them immediately.

“It looks bad temporarily, but it’s fixable and part of healing with patience and if I don’t force it off.”

However, many commented that her condition “won’t completely go away” and, if anything, needs to be treated by a professional. Others slammed the influencer, calling it a “fungal infection” and “poor hygiene” with some accusing her of faking it for attention.

“It’s an Aztec clay mask with foundation on it,” one person wrote, while another agreed: “You’re fooling no one, just wash ur face.”

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However, Zakher told the Daily Mail she is fine with people sharing their opinions.

“All I can say is I wish I was making it up because it’s not easy going through this and being patient as someone who has a history with (skin) picking, too,” she told the outlet.

She said she wanted to “try something different” when she adopted the cold-turkey skincare routine, in which she stopped washing her face with water and using any products to tackle the issue.

“It was difficult when (the buildup) started becoming noticeable, but I also did notice my redness calm down a lot, so I felt like something was working,” Zakher said.

Tia said she has since reintroduced water to her skincare routine and will being using a moisturizer soon.

The influencer also acknowledged that she doesn’t believe this approach is right for everyone and recommended that people “consult a professional before trying something like this.”