Self-Care: America's Favorite Capitalist Cult

By Indiana Plant

     On the landing page of an unassuming online store, Gwyneth Paltrow, American actress and model, smiles at customers with serene delight. Her skin is glowing. Her teeth are impossibly white. Her body is slender and adorned in monochromatic, expensive-looking clothes. A text box next to her left shoulder asks, “What’s in Gwyneth’s Cart?” Curious shoppers, perhaps lured in by Paltrow’s radiant appearance, are in for a dizzying ride: a $195 bottle of retinol serum, a $500 stoneware teapot, a $1,000 pair of riding boots, and a do-it-yourself caviar pasta kit for only $300. What is this strange, opulent corner of the internet? It’s the website for “Goop,” Paltrow’s lifestyle brand. Infamous since its launch in 2008, Goop sells everything from home decor to skincare to vitamins. One supplement medley, named “High School Genes,” promises customers the metabolism of a teenager. Another elixir, priced at $285, calls itself “Liquid Gold.” Its key ingredient? Grocery store olive oil.

     If Goop’s product portfolio seems hyperbolic at first glance, it is not an isolated example of America’s obsession with New Age remedies and wellness products, which have been rising in popularity under the umbrella of “self-care.” Self-care is an industry worth $1.5 billion, buoyed by the idea that “if it makes us happy, then it’s worth whatever price we pay for it” (Main, 2023). Stemming from attitudes of self-actualization and aspirational lifestyles, self-care is tied to concepts of cosmic wellness and New Age spirituality (Conor, 2021). New Age beliefs gained traction in the 1970s, encompassing the fringe ideology of the hippie movement: vegetarianism, astral projection, ufology, and most importantly, holistic health (Levin, 2022). Recently, New Age spirituality has expanded to include witchcraft — Wicca, Neopaganism, and folk magic (Pagliarulo, 2022) — as well as pseudo-scientific beliefs in reincarnation, astrology, and psychics (Gecewicz, 2018). Despite its “make love, not war” origins, New Age spirituality has evolved into a consumerist beast. Its emphasis on instant gratification through self-care is hypocritical at best and detrimental at worst. The commodification of self-care within the framework of New Age spirituality is a troubling symptom of capitalism, in which well-being has been bastardized by a system that prioritizes consumption over meaningful spiritual identity. This is negative for society as a whole because it incentivizes corporate gain, pseudoscience, and predatory marketing over true fulfillment.

     To begin with, America’s obsession with quick-fix remedies has been evident since the 20th century. In 1915, a popular cure-all, Clark Stanley’s Snake Oil Liniment, was seized by the US government and discovered to contain no snake oil at all. Instead, the oil was mostly petroleum and beef tallow (Haynes, 2015). Since this incident, “snake oil” has become synonymous with charlatans and questionable medical practices. Today, “snake oil” is more insidious and less literal. Between 2007 and 2016, the FDA identified nearly 1,000 dietary supplements that contained steroids and erectile dysfunction drugs, with the majority of these illegal substances left on the market after discovery (Aschwanden, 2021). Another recent trend, skincare containing snail mucin, has been criticized for its dubious efficacy and unethical practices (Ferrari, 2024). It’s clear that even in a more contemporary world, corporate greed wins over scientific logic. 

     Furthermore, if a self-care substance is not actively dangerous, it may still be technically useless. Harvard Medical School states that the placebo effect, a phenomenon in which the brain convinces the body that a fake treatment is beneficial, is prevalent in self-care mantras (2021). When the placebo effect is taken outside of a healthy context, it can lead to bizarre and problematic results. For example, certain luxury cosmetics, often sold as self-care items, have been rated over comparable products due to differences in price rather than quality (Schaffner, 2017). Social media exacerbates concerns surrounding the placebo effect in wellness products. Online, advertisers and influencers encourage customers to buy name-brands. Positive results are heralded as worthy of likes, shares, and follows (Cundiff-O’Sullivan et al., 2023; Hougland, 2021). This essentially creates a digital echo chamber. Influencers with a profit motive promote expensive placebos on their accounts, and in return, followers buy into these placebos to gain a social reward. These placebos may not be actively harmful, but they indirectly replace practices that would have been cheaper (or more effective) for the customer.

     Although the self-care epidemic impacts everyone in America, women and their wallets are disproportionately affected. A compilation of studies reveals that women spend more than $300 more on personal care in a given year compared to men (Olya, 2023). This disparity in spending is partially attributed to the wellness industry at large, which encompasses products ranging from skincare to fitness to alternative medicine, and its tendency to market itself ruthlessly to women (Rowland, 2023). According to Rowland, a female journalist who turned to the wellness industry after a plague of health problems, women are more vulnerable to quick-fix solutions due to higher rates of burnout, mental illness, and domestic work. After spending all day taking care of children, Rowland argues, the care that a woman can afford for herself is superficial. A face mask, a pilates class, or a multivitamin is often all that a working or stay-at-home caretaker can justify. Similarly, these superficial solutions are also a symptom of unaddressed spiritual needs. Rina Raphael, author of “The Gospel of Wellness,” says, “We have become a self-care nation, though arguably one that still lacks the fundamentals of well-being” (2022). In her book, Raphael elaborates on how the rapid pace of the modern world prevents people from finding meaning, peace, and spiritual identity. Instead, it incentivizes quick, quantifiable solutions for mental and physical health. This quick-fix attitude, prevalent in the self-care movement, has extended beyond older women. It has even trickled down to young girls. This is evident in the recent epidemic of “Sephora tweens,” whose obsession with self-care has sparked controversy online. These adolescent girls, some as young as eight years old, have been led by social media to purchase anti-aging products, including treatments containing retinoic acid, which is intended exclusively for mature skin (Kavilanz, 2024). The self-care industry’s predatory emphasis on female consumers is detrimental to the well-being of women, young and old.

     That being said, others claim that America’s rising self-care movement is more beneficial than harmful. Investing in certain products, such as a gym membership or piece of workout equipment, can increase physical wellness and give individuals the opportunity to build sustainable fitness habits (Riegel et al., 2021). Dr. Matt Glowiak of Southern New Hampshire University, a licensed clinical professional counselor, also claims that “engaging in a self-care routine has been clinically proven to reduce or eliminate anxiety and depression, reduce stress, improve concentration, minimize frustration and anger, increase happiness, improve energy and more” (2024). Glowiak adds that self-care is multifaceted, and should encompass all areas of life: emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual. This more balanced approach to self-care frames healthy habits as an extension of daily life instead of a solely economic task. The National Institute of Mental Health echoes this approach, reinforcing the importance of non-capitalist self-care (2022). This could involve practicing gratitude, prioritizing sleep, and relying on connectedness with friends and family. Overall, experts agree that real well-being comes from a balanced life and not any singular self-care product.

     Ultimately, America’s growing obsession with self-care, both online and in-person, reflects society’s broader fixation on consumerism and instant gratification. From extravagant celebrity products to dubious cure-all claims, the commodification of well-being has various negative consequences. It replaces meaningful spirituality, intensifies pseudoscience, and preys on women. While there are valid arguments for holistic self-care across all areas of life, many individuals have become lost in a tidal wave of luxury brands, alternative medicine, and online propaganda. Genuine well-being can never be bought. By reframing self-care as an individual spiritual pursuit, Americans can avoid bandaid solutions and finally reclaim true wellness.

References

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