Does the SKIMS Face Wrap actually work, or is it just another TikTok trap?
If there’s a skincare fad, I’m the ideal test subject. I’ve shelled out for the red light mask, slathered on Vaseline for ‘slugging,’ and even slept with my mouth taped shut. I went through a phase of doing jawline workouts in the hopes of banishing my double chin. So, when SKIMS dropped its new Seamless Sculpting Face Wrap, you’d think I’d be first in line. But this time? I’m not so sure. Sorry, Kim.
While I might still be on the fence, plenty of people clearly weren’t. SKIMS’ latest launch sold out in under 24 hours.
SKIMS Face Wrap: Does it really sculpt your jawline?
Costing £52 and available in two colourways, the SKIMS Face Wrap promises to deliver a “sculpted” jawline. Marketed as the brand’s “first-ever face innovation,” it’s described as a “must-have face wrap” made from SKIMS’ signature sculpting fabric, infused with collagen yarns for ultra-soft jaw support. Velcro closures at the top and nape of the neck are designed to make it suitable for “easy, everyday wear.”
Not sure what collagen yarn is? Me neither. Either Kim Kardashian‘s throwing buzzwords at us to grab our attention (collagen = instant intrigue), or there’s actual science behind the madness.
The wrap’s real purpose, though not loudly advertised, is as a compression garment to support recovery after cosmetic procedures or facial sculpting treatments. It claims to reduce swelling during healing, but the marketing blurs the line between post-op practicality and the promotion of extreme beauty standards.
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Plastic surgeon says SKIMS Face Mask has benefits for post-op patients only
Plastic surgeon Faryan Jalalabadi,
However, Jalalabadi did explain that if you have not undergone a facelift, neck lift, or neck liposuction in the last two weeks, then “there is no reason for you to wrap your face and neck.”
@drjaluvmabody @SKIMS jawbra “Yay or nay?” #skims #malaredema #facelift #facesculpting #lymphaticmassage
♬ original sound - drJaluvmabody
As he explained, for some, the product is a new fashionable option to wear post-op. But for others, it adds another layer to the night-time routine of ‘go to bed ugly, wake up hot,’ popularised by TikTok‘s morning shed trend. But if you are not wearing the Face Wrap for recovery, what are the advantages of it?
If you were to use the wrap as an everyday item, Jalalabadi claims that you would “only worsen” under-eye puffiness and facial swelling due to the product “compressing the outflow track of your lymphatics of your face. So don’t do it.”
Experts question SKIMS' Face Wrap's sculpting properties
Others are also questioning whether the SKIMS Face Wrap has any real benefits for everyday use. Dr Anna Andrienko, an aesthetic doctor specialising in cosmetic procedures, told the BBC that while the wrap “may offer some temporary sculpting or de-puffing effects due to pressure and heat retention,” the results are far from permanent.
“These face wraps do not deliver lasting contouring or skin-tightening results,” she explains. “At best, they can reduce fluid retention short-term. At worst, overuse may lead to skin irritation, breakouts, or circulation issues if worn too tightly or for prolonged periods.”
There’s also been backlash in the comments section. Under one of SKIMS’ Instagram posts announcing the product, one user asked, “So even when resting, we are not left to be ourselves?” Another referenced the iconic Keeping Up with the Kardashians moment when Kim lost her diamond earring in the ocean, commenting simply: “Kim. People are dying.”
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“Can Kim Kardashian stop profiting off women’s insecurities???” another person wrote, while another added: “Stop people. Specifically women. Just go to bed. We don’t need to wrap our heads and tape our mouths and red light zap our faces, and sleep on foam head logs to curl our hair. Literally just go to bed. Brush ya teeth and slap some night cream and hit the hay, babes.”
SKIMS Face Wrap or Hannibal Lecter cosplay? Hard to tell
As some users pointed out, the mask is giving serious Hannibal Lecter energy. Fittingly, Anthony Hopkins (who played the iconic character in the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs) even weighed in with a review of the SKIMS Face Wrap himself.
In an Instagram Reel posted by the actor, he jokingly told the camera, “Hello Kim, I’m already feeling ten years younger. Bye,” before doing that weird, slurping sound that was so creepy in the film.
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While Kim Kardashian, 44, is arguably leading the charge to look 21 forever, the latest SKIMS product quite literally skims over its real purpose (supporting post-procedure recovery) and heads straight for promoting the kind of unrealistic beauty standards her brand has become synonymous with: waist-snatching, body-smoothing, and now, apparently, face-sculpting. We should’ve known the face was next.
