Stock photo of woman washing face. Credit / Shutterstock
Tia Zakher, a 22-year-old TikTok creator, has sparked viral attention and heated debate over her skincare routine, or more accurately, her decision to abandon one entirely. No serums, no cleansers, not even water.
Her “do-nothing” approach quickly stirred curiosity and controversy across the platform. Many of her followers accused her of faking her skin journey, while others voiced concern for her health.
Zakher’s minimalist experiment began on March 14, after years of trying every acne solution she could find – from chemical peels and topical treatments to microneedling and exfoliation.
Frustrated with the lack of lasting results, she decided to stop touching her face altogether. That meant no picking, no washing, no products. Nothing.
At first, she kept the decision private from her growing TikTok audience – now over 125,000 followers. But by April, visible changes in her skin, including flakiness, discoloration, and a rough texture, prompted questions in the comments.
In response, Zakher posted a video explaining her radical new approach, which has since gone viral and racked up more than 10 million views.
She described it as part of a natural skin healing process, calling it the “caveman” regimen, a term she found online while researching similar methods. (She clarified she didn’t invent the name herself.)
As TikTok continues to be a platform where people document everything from beauty routines to chronic illness, Zakher’s journey adds to the growing conversation around what it means to trust your body, and the internet, with your face.
