Cosmeticorexia: What It Is, Where It Comes from, and Why It Matters

Abstract

Cosmeticorexia (also called dermorexia) refers to a culturally reinforced preoccupation or obsession with achieving “flawless” skin that can lead to excessive, age-inappropriate, or compulsive use of cosmetic products and procedures. The phenomenon is intensified by the medicalization of beauty, the growth of “cosmeceutical” markets, and social media platforms that reward routine-based content and appearance-focused self-presentation. Emerging signals indicate that exposure and uptake are happening at increasingly younger ages, raising concerns about irritant and allergic contact dermatitis, skin barrier disruption, and the reinforcement of maladaptive appearance monitoring and compulsive grooming behaviors. Although cosmeticorexia is not recognized as a formal diagnosis in current classification systems, it may represent a clinically relevant mental disorder that warrants operationalization, standardized assessment, and epidemiological tracking. In this editorial, the authors define core features, summarize sociocultural drivers, discuss clinical implications, and outline research priorities.