The Morning Shed Must Be Stopped

Why do we have to constantly be "optimizing"

Lately, my TikTok has been flooded with ads for mouth tape. Yep, you read that right - mouth tape. And, while I’m sure there are legitimate medical reasons to tape your mouth shut at night, this… this is not it.

The promise is to completely change your jawline in as little as two weeks! Don’t like your double chin? Mouth tape. Looking puffy when you wake up? Mouth tape! Want to inhale micro plastics directly into your lungs and cause your mouth to breakout around the edges due to a piece of plastic coated in adhesive? MOUTH TAPE.

From mouth tape, my feed quickly devolved into the ‘Morning Shed’ Now, if you’re not familiar with it, the Morning Shed involves a bunch of “wellness” products that you pile on before bed to, ‘wake up pretty’. This involves things like eye patches, wrinkle patches, heatless hair tools, disposable chin straps, reusable chin straps, face masks, lip stains, mouth tape, castor oil packs, LED light masks and more.

The sheer amount of stuff, most of which is disposable, would cost you almost $5,500 a year on the low end. What gets me about this trend is not just the price, but how it’s pushing the idea that every part of your day needs to be “optimized.”

Every moment of your day should be doing something, anything, to improve yourself - even while you sleep. And while some of these products are reusable and I genuinely have no problem with, most are plastic, disposable, filled with questionable ingredients, and full of false promises designed to keep us in an endless loop of buying.

I find this trend pretty infuriating, and if you're curious about the Morning Shed, check out my latest video where I break it all down.

I promise you, self-care doesn’t need to be about spending money. What started out as a way to focus on our mental health was quickly co-opted into trends, like the morning shed, to keep you spending. But true self-care isn’t about buying into every new thing - it’s about slowing down!

Instead of splurging on the latest products, why not try eco-friendly swaps or DIY beauty remedies? There are plenty of ways to care for yourself that don’t involve disposable products or endless spending—and they can be just as effective, if not better.

check out this week’s highlighted blog posts:
10 Surprising Ways to Have an Eco-Friendly Bathroom
Transform your bathroom into an eco-friendly oasis with simple, sustainable swaps that reduce waste while still delivering effective results. From low-waste cleaning options to natural beauty products, this post shows how small changes can make a big impact.

Sustainable, Ethical, and Cheap: 15 Self-Care Ideas
Self-care doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. This post shares 15 ethical and affordable self-care ideas that nourish both you and the planet, proving that self-care can be simple, sustainable, and easy on your budget.

10 Wellness Habits You Should Adopt
Start the year off right with 10 wellness habits that focus on holistic health and sustainable living. These habits will help you prioritize self-care in a way that nourishes both your body and the environment.

*bonus DIY
DIY Lip Scrub
Treat your lips to a natural DIY scrub that exfoliates and hydrates, made from simple ingredients you likely already have in your pantry. This affordable, plastic-free alternative to store-bought lip care is just the thing for a sustainable self-care routine.