At 7 a.m., the bathroom counter looks less like a sink and more like a science lab.
Expensive hair tools, Red-light therapy, Vitamin C serums, LED face masks, SPF, lip treatments infused with peptides, a row of vitamins next to a 40-ounce water bottle, and a step counter buzzing on a wrist. Yet somewhere between the greens powder and the retinol serum, a quiet mantra plays on repeat:
Trust the process.
The protein feels almost ritualistic. It has deducted from the idea of getting ready, but added a hopeful feeling of self-improvement on the horizon. Health isn’t spontaneous anymore. It’s scheduled, tracked, and optimized, raising a bigger question: when did self-care start feeling like a long-term investment plan?
For Gen Z, wellness isn’t necessarily about quick fixes or overnight transformations. Instead, it’s about systems and small habits repeated daily, promising slow, steady improvement. Fuller lips after weeks of peptide treatments. Longer lashes after months of eyelash serums. Clearer skin after consistent skin barrier restoration. Better focus from supplements. More steps logged on a walking pad. Therapy apps, greens powders, SPF every day.
It’s less of a miracle cure and more of a compound interest for your body.
The beauty of patience
The beauty industry has noticed.
Brands like Rhode and The Ordinary rarely promise instant results. Instead, their marketing sounds almost clinical: “visible results in 6-8 weeks,” “builds over time,” “clinically proven results after consistent use.”
The language feels closer to a fitness plan or an investing strategy than a face cream.
Companies aren’t selling magic products anymore. Instead, they’re trademarking off of consistency and the rewarding feeling of meeting that line.
Buy this! Stick with it! Trust the process.
And for a generation raised on optimization, that pitch lands.
Healthy, but efficient
Today’s high school and college students grew up in a culture of burnout and constant self-improvement. From academic pressure to resume-building to an even earlier start on economic anxiety for the future, rest doesn’t always feel productive. Routines, on the other hand, do.
So, instead of spa days or indulgent self-care (which is undeniably still enjoyable), Gen Z gravitates toward habits that feel efficient. Wellness that fits into life without extra energy.
For many students, self-care feels more like maintenance.
Mealani Salema, a senior at Bellarmine, shared that dealing with acne was one of the biggest promoters of this “trust the process” marketing strategy.
“Seeing all this stuff…you just have to wait so eventually, after a couple months, it [the product] will help clear up [skin].”
However, she acknowledges the effectiveness of investing.
“I feel like it definitely depends. Like, for the gym… You can see other people’s progress, proving it’s worth the investment. But for beauty products, it can be an in-between thing.”
The mindset mirrors sports training or studying: small efforts now for results later.
Control or pressure?
There’s comfort in that structure. Routines can offer a sense of control in an unpredictable world. Checking off water intake or applying SPF can feel like small wins.
But there are still downsides.
When every habit becomes an investment, self-care can start to feel like another responsibility. It takes on the idea of being another thing to optimize, perfect, and spend money on.
Skincare isn’t just a cleanser anymore. It’s a 10-step regimen. Wellness isn’t a walk outside. It’s a subscription, a supplement stack, a gym membership, and lots of cute, overpriced workout sets.
What was supposed to reduce stress can create more of it.
Some students admit to feeling pressure to keep up with trends of buying products influencers swear will “change your life in six weeks.” Others wonder whether companies actually care about their health, or just market patience well.
When interviewing another Bellarmine senior, Sofia Estudillo, she spoke on the reality of dealing with acne-prone skin and how it actually prevents her from purchasing the “hottest product” online.
“My skin is very sensitive. I see a new trend and always have to take it with a grain of salt…What works for everyone doesn’t work for me. I would probably hurt my skin more than help it when it comes to skincare trends.”
A Generational Shift
Still, this philosophy marks a shift from previous generations.
Where Millennials or Gen X might have reached for quick solutions, like fad diets or a “miracle cream,” Gen Z tends to anticipate long-term solutions. They treat skincare, gym memberships, and even therapy like investments. They’re choosing to bet on gradual results instead of instant ones.
“Having a routine does make me feel more in control,” explains Estudillo, “just because it’s simple. I know I can do these things really quickly and get them done within a certain time. I’ll feel better if I do my little routine.”
Because in a world that feels financially, socially, or academically unstable, the idea that progress can compound over time is reassuring.
So, nevertheless, do the routine, drink the water, take the vitamins, and show up every day. What matters is one thing, and one thing only.
Trust the process.
