About

The Caveman Method is a skincare regimen that involves avoiding washing or applying any products to your skin for 30 days to purportedly "reset" and "rebalance" your skin, treating acne, rashes and other blemishes. The method started going viral on TikTok as early as 2023. It went viral again in April 2025 after TikToker Tia Zakher (@tiazakher) posted a video of her face covered in what appears to be dead skin as she did the caveman method. The video inspired discourse and backlash toward the method and the TikToker, with many considering it unnecessary and believing that the TikToker was lying about trying the method, with some claiming she's actually using a specific face mask to achieve the look. Others think the method has revealed a fungal infection on her skin.

Origin

The exact origins of the so-called "Caveman Method" are unclear. One of the earliest known mentions of the method online was posted by The Beauty Junkee^[1] on October 8th, 2013, in an article titled, "Caveman Skin Care Approach- Plain Water Cleansing For The Face: My 3-week journey."

The article details two versions of the method: a version in which you only wash with water for three weeks and a more "hardcore" version where you do not wash your skin at all for three weeks. The article details the writer's attempt at the method, which she praises for helping get rid of her acne, recommending it for people without blemishes, rashes or skin issues.

Spread

The Caveman Method garnered viral spread online over the following years. On April 23rd, 2013, Redditor u/hooper1232 made a post to the /r/SkincareAddiction^[2] subreddit about the method.

On March 31st, 2017, Refinery29^[3] posted a critical article about the regimen titled "The 'Caveman Regimen' Is The Hot New Skin Trend You Don't Want To Try." The article quotes MD Joshua Zeichner, who says of the regimen:

"There is no good data showing that people who wash their faces get less acne than those who don't. Some people who wash regularly get acne, and some who do not may still have clear skin."

On December 19th, 2021, Banish^[4] published a piece documenting the author's week trying the regimen, offering a positive opinion of the regimen.

On January 18th, 2023, TikToker^[5] @uglyducklingskincare posted a video showcasing the regimen, making it the earliest known use of the method on the app, garnering over 170,000 likes in two years.

On February 17th, 2023, Pop Sugar^[6] published an article about the regimen's increasing presence on TikTok, calling it the "paleo diet of skincare." The article notably links to the video by @uglyducklingskincare from the month prior.

Tia Zakher's Caveman Method Videos

Throughout April 2025, TikToker @tiazakher (Tia Zakher) began posting videos purportedly documenting her experience using the caveman method. The significant amount of what appeared to be dead skin on her face made her videos go viral later that month.

For example, on April 25th, 2025, a TikTok^[7] video in which she explains the look of her skin garnered over 9.5 million views in five days.

On April 26th, the TikToker^[8] posted a video further documenting her progress with the Caveman Method. In the video, she expresses how much she wants to exfoliate and pick off the layer of dead skin that has appeared on her face, which can be seen in the video. She then cuts to a more recent video of her skin, showing some smooth patches, claiming the method is working. The video gained over 11 million views in four days.

Some of the top comments under the video suggest the results of the routine are not her skin "resetting" but a fungal infection that's come forward because of her use of the method.

On April 27th, 2025, TikToker^[9] @lorenazoejt posted a video parodying Tia's progress videos, garnering over 1.7 million views in three days.

On April 29th, TikToker^[10] @y2kelsie posted a video responding to theories that Tia is lying and using an Aztec face mask and foundation to make her skin look the way it does. In the video, she tests the theory, garnering over 2 million views in a day.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References