Does skincare belong in your closet?

The skincare industry is full of buzzy products that you probably don’t need, even if the marketing convinces you otherwise — but some of the newest formulations are different from the rest in that you:

• Won’t find them in the aisles of Sephora…
• Nor would you pack them with your toiletries…
• Or incorporate them into your nightly routine…
• More likely, you’d keep them in your closet.

This is not a riddle, but your introduction to…

… “carewear,” a burgeoning category that combines skincare with fashion by infusing things that belong in a medicine cabinet with things that live in your wardrobe.

Per Business of Fashion, it’s being pioneered by brands like:

• Underdays, which sells underwear made from a probiotic and prebiotic-infused fabric that it claims “supports your microbiome, strengthens your skin barrier,” and “promotes a healthier appearance.”
• UK label Sylva, which makes sensitive-skin-friendly basics like form-fitting dresses and leggings that look like Skims’ merch but cost way more because they’re made of hydrophilic, anti-bacterial, anti-irritation materials that it claims won’t dry out your skin.
• If applying lotion feels like too much work, Italy’s Yaluronica sells a hyaluronic-infused bodysuit that it says is “perfect after an intense sun tanning day.”

The big picture

The emerging category is the latest example of how clothing has evolved beyond the simple purposes of keeping us modest, warm, or fashionable.

In recent years, brands have spun up all types of multifunctional garments fit for a world inundated with technology and obsessed with “wellness” (however you might define it) — from sun-protection tops and cooling tech for athletes, to anti-surveillance pants and sensory-friendly hoodies.

The trend has been aided by a boom in fabric innovations: This year’s Future Fabrics Exposition, for example, showcased 10k+ textiles and material solutions, up from 1.5k a decade ago.

As for carewear brands’ big promises…

… they’re all based on fabric manufacturers’ claims, not independently verified, according to material scientist Amanda Parkes, who told BoF she’s never “seen real testing done to show that you have actually changed somebody’s microbiome.”

But whether they work might be beside the point — at ~$500 for Sylva’s basic black dress that looks like any other, or $75 for Underdays’ three-pack of boring-looking underwear, you might be better off keeping your fashion and your supplements separate for now.