Project Pan: TikTok Challenge Promotes Finishing Beauty Products First

Scrolling through platforms like TikTok and Instagram frequently leads users to makeup tutorials or reviews highlighting the best, worst, or most affordable beauty products available. In this fast-paced digital environment, where new trends emerge rapidly, the Project Pan challenge has gained traction within beauty communities as a means to encourage users to finish products before purchasing new ones. Psychologist María Bernardo states that this trend, which typically kicks off at the beginning of the year, aims to combat excessive consumerism by promoting a more mindful approach to consumption.

Bernardo emphasizes that the joy associated with products has shifted from their use and integration into daily life to the thrill of acquisition and display. “People find satisfaction in obtaining items rather than enjoying their actual utility,” she explains.

Project Pan focuses on the idea of reaching the “pan” at the bottom of cosmetic containers. This challenge has remained popular for several years and usually begins in January, with participants committing to track their progress over the next twelve months. Users share their journeys on social media, posting monthly updates, tracking videos, and before-and-after images. These posts often include reflections on saving money, sustainability, and more responsible consumer habits.

Many content creators engage in this trend as a response to the ongoing pressure to keep up with constant product launches in the cosmetics industry. Sarahi de los Santos, a 28-year-old influencer from Mexico, shares her experience of feeling compelled to make frequent purchases not just as a personal choice but as a requirement of generating content. She recalls instances where brand shipments contained products unsuitable for her skin tone or preferences, leading to an accumulation of various cosmetics, including foundations, blushes, and lip balms.

Reflecting on her past, de los Santos describes how she once traveled with an entire suitcase dedicated to makeup, spending between $600 and $800 monthly on beauty products. Now, she prioritizes finishing her existing products before investing in new ones.

Bernardo notes that the Project Pan challenge serves as a form of relearning. “Participants train their patience and reprogram their brains to recognize that constant rewards are unrealistic,” she states.

In Spain, TikTok user Alba Romero has also embraced the challenge after years of accumulating makeup. Initially, her purchases were modest, focusing on low-cost items, but as she began her career, spending sprees at stores like Sephora escalated. Romero often found herself spending between 120 and 200 euros in a single visit, influenced heavily by social media.

Bernardo points out the significant impact of virtual communities. “Constant exposure to comparisons can create a sense of urgency to conform. If you're not participating in current trends, you may feel left out,” she explains.

Mariana Zérega, a 31-year-old Mexican ornithologist, initially focused her social media content on biology. However, her increased time on TikTok exposed her to makeup comparisons. This prompted her to reflect on her consumption habits, especially after a move revealed long-forgotten products she had purchased years ago.

Before starting the Project Pan challenge, Zérega's spending on cosmetics and personal care often reached 300 to 400 euros monthly, influenced by marketing strategies capitalizing on limited editions and trending releases designed to ignite desire.

Bernardo warns that the influence of beauty videos on young audiences can be “astronomically harmful.” She often sees a blurred line between self-care and consumerism in her practice: “People attempt to boost their self-esteem, but the foundation for that confidence is often unclear.” This disconnect is compounded by the mixed messages surrounding self-love, where individuals are encouraged to embrace their natural selves, yet are simultaneously marketed products like highlighters and lipsticks.