On Instagram, my feed is no longer obsessed with green juice—now it's shaker bottles and protein powders . In gyms, women swap recipes for protein mug cakes with the same passion once reserved for smoothie bowls. Protein is at its pop-culture peak, and we are hearing about it being blended into coffees , baked into brownies, and dusted over popcorn . It’s slipped out of the bodybuilding aisle and into the realm of beauty content, sitting alongside retinoids and LED masks as something you’re expected to have an opinion on.

For most of my life, protein felt like someone else’s obsession—namely, the men at my local gym. My own beauty upgrades came in glass bottles with droppers, packaged in colors designed to look good on bathroom shelves. Protein was functional, unglamorous, and—i

See Full Page