September 14th 2024.
In Sacramento, California, a young girl named Scarlett Goddard Strahan began to worry about wrinkles when she was just in fifth grade. Like many of her peers, Scarlett and her friends spent hours scrolling through social media, particularly TikTok and YouTube, where influencers were promoting products to achieve the latest beauty trend: a dewy, glowing, and flawless complexion. At the tender age of 10, Scarlett had already developed an elaborate skin care routine, complete with facial cleansers, mists, hydrating masks, and moisturizers.
But one night, Scarlett's skin began to burn and break out in blisters. Unbeknownst to her, the heavy use of adult-strength products had wreaked havoc on her young and sensitive skin. Months later, she still has patches of tiny bumps on her face, and her cheeks turn red in the sun. "If I had known that this would happen, I never would have put those things on my face," Scarlett, now 11 years old, reflects.
Unfortunately, Scarlett's experience is all too common. Experts have noticed a rise in preteen girls experiencing skin reactions and allergies due to the use of high-end skin care products. Girls as young as 8 years old are seeking help from dermatologists for rashes, chemical burns, and other adverse reactions to products not intended for their delicate skin. According to Dr. Brooke Jeffy, a dermatologist in Scottsdale, Arizona, using anti-aging skin care products at such a young age can actually cause more harm than good, leading to premature aging, damage to the skin barrier, and even permanent scarring.
But the physical harm is not the only concern for parents and child psychologists. The obsession with appearance and beauty standards at such a young age can also have detrimental effects on girls' mental health. Extensive research has shown that a fixation on looks can lead to low self-esteem, body image issues, and even mental health disorders like anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.
This fixation on skin care and beauty is a window into the influence of social media on today's youth, especially young girls. With record-high levels of sadness and hopelessness among girls, there is much debate about whether social media exposure is causing or simply correlating with these mental health problems. However, for older teens and young adults, the answer is clear: extended time on social media has been detrimental to their well-being.
Of course, young girls' fascination with makeup and cosmetics is nothing new. What is different now is the magnitude of it all, according to Kris Perry, the executive director of Children and Screens, a nonprofit that studies how digital media impacts child development. Girls are bombarded with unrealistic and idealized images of beauty, setting a standard that is nearly impossible to attain. This pressure to conform to a certain beauty standard can be damaging to a young girl's self-esteem and sense of identity.
14-year-old Mia Hall from the Bronx, New York, understands this pressure all too well. She explains that the obsession with skin care goes beyond just wanting perfect skin; it's also about belonging to a community that has the lifestyle and appearance that she desires. Mia's interest in skin care only started when she entered 8th grade last fall, and she quickly realized that it was a popular topic among her peers at school and on social media. Feeling like it was the only way to fit in, Mia started following beauty influencers on TikTok and saving her weekly allowance for trips to Sephora. Her daily routine consisted of multiple products, including face wash, facial mist, hydrating serum, pore-tightening toner, moisturizer, and sunscreen.
The level of detail and information that girls are exposed to through online beauty tutorials can send a troubling message at a vulnerable time in their lives. As they go through puberty and try to find their identities, they are constantly bombarded with the message that they are a never-ending project that needs to be improved upon constantly, according to Charlotte Markey, a body image expert and psychology professor at Rutgers University.
The beauty industry has capitalized on this obsession, with children under 14 years old driving almost half of drugstore skin care sales, according to a NielsonIQ report. In the first half of 2024, a third of "prestige" beauty sales at stores like Sephora were attributed to households with tweens and teens, according to market research firm Circana. Despite this, the industry has done little to prevent children from purchasing products that are not suitable for their young and delicate skin. While some brands, like Drunk Elephant, recommend that children 12 and under should not use certain anti-aging products, this warning is only found on their website's FAQ page, not on the products themselves.
The use of ingredients like retinol and chemical exfoliants, which are commonly found in anti-aging products, can be harsh and damaging to young skin. These ingredients are meant to stimulate collagen and cell production in aging skin, but they can cause redness, peeling, and burning in young skin, leading to infections, acne, and hypersensitivity if used incorrectly.
Mia's mother, Sandra Gordon, noticed dark patches on her daughter's face and became concerned. She threw away all of Mia's skin care products, much to her daughter's dismay. But as Mia starts high school, she has noticed an improvement in her complexion since simplifying her routine to just a face wash and moisturizer. Mia's mother hopes that more measures will be put in place to protect children from harmful ingredients in skin care products marketed towards them. "I didn't know that these products could be harmful to kids," she says. "There needs to be some kind of warning."
In conclusion, the obsession with skin care among young girls is not just about wanting perfect skin. It's about belonging to a community, fitting in, and conforming to a certain beauty standard that is heavily influenced by social media. The use of adult-strength skin care products on sensitive young skin can have physical and mental health consequences, and the beauty industry needs to take more responsibility in protecting children from these harmful products. As we continue to navigate the impact of social media on our youth, it's important to prioritize their well-being and remind them that their worth is not defined by their appearance.
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