With more and more 10-year-olds blowing their budgets on serums and retinols, Lisa Geraghty asks if we are in the midst of a new skincare craze.
Moisturizers, anti–wrinkle, retinol and SPF are all buzz words children these days are more than used to seeing. This generation of teenagers are being targeted particularly through social media by skincare companies. Their colourful packaging as well as products that disperse creams in the shape of flowers and hearts are directly targeted at children and we are beginning to see the effects.
Thanks to social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, trends are constantly evolving and changing, from “glass skin”, to Korean skincare or anti–ageing methods, there is always a new skincare obsession.
Teenagers these days are beginning to use heavyweight products designed for anti-ageing such as retinol. Retinol is a heavy-duty serum designed for mature skin to combat ageing and wrinkles, when used correctly on the appropriate skin type and age, retinol is proven to reduce fine lines.
Sinead Walsh (15 ), who is a frequent viewer of these videos talks about the skincare that she and her friends use. “Me and all my friends use skincare; we all have a morning and evening routine.
“I have heard about retinol before, I don’t use retinol though and neither do my friends as I’ve heard it damages your skin if you use it at a young age. I see people all the time recommend all different types of skincare on TikTok.
“I definitely think some people my age use skincare that could be bad for them because of the videos they see online. Some people mightn’t actually do any research on the product they’re using but just use it because someone they follow on social media uses it and they have clear skin."
The negative effect of retinol causes acne, eczema, swelling and blistering, especially on younger skin that cannot handle such strong chemicals.
Brands that are most popular with teenagers generally use colourful packaging and enticing logos, however many of these products include exfoliators such as alpha and beta hydroxy acids and a vitamin – A retinol, all of which are harsh on the skin.
Products from Drunk Elephant cost between €30 and €60 each, costly for parents with children interested in skincare.
These products and others like it, find the best market on sites like TikTok and Instagram reels where videos titled “Get Ready with Me”, amass thousands of views.
“I see like loads of different products being recommended such as cleansers, moisturisers, SPF, eye cream, literally anything. A few of the brands would be well known such as Cerave or The Ordinary but there would be loads of brands I never heard of as well being recommended.”
Many of the influencers in these videos also use heavily edited filters to appear with flawless skin promoting these products to easy influenced children and tweens.
The skincare obsession from this young generation is just one example of the consumer culture that prevails today, alongside growing interest in fast fashion producers such as Shein.
This overconsumption of products is not only unsustainable but also damaging for the young people it is targeted towards. Promoting “perfect skin” to young, impressionable minds can only be damaging for their self-image.
