To think pre-teen girls don't need expensive skincare - "Cosmeticorexia" BBC piece.

I think the Skincare obsession is more worrying and toxic than a makeup obsession.
Hear me out.
Makeup is outward looking - experimentation, a certain level of artistry/technique involved, its changeable every day
Skincare...its inward looking. Its a form of self obsession. Its compulsive as you do the same thing every day and try not to deviate from the norm.
I think the new Skincare obsession in kids and pre teens points tk an unhealthy self love

I used soap and water as a kid, always sun tan lotion on my face as I grew up and have always used a basic face cream daily. Have drunk next to no alcohol, did not smoke had a good diet and gentle exercise since I was very young.
I'm now 63 and don't have visible wrinkles or bags under my eyes, people have said I look a lot younger than I am. Mum didn't age either until she was early 70's even then she looked early 60's.
Never brought expensive serums, lotions creams and wouldn't touch fillers or botox if my life depended on it.
But of course everyone is different, but had I not done the things I did, I could have been a prune at 50 and wanting to change things with toxic shite.

There was already a bit of a weird angry 'shit parents everywhere' vibe to this thread but this has tipped over into funny furious.

No, they don't need actives-based skincare but there is a real imbalance between the anger at individual parents and at the skincare companies, social media companies and individual influencers who are pushing this stuff- which spreads by social contagion even to those children with no access.

Perhaps we need some regulation or warning labels on things containing retinols etc too- e.g. for adults only unless on prescription (for acne).

And going into SpaceNK recently felt like walking into a primary school playground. This age children do not need the kind of skin care and make up sold by SpaceNK.

Yeah i remember a friend having her face wiped at school because of the amount of makeup on
if it looked natural, they weren’t bothered but she went mad with the eyeliner and brows
impulse o2 was the one here

and shelter and clothes and a hairbrush and shoes and money and tampax

One of mine got heavily into it at Y6 sort of level - I took the line (I still do) that it's her pocket money she's wasting, that I was fine with the lip gloss, bit of blusher, bog standard moisturiser and SPF type level of it but she was to stay the fuck away from all the anti-aging type things that would wreck her skin.

They're both 13/14 and have a "skincare routine" these days which seems to involve hogging the bathroom and playing loud music more than actual skincare - but then at that age - we were stinking the school out with Body Shop Dewberry so it's pretty much in line with age-norms. We do have a periodic discussion how your blazer pocket is not for 5 different, badly clashing, versions of different body sprays.

Yes of course. Sunscreen yes. Washing with water yes. A pharmacist would advocate that. We were talking about faces though. They aren't putting products behind their ears in the main. They are convinced their skin isn't / won't be good enough.

What kind of parent allows their young children unfettered access to SM ? Don't these parents give a flying fuck about the MH of their child or are they just useless lazy bastards that let their child do anything as long as it keeps them quiet and away from them so they themselves can stick their head in a screen, drink wine or snort cocaine?

Well they need to wash their face. And use sunscreen

I get the issue with actives, marketing, tiktok etc but MN goes too far the other way sometimes with “oh you can just wash your face/feet/legs with water”

washing your face, neck, behind your ears is basic hygiene

“Genetically bread into us”. I’m 47 and have never worn make up - not even on my wedding day! It’s only my been in the last few years I’ve started wearing moisturiser and menopause means my skin is drier. I think not wearing products has ironically helped my skin remained healthy looking. DD is 15 and she too only washes her face and wears sunscreen and spf lip balm. I’m glad and I hope she keeps her healthy looking skin throughout her life free from chemicals.

My pre-teen kids are obsessed with skincare because of friends who are putting all sorts of actives on their faces. There’s no way I’m going to let them ruin their skin or waste money on this stuff. I encourage them to wear sunscreen and because of that I also let them use a gentle cleanser to remove it and a basic, simple ingredient moisturiser if they want, but that’s it.

Nobody really needs anything though do they other than food and water!

I feel incredibly strongly about this. Until puberty water alone is fine. Even after that unless they have spots or are wearing a bit of makeup then water continues to be fine. My 20 year old uses a bit of micellar water and some moisturiser I have never allowed her to hve a “routine”. She has wonderful skin overall and I am sure it’s because she has barely ever put anything on it.

Even the phrase ' skincare routine' is a marketing tool. We used water. I never had skin problems.
There is no reason on earth why pre teens or even most teens need to put anything on their faces, aside from those with dermatological conditions, advised by a pharmacy. I agree OP it's a racket. And It's a market that we should be ashamed of.

Absolutely. It really is fucking tragic that girls this age are already being brainwashed into thinking their appearance is the most important thing about them.

daily showering and probably hair wash, so many teenagers with greasy
lank hair going to school here - wash face with a leaping bunny or vegan
friendly facewash or quality soap (we use fine milled French soaps or
olive oil soap) and most importantly to soak your face in cold water to
close the pores, no chemicals needed.

Who remembers Almay? pure products. Simple is Unilever.
Waitrose PURE is the gentlest most effective, cleanser, micellar water,
face wash etc., I have found and used.
My girls went to school with clean skin moisturised from year 7 and in very
cold winter or wind, a smear of Vaseline across cheek bones preventing
broken veins.
I wanted my girls to have better awareness of skin care than I had, nor
to have open pores from washing in warm/hot water and not closing them,
through ignorance really. My contemporaries with mums ‘on it’ put me right,
thank goodness, so simple, so effective.
My mum bought herself Neutrogena soap and kept it separate, we had
Camay, Lux, Palmolive, whatever and a rough towel.

Young skin is fine and delicate and should be treated gently, with care,
no harsh chemicals!

Lilac eyeshadow! cringe, was all I was allowed until I left home at 17 but
that was a while ago, so many improvements in skin care and make up,

11 year olds will be watching tutorials from Harper, although we have
here enjoyed VB’s make up sessions, she is at least a grown up and
buying /or using her own (which is really good actually)
the a la mode skincare/makeup being Korean, which is bizarre when
they have a different skin type anyway.

Little girls from toddlers love lipsticks, its genetically bred into us.

No child needs skincare

Again your making a lot of assumptions. We both just enjoy having nice clean feeling skin that isn't dry! It's not even about looks - it's about how it feels. I don't live any way through her.

You seem to think because a child does skin care they don't do any child related things, that's your own silly viewpoint.

Parents need to be parents and say NO. These children aren't getting these products for free, so someone is giving them the money. Manufacturers are relying on pester power, just as they have always done with promoting toys or sweets.

Yep. No 8 year old is spending hundreds on skincare stuff. A parent is buying it.

What’s the betting the powers that be do SFA until it’s too late in the same way they didn’t react to SM, grooming online, screen hours,vapes etc.

I know!!! My mum told me that. She was soooo right. I had perfect skin all through my teens and now as late 50s. All these products deregulate natural oils and skin and once it gets irritated and dry or reacts you’re on a cycle. But that is what the skin care giants want. Get them trapped early. They drop in words like water, Korean, milk etc and parents are dumb enough to get sucked in too. I think some look at these young girls and wish they had young skin so are living out their fantasies through their daughters. Why else would you just hand their young faces over to cosmetic, chemical giants?

DD 2 is 8 and in y4 - she definitely does not have access to social media, but some of her peers at school do. Some of the girls in her class are very focused on skin care and make up with their parents buying them premium brand skincare.

It is utter madness year 4 children should not have access to social media at all. These young girls are being influenced by much older influencers in their late teens and early twenties, and do not realise that they are making marketing, cosmetic and influencers ££££.

DD 2 has pestered me for high end skin care products because she wants to fit in with the cool girls ( in her eyes) in year 4 and year 5. The answer is a firm no every time DD asks me, of course she isn't happy with my reply, but I am the parent.

DD2 does have a mild kids face wash, E45 for her skin, as it is dry and prone to flare ups. Suncream when necessary.

Teenagers, I can understand being into skincare and make up. I know I was at that age. Pre - teen girls, should be allowed to be children and not worrying about skin care and make up!

The sooner social media is banned for under 16s can't come soon enough in my opinion.