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

It’s utterly batshit but the money to be doing this is coming from somewhere.

I also think that labelling it “skincare” is disingenuous, given it seems less about “care” and more about amassing products. It’s giving toxic “wellness” industry vibes.

My friend owns a very high end skin care company based on a multiple step regime. He promotes daily use of spf, a clean face and a suitable moisturiser at that age.

my mum bought my skincare and makeup. After the apricot scrub debacle, she paid for dermalogica skincare. When I wanted foundation she took me to Prescriptives and got me shade matched as she said I wasn’t walking round with an orange jawline

i started my periods at 9 and was using skincare from a young age, mostly as I needed to cleanse really well due to hobbies

i wasn’t using any actives, just mild stuff that couldn’t harm anyone and I’ve worn SPF since I was tiny on my face especially

Yes.

I wanted some.

My mum said "you don't need that, it damages your skin more and it's normal to have some spots. If you had severe acne, it still wouldn't be appropriate as you should see a doctor".

She was right.

How come my mum could say this, but my peers and younger are incapable of saying it?

I have really oily skin, I still use something that looks a bit like clearasil, in my late 40s! 🫣

I know. That’s what being smart is.

As soon as DD1 started secondary school she got into makeup in a more serious way. She seems to have about 3 different products that are all foundation-lite.

Skincare wise I was fairly on top of this and read various articles about what is and isn't okay for young skin. She is good about putting SPF on (clearly my haggard face has been an inspiration!) and she's more focused on cleanser etc than moisturiser.

Honestly, at age 11 parents should be teaching their children about marketing and advertising and how it's about making them spend their money not improve their lives. It's age appropriate and really important to the world they now live in. Certainly by 14 I was doing media studies for GCSE and one of the things I did in depth was looking at women's magazines and stereotyping so I see absolutely no reason you can't start softer teaching at home at 11.

A really good way to start is by comparing a photo / video of a fast food burger compared with the sorry looking thing you actually get (even if it's tasty!) as it gives you a really good visual representation between marketing and reality.

I find it so depressing that girls this young are already been made to feel they don’t look good enough and have to buy their way to being ‘better’. But I find it more depressing that parents allow them access to the social media that pushes the idea. Does nobody care how damaging it is or know how to say no?

Child being the operative word.

You’re many years being a woman and a childhood based on the things that are important as opposed to insecurities, obsessions with appearance and early exposure to unnecessary chemicals is hugely important for future mental and physical health

I strongly suspect many mothers are living out their fantasies and wants through their daughters. It’s just awful. There should be protections in place.
Sephora for one should have age restrictions but hey let’s make money and harm children instead.

Yes, it's so sad that girls that young are worrying about such shallow rubbish. The parents or grandparents enable or finance it, and it is incredibly unhealthy.

No wonder we have teenagers with low self esteem and so little confidence that they are easy victims to grooming gangs who just need to tell them they are beautiful to gain their trust. We have college students looking for sugar daddies, and women with no career experience or qualifications stuck in abusive relationships because once their looks fade, they are valueless.

Just awful parenting.

Why are parents giving into pressure to spend £100's so their dd [usually] so their 8 year old can wreck their skin with this shite?
I don't go with 'I buy it because I love my kids and want to make them happy."
It might just be setting them on the path to future entitlement of needing parents to pay for botox, nails, derma fillers et al.
Looking like Katie with her weird face and football boobs started somewhere. We know she has MH issues but even so.
There are going to be a lot of very strange looking people, women, in particular once they get old, all silcone and face lifts that didn't go to plan and wonky lips.

Anyone remember Clearasil? That stuff was bloody harsh too.

I’ve always said that I’ve told her that I’m not getting her anything more complex than a simple moisturiser, cleanser and spf because it could be harmful. She’s accepted that because she’s sensible and not a brat. You’re getting yourself into a froth about nothing certainly in relation to my dd. My point about the Pokémon cards related to the theme of the cost of all these items. Firstly ours haven’t cost much at all, secondly boys collectible items are as equally costly if not more.

Maybe she’ll have a life long interest in beauty, maybe she won’t. You obviously don’t, that’s fine, we’re all different.

Oh god I remember the St Ives Apricot face scrub 😅

Their parents must be enabling this nonsense. Where else would a pre-teen child get a three-figure sum for skincare?

I think some is hygiene - everyone should wash their face with something, whatever suits, a mild soap or a basic cleanser. Everyone should wear SPF on their face when needed and you need something to wash that off
children or teens with drier skin may need a moisturiser

I don’t see the harm with a cleanser, spf, and moisturiser. It’s the stuff like retinol that’s harmful

but then it always was the case of teens slapping stuff on and parents tutting, I used to use 10-0-6 which smelled like acetone or apricot scrub and take half my skin off

Your making a lot of assumptions. I'll stick with what works for her and continue to enjoy her living her best life as a happy, confident, smart and amazing child.

I find it ironic that as middle aged women we (generalisation) want, or are marketed products to make our skin more youthful, dewy etc
When kids are under 10 surely their skin is what the ideal is!! Of course I know no amount of product is going to make my skin look like an 8 year olds.
But the fact they are targeted makes me really depressed because (i imagine) its mainly aimed at girls, why are we saying under 10s need to do anything to improve what is likely healthy perfect skin. Of course use spf and obviously if medically appropriate use other things. But its almost encouraging kids to be self conscious about it.

DD is fanatical about skin care (she's nearly 20) she had a lot of (what I think was) hormonal acne when she was 17 and spent a fortune on things she thought would help. I wasnt convinced that using multiple products (and concealers) was going to help but I did sympathise because she was very self conscious about it. It has improved although she still gets break outs, but I dont know whether its due to what she uses or whether she would have grown out of it anyway.

I listened to an episode of the Rest is entertainment podcast, with Richard Osman and Marina Hyde. They briefly covered this in an episode about nepo babies because allegedly Harper Beckham (14) is bringing out a new skincare range.

Of course it causes no conflict, because you've just gone along with it, in fact probably even promoted it

Are you comparing fostering a life long habit of 'beauty products' and all that that entails psychologically for women, with pokemon cards!!!!

This. And we wonder why our children are so unhappy. People jump to social media but it's what social mediaactually is: advertising platforms. Anti social media in fact.

Sorry but you’re deluded. They all have shit in.She doesn’t need it and you are starting a build up of unnecessary chemicals whilst setting a young girl up with an obsession and focus on beauty and her face. She should be out playing not sitting on screens watching other young girls use skin care whilst slathering her face with shit she doesn’t need.

I used to use Neutrogena as a teen and it was fine. Didn’t dry out my skin at all.

She doesn't use a cleanser meant for adults. I wouldn't put any of those soaps on my or her face

We used a good one and she doesn't play with it, strictly used to clean her face.