Swarms of preteens are flooding Sephora stores across the country in search of makeup and anti-aging products. Some experts argue that this trend is becoming an epidemic and that these products are generally not suitable for children.
Videos of girls crowding the aisles of Sephora with baskets loaded with hundreds of dollars in products have dominated TikTok for several weeks. People say the store looks like an elementary school for 10-year-olds obsessed with beauty.
Nannies share stories of parents giving them unlimited budgets to take their daughters shopping for beauty items.
Can we blame these girls? Preteens are bombarded with ads sponsored by influencers and tutorials with step-by-step guides on how to use makeup and skincare products.
The hashtag #skincareroutine on TikTok has 77.3 billion views and #preventativebotox has 59.7 million. All the time, increasingly younger influencers are jumping on to share their “anti-aging” secrets. In a deleted video, a 14-year-old shared her daily routine, which includes (but is not limited to): double cleansing, toner, vitamin C serum, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, two different types of moisturizer, and a green tea drink to slow down “the aging process.” “I started doing most of these things at 12 years old,” she told her thousands of followers.
The result, mental health experts say, is a generation of children with unprecedented levels of anxiety and self-esteem issues.
Moreover, starting a skincare routine at such a young age can disrupt the natural skin cycle and cause premature damage, according to specialists.
Thus, the obsession of teenagers with beauty and anti-aging products is not a trend; it is a warning sign.
Source: USA News and CNN