When I Grow Up, I Will Be… Vain: The Tween Skincare Epidemic

For decades, young girls have wanted to grow up fast. They paint their faces with their mothers’ makeup and walk around in their high heels. They see models in magazines and circle the clothes they would buy with a pink, bubble gum-scented Sharpie.  They dress up as who they aspire to be as their adult selves.

But, in the digital age, this innocent outlet for self-expression has evolved into something experts say is more damaging. Disguised behind neon colour bottles of lotions and potions, anti-ageing skincare gimmicks made to keep adult skin looking young are booming thanks to social media. Female users are bombarded on TikTok and Instagram with products claiming to maintain perfect skin. With 75% of 8-17-year-olds having their own social media accounts according to Ofcom, young girls are being subjected to the same relentless advertisements.

If their mothers and sisters are investing in these so-called ‘fountains of youth’ in plastic bottles, why can’t young girls join in too?

Jessica, a 12-year-old skincare fanatic and aspiring dermatologist, told us why girls her age are so obsessed with adult skincare. “They are so interested because it makes the illusion that they are older. And the worst thing is that most of the products they use are not for their age,” she said. When asked if she thinks girls are aware of how damaging these products can be for their skin, she said, “[When] a product goes viral, somebody goes along and buys it to be part of the group.”

Jessica also went on to say how social media has impacted her age group. She said, “Some days I could walk into school and hear girls chat about influencers. It doesn’t help having brands shove their logo and name into everything, and it gets worse with celebrity endorsement.” She finished off by stating the deeper reason as to why this obsession is so prevalent: “girls and boys feel the need to look after their skin because they feel that they won’t be accepted in society if they don’t have squeaky clean skin.”

Katherine Allen is a Solihull-based aesthetician and registered nurse. She offers various skincare treatments at her practice, ranging from chemical peels and radiofrequency facials to anti-ageing injections and fillers. Alongside her business, she frequently posts videos to Instagram about practising safe skincare. When asked about the spike in young girls’ interest in skincare, Katherine said, “social media has undoubtedly had the biggest impact on youngsters becoming part of ‘wellbeing culture’, which skincare is a bit part of.”

Katherine discussed the risks that adult skincare products pose to young skin. “In the short term, [retinols are] likely to cause problems like dryness, redness and irritation. But in the long run, they could damage the skin cells on a deeper level, leading to long-term problems like pigmentation and premature ageing.”

Various skincare products aimed at children, containing hyaluronic face masks and salicylic acid pimple patches

In the lead up the Christmas, many girls will be putting these products on their wish lists, not knowing their most wanted presents could be harmful to the very skin they are trying to preserve. Katherine offered advice to any young girls who want to join in on the skincare craze, “Focusing on consistently protecting your skin from damage is the best thing you can do for long-term skin health. Also, check your labels and utilise online resources so that you know what you’re putting on your skin; lots of products have sneaky actives in that can damage vulnerable skin.”