Why are tweens even thinking about anti-ageing?

Drunk Elephant, botox and Sephora, today's 10 year old's Wishlist

Saving Face (2001) film still

Do you remember what you were doing at 10 years old? I can’t quite remember what I was doing at 10 years old and perhaps it’s for the best. I can only imagine it to be incredibly cringe-worthy, especially in comparison to the 10 year olds of today. They seem to have their shit together, in particular when it comes to their skincare routines. One thing I know for certain: I was definitely not thinking about skincare, defintiely not a sophisticated, well thought out anti-ageing skincare routine. It would be a win, if I managed to apply some moisturiser before bedtime. 

I don’t often find myself in conversation with 10-year-olds, but a couple of weeks ago, I was in a waiting room and somehow got chatting with a tween. Naturally, the conversation turned to beauty, and I was intrigued. She seemed like she knew her way around a beauty counter, so I asked about her beauty routine and what products she was using. Of course, she had her morning and nighttime routine completely sorted: cleanser, toner, another toner, three serums, moisturiser, and then an oil when her skin felt particularly parched. She told me, "It helps to lock in the moisture," and she did all of this before school. We would have been there forever if she started on her makeup routine. She boasted about her  two jam-packed drawers filled with makeup products, and there was more on her beauty wishlist, she NEEDED to get. She complained throughout about her mum, as she was the major villain in her  beauty story.  

She didn’t need any of it—the concealers, the contour, the retinol, the AHA toners, and vitamin C serums. But she looked at me as if I had no clue as I attempted to explain to her that she could do without all of it. We talked some more, and I think there was a part of her that understood, she didn’t need to worry about anti-ageing, but her argument was that the earlier you start, the better your skin looks when you’re older. Her logic all this would be worth it, when she was really really old, like 35 (yikes) —at least, this is what TikTok told her.

And she's not the only tween working hard on her anti-ageing routine in an attempt for eternal youth. On Twitter, a video of 14-year-old Carson Bradley went viral. In the video, Bradley shares her extensive beauty routine "to slow down the ageing process as a 14-year-old." From taking apple cider vinegar supplements to using retinol and two face masks a day as part of her daily skincare routine. And then, there was the news of 10-year-olds taking over Sephora, and the brand Drunk Elephant becoming the IT brand among the age group. So popular, the brand made a post to address the issue by offering up a list of products that were safe for that particular age bracket.

Not an ideal response from the brand, though it is their goal to sell more products and attract as many customers, and I guess that includes 10-year-olds. The beauty industry is built on our fears, from wrinkles to blemishes. It's sustained because we’re stuck in this cycle of fear, as we're offered a growing list of concerns to be consumed by, increasing our engagement with the beauty industry. Trapped, it becomes a loop in which the beauty industry thrives. The earlier the fear is triggered, the more products sold—a win-win situation for brands, establishing a symbiotic relationship between consumer and brand from an early age. It also perpetuates concepts like preventative ageing, which alludes to control over how we age. Unless I am completely in the dark, a futile pursuit, despite what the beauty industry tells us. ( And yes that includes longevity)

We live in a culture that holds youth as the pinnacle of beauty, and to remain beautiful is to remain young. With the rise of social media and the overexposure of skincare education, and in turn, exaggerated worries of ageing skin, is it any wonder that children as young as 10 are showing concerns over wrinkles, fine lines, and ageing? A recent Dove study revealed that half of young girls worry about their appearance due to exposure to such content. I may have grown up not thinking about skincare, but that well could’ve been different had I grown up with social media.

It's frightening to think that it’s not only potent skincare products children and young people are turning to, but also professional-level treatments and tweakments in an attempt to preserve their youthful visage. Dermatologists have reported a spike in younger clients seeking counsel on anti-ageing and already considering and planning for botox as soon as they’re able to. The irony is that it’s their young age that is in the way of their pursuit for youth; it’s almost comical. In a statement, the British Association of Dermatologists said: "There are lots of skincare products out there which aren't suitable for children, either because they can be harmful or because they are unnecessary. Open communication between children and parents is needed to channel this enthusiasm in a healthy way. Manufacturers should also consider whether the way they market products contributes to this issue."

From attractive packaging to influencer marketing and fear-based content, what measures can be put in place to prevent young people going down this rabbit hole? One thing is for certain, the beauty industry could be doing a whole lot more to pull their weight.

What do you think?