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Dangers of the child skincare boom are being ignored

Little girls aged 10 believing they need to use anti-ageing products as a necessity is an entirely new phenomenon

A bottle of Tinkerbell cologne which is part of the Tinkerbell cosmetics line, offering bath bubbles, lipstick, cologne and other products designed for children. Photograph: Elizabeth Renstrom/New York Times
Elaine Maguire O’Connor
Sat Aug 10 2024 - 00:00

Earlier this summer, to celebrate the launch of the children’s movie Inside Out 2, Disney teamed up with cult cosmetics brand Bubble to launch an Inside Out-themed “One of a Kind 3-Step Barrier Boost Routine”. The marketing blurb for the trio, which promises to “supercharge hydration and moisturise while mattifying”, sounds much like a thousand other products which promise to improve the appearance of skin but, looking at the packaging, something is different. Decorated with bright colours and characters from the movie, it is designed to attract a specific target market: children.

The global skincare market is booming and worth an estimated $186.60 billion (€171 billion) worldwide. In Ireland, we spend approximately €232 million each year on lotions and potions that promise to erase pores and turn back the hands of time. Fuelled by social media, the fastest growing segment of this lucrative market is products aimed at tweens — girls aged between nine and 12. Like Bubble, Drunk Elephant — one of the most prominent and popular brands in the space — uses block colours as well as a cutesy cartoon elephant as its logo. Drunk Elephant face creams also cost as much as €100 for a single jar and can contain ingredients like glycolic acids and retinol which dermatologists say are wholly unsuitable for children’s skin.

While little girls playing dress up is nothing new — experimenting with eyeshadow and lipstick has long been a rite of passage — 10-year-olds believing they need to use anti-ageing products as a necessity is an entirely new phenomenon. It comes as scant surprise that social media is, in part, responsible for the meteoric rise in children’s interest in skincare. TikTok is awash with videos — often directly aimed at tweens — detailing elaborate skincare regimes and pushing a slew of products that can be purchased so that viewers can create the routine at home. A video featuring 10-year-old North West, daughter of Kim Kardashian, sharing her night-time beauty ritual which went viral in 2023, features seven different products including a $90 hyaluronic acid serum from her mother’s SKKN cosmetics line. The acid is an ingredient hyped for its ability to reduce wrinkles and lines. News that TikTok Shopping will launch its app in Ireland this October will do little to quell the fears of parents concerned that their children are being overexposed to unsuitable cosmetics.

TikTok, which launched in Ireland in 2018, has over 2 million Irish users per month and, although it supposedly requires all users to be 13 or older, a survey has shown that 37 per cent of 8- to 12-year-olds have downloaded the app. When it launches, TikTok Shop will allow sellers to sell products directly on TikTok through videos meaning it will go live to an already large and captive audience, many of whom spend hours on the app each day. While the details of how TikTok Shop will operate in Ireland are yet to be revealed, in the US, where it has been operating since 2023, targeted adverts seamlessly blend in with a person’s feed — be it fashion, homeware or skincare products — routinely popping up as chatty, informal videos. TikTok takes a commission of approximately 8 per cent from every sale. And with sales of more than $7 million per day, it’s not difficult to see its incentive in encouraging its users to shop.

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For those who grew up pre-internet, skincare regimes were not on the radar until at least secondary school and, before the age of 14, consisted of a dab of Sudacrem and a slick of kiwi lip balm from The Body Shop. But times and cultural norms change, and every generation pushes the boundaries of those that went before. The issue of children growing up too fast has long been a source of debate and most parents reluctantly concede that not everything is as it was in “their day.” But when there is evidence of an immediate and physical risk to children’s wellbeing, it’s not so easy to let things slide.

The harsh chemicals that have dermatologists sounding alarm bells are responsible for a host of undesirable outcomes. Peeling, flaking, and burning as well as sun sensitivity are just some of the issues reported as affecting children who have suffered adverse reactions from using products designed for much more mature skin. The inevitable backlash from both dermatologists and concerned parents has resulted in Drunk Elephant posting on Instagram explaining that not all of their products are suitable for younger customers. But there’s an element of cognitive dissonance in explaining this while continuing to use packaging and marketing that so clearly attracts an extremely young audience.

Physical reactions aside, there is something deeply disconcerting about the messaging being sent to 10-year-olds that they need to worry about ageing. Targeted adverts portraying idealised beauty standards via filtered, altered images and videos are subtly whispering two messages: you’re not good enough; and we can sell you something so that you will be. Recent studies suggest 72 per cent of young people have identified body image as causing them stress or difficulty, rising to 81 per cent in young girls. Few children have developed the cerebral abilities necessary to detect advertising hidden amid the entertaining cartoons and influencer reels masquerading as authentic, organic connections. And the more time they spend online being bombarded with adverts to correct non-existent faults, the less they spend in the real world with peers, developing hobbies and interests that could help build confidence and self-worth.

Although general regulation on advertising to children is in effect, the lack of specific rules relating to the promotion of cosmetics to them allows brands to hide behind the facade that their marketing is aimed at adults only. Unless this is addressed, the insidious creep of consumerism will continue its encroach on children’s lives.

Elaine Maguire O’Connor is a writer and consultant working in fashion law