Cover Should skincare and beauty brands be responsible for educating and marketing to the right audience, or do parents need to be more vigilant?
Should skincare and beauty brands be responsible for educating and marketing to the right audience, or do parents need to be more vigilant?
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The addictive desire for glowing skin and the popularity of beauty influencers may be pushing young girls to purchase unnecessary products
Mothers of teenage girls all have a similar problem. Our daughters are pouring time and energy into following, liking, and obsessing over skincare products. This addictive desire for glowing skin and impractical beauty standards stem from products not even meant for children. All weekend long, Sephora is swarming with excitable teenage girls, spellbound by glossy images of celebrities, endorsing the promise of crystal-like skin behind a perfectly touched-up and air-brushed image.
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Online, thousands of influencers convince young girls of the never-ending skin care routine one must have. The more products you have spilling out of your cupboards, the better your skin. Are skincare and beauty brands responsible for educating and effectively marketing to the right audience, or do we as parents need to keep a closer watch?
Above Teenagers often consume ‘unboxing’ make-up haul and beauty routine videos by influencers
Teenagers often consume ‘unboxing’ make-up haul and beauty routine videos by influencers
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Great products, wrong audience
Teenagers aren’t just watching influencers but are comparing their beauty hauls—unboxing videos and beauty routines, which are then circulated repeatedly over social media or among their friends. Young girls with the ability to buy trendy beauty brands like Drunk Elephant or Dior makeup colour palettes are using unsuitable products, which will have negative effects on the skin in the long run.
So many of such products that teenagers are addicted to have anti-aging properties meant for older skin, but with attractive marketing campaigns and viral social media trends, ingredients are understandably overlooked.
Above It’s easier for teenagers to walk into a store and purchase make-up to meet beauty ideals rather than sticking to a good sleep and hydration routine
It’s easier for teenagers to walk into a store and purchase make-up to meet beauty ideals rather than sticking to a good sleep and hydration routine
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On one hand, teenagers are savvy and have a clear idea of how to care for their skin, but they might be purchasing the wrong products, intended for a different audience. Perhaps it may be more helpful for assistants in cosmetic stores to educate and guide young shoppers, who often spend more than needed on unsuitable products in an attempt to achieve impossible beauty standards.
Other ways to achieve beauty
We all want fast and easy solutions to achieve our beauty goals. It’s easy to walk into Sephora for example, and purchase colourfully packaged items. It’s much harder to convince teenagers to hydrate, sleep more, and exercise to look fresh and combat fatigue. I can understand choosing concealer versus a consistent sleep routine, but as a parent, I feel like it’s my duty to impart advice against taking the easy way out.
Above Before a new purchase, young consumers should do some research into the ingredients of skincare products
Before a new purchase, young consumers should do some research into the ingredients of skincare products
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I tell my teen that if they have the time to discover these new products, then why not research the ingredients too, and see how they can have negative effects on young skin? Consequently, some of her products ended up on my bathroom shelf after that conversation.
There are hundreds of brands out there ranging from your starter products like the Body Shop lip balms that tween girls love, to the luxurious Dior lip oils favoured by girls as young as thirteen. There seems to be a worrying rise in impressionable young girls who truly believe these overpriced, unsuitable-for-their-age products are made for them. Social media also plays a huge part in encouraging these girls, and as parents, it’s our job to educate them.
Above It’s important to choose the right products for your skin, instead of what’s trending
It’s important to choose the right products for your skin, instead of what’s trending
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For the self-conscious teenager who worries about her dark circles, acne and wrinkles (yes, I have overheard conversations from a 13-year-old about this), consider taking them to a dermatologist to have their skin analysed, and to learn how problem areas can be treated. I have seen teenagers’ skin dramatically improve after throwing away “trendy” products and switching back to acne-controlled face wash and moisturisers, or dermatologist-prescribed creams to combat acne.
Beauty is skin-deep
If there was one thing, I wish our impressionable teenage girls would take note of, it would be that spending hours watching and idealising the beauty standards of others is simply wasted time. That glossy skin is airbrushed and touched-up, it isn’t real. Sure, some people do have immaculately glowy and dewy skin, but the average teenager with raging hormones, stress from school, and outdoor activities might just need to ride the rollercoaster a little longer—instead of investing all that time and money into products that are potentially doing more harm than good.
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Images: Getty Images
