Are preteens and teens 'future-proofing' their skin a little too early?
How much is too much? Experts weigh in.
Chemical peels, active ingredients, skincare routines—at the age of 13, these terms were technical gibberish to me. So imagine my shock (read: jaw-dropping, mind-blown shock), when my cousin’s teenage daughter broke down the nitty gritty of her skincare routine and why glycolic acid works better for her skin. It felt like an IRL ‘get ready with me’, and then it hit me, she was what the internet has deemed as a ‘Sephora kid’. Thanks to social media, a thirst for knowledge and unrealistic beauty standards set by predecessors (including a millennials like myself), children as young as 10 are striving for filter-perfect skin through a barrage of products. Why? According to them, prevention is better than cure, so why not ‘future-proof’ it while you get the chance? But, how effective or damaging is this in the long run? Experts weigh in.
The Post-Pandemic Effect
“Post Covid, Gen-Zs are exposed to loads of social media, influencers, and indefinite self-care information by beauty retailers,” explains Dr Shefali Trasi Nerurkar, consultant dermatologist, Dr Trasi Clinic and La Piel Skin Clinic. “The early realisation about self-care is a positive change, but the utilisation of skincare products without inadequate education can be quite misleading, challenging, and dangerous. Excessive usage of multiple products can lead to adverse effects of the same.”
According to a report in 2023, Gen-Alpha’s tween and teen cohort in the United States spent approximately USD 4.7 billion on cosmetic products, shockingly surpassing every other demographic. The overexposure to information and the need to prevent concerns like acne and ageing, before they can occur has led to major beauty conglomerates targeting a pre-adolescent audience with products that tap into and thrive on their many insecurities.
Is Future-Proofing A Thing?
Consultant dermatologist and founder, Dr Manasi, Skin Clinic, says that there are both positive and negative impacts of this entire shift in audience. “There is awareness being spread about taking care of one’s skin,” she says. “The negative impact, however, is that it is leading this age group to feel pressured —to conform to (unrealistic) beauty standards set by influencers across social media platforms. Like Dr Nerurkar, Dr Shirolikar also agrees that this has led to an overconsumption of products and treatments that are unnecessary and unrequired for such an age group. “The ‘Sephora kids’ trend is concerning, and needs to be stopped before they end up damaging their skin.”
While this perception of ‘prevention is better than cure’ may seem rational, it doesn’t stand true in this case! “An early start of skin care products doesn’t guarantee ageless, beautiful skin,” adds Dr Nerurkar.
The Damage Of Starting Young
It’s important to note that the skin at that age isn’t susceptible to harsh chemicals and is less resilient to the barrage of products and active ingredients teens are subjecting it to. It doesn’t only damage the skin’s barrier and its function, but can also result in inflammation, skin sensitisation, itching, redness, breakouts, and so much more. “These over-layering techniques mentioned in social media videos are commonly known to lead to these problems,” says Dr Nerurkar. “Many a times products are not used based on requirement, but rather based on influence or peer pressure.”
This obsession with looking young (when you actually are young) isn’t just physically damaging for the skin, but can also fester into severe body image issues in the future. And, if you thought the extensive skincare routines were bad enough, step into the world of tweakments where children as young as 16 are opting for rejuvenating in-clinic treatments that’ll help prevent skin from ageing in the future.
“Parents really need to discourage this, as these tweakments will have a negative impact on teenage skin, and can cause disruption to their natural development, as well as weaken their facial muscles in the long run,” warns Dr Shirolikar.
The Right Routine
According to both experts, due to puberty and hormonal changes, children in this age bracket tend to experience oilier skin, which can lead to clogged pores and acne, as well as mild pigmentation. Dr Nerurkar says, “Teenagers present with different issues as per their skin types, and the hormonal fluctuations can lead to a completely different skin type as compared with their childhood.” All that is required is a basic skincare routine—a cleanser, moisturiser, and sunscreen—along with good skincare habits, just to help maintain the acne.
“You can also add in a serum or cream with salicylic acid, or even pimple patches, to treat the acne. However, for more severe acne it's always best to consult a dermatologist,” suggests Dr Shirolikar. When it comes to in-clinic care, one can opt for certain skin treatments like comedone extraction or mild chemical peels for acne, depending on the requirements—provided it is done under the supervision and recommendation of a dermatologist. Dr Nerurkar warns that excess treatments, however, should be avoided at this age.
Lead image: Pexels
Also read: Why mapping out your acne is important