First Published: 1st July 2024, written by Olivia Doonan | Last Updated on 1st July 2024 | Reviewed and Edited by Chloe Safilo
Dollars, pounds, euros, whatever currency you want to talk about, teenagers worldwide spend hundreds, dare we say thousands, on skincare creams. Is it social media? Absolutely. Is it skincare brands marketing to a younger generation? Absolutely. There’s literally a divide between skincare with adverts with ‘older’ women on and ones with models who are obviously in their early 20s.
The result is a new market appealing to a new generation – the future generation. Read on to learn how we got here.
Tween Skincare
It’s being dubbed tween skincare. Moms are literally battling with their teens who want the next best skincare product that costs hundreds and boosts collagen. Why do teenagers need to boost collagen?! Brands are creating skincare packages designed to promote youth in fancy packaging that looks appealing and selling it to people who haven’t even started ageing yet. In 2021, one report revealed the annual spending on toiletries and cosmetics by UK children aged 10 to 18 reached £709 million. That’s insane.
There are some sides to it that we agree with, like products designed to treat acne. But even with that, most products have the ingredients in the products designed for adult skin, not developing skin.
It is more the fact that skincare is so readily available.
The Online Influence
The online influence is massive. Just recently, the Guardian published an article about the Kardashian children because they’re posting videos about skin care – naturally, their parents are obsessed with it, and most of them have their own skincare brands.
But with influential figures like this looking so beautiful (half of it is photoshopped), it’s promoting the ageing fixation. The online influence is massive. TikTok, in particular, is becoming a massive platform for promoting skin care fixation, and that’s precisely where the Kardashian kids are posting their videos.
When We Should Be Interested in Skincare
The question teens should be asking themselves is when should we be interested in skincare? It’s not in the teens.
Signs of ageing creep in around the age of 25. Fine lines and loss of moisture become common. In the early 30s, women notice more signs of ageing than men, thanks to a lack of testosterone that keeps men more youthful and regulated. The early 30s is when women who are concerned should think about anti wrinkle injections – early 20s and even teens aren’t the years to be worried.
As a rule of thumb, 25 and above is the best time to think about skincare.
Should Teenagers Be Using Skincare?
Realistically, no. A serum and a moisturiser to brighten the skin seem fine, but teenagers shouldn’t focus on reducing or preventing the signs of ageing. We can see the appeal with prevention, but you really don’t need to consider ageing until you’re in your 20s.
Teens definitely shouldn’t be spending hundreds on expensive and fancy skincare treatments. Being healthy and happy is far more essential.
What do you think about the craze of teenagers using so much skincare? It definitely has become a craze. If you have a teen, they’re probably driving you insane for the next best product they simply don’t need!
