A psychologist called the craze for children’s cosmetics an “alarm bell”

It is no secret that the children’s cosmetics production sector is actively developing in the world, trying to reach younger and younger children through advertising, skillfully manipulating the desire of all girls to “be like their mother” or an adult screen star. And, indeed, which of us, mature women, in our Soviet childhood did not steal mascara and lipstick from our mother’s purse and practice applying makeup? They also put on mother’s high-heeled shoes, and tried on stockings and bras… All this was, is and will be, but the limits of what is reasonable in this matter must be respected.

One well-known Western clothing brand, which also produces cosmetics and perfumes, announced in 2023 the launch of a line for children – “bright universal palettes, nail polishes, glitter … – cosmetics at the junction of full-fledged “adult” makeup.” Many other brands, including domestic ones, have such lines. And one of the telegram channels dedicated to the beauty industry recently released a “memo” on what age and what cosmetic products children can use. It is clear that various baby oils, lotions, foams and creams are included in baby skin care, starting from the first days of his life. Many well-known cosmetic manufacturers have product lines for children 0+, and the peculiarity of these products is that they contain hypoallergenic ingredients.

But in the same “memo”, from the age of four, girls are advised to master decorative cosmetics: multi-colored shadows in the shape of flowers, toy-looking but real lipsticks, shiny nail polishes of different colors. “Children’s cosmetics is one of the fastest growing areas of the beauty industry,” informs the telegram channel. To be fair, we note that the “memo” indicates chemical ingredients that should not be present in children’s cosmetics: sulfates, parabens, phthalates, formaldehydes, strong fragrances.

But there are worse excesses, in our opinion. In 2022, one of the Western companies released… “perfume for newborns.” As their creator, perfumer Shyamala Maisondier, says, these perfumes “should recreate the natural aroma inherent in babies in the first months of life.”

One of the beauty channels recently cited statistics: 24% of orders from teenagers (14-17 years old) on marketplaces are for beauty products, cosmetics and perfumes. This is the third most popular spending category after clothing and office supplies.

“MK” talked to a doctor about the negative consequences of using cosmetics by children and adolescents and at what age it is advisable to start doing this.

“From the age of one year until the onset of puberty, the sebaceous glands practically do not synthesize sebum, so in children the water-lipid mantle is imperfect,” explains dermatologist, cosmetologist, member of the Association of Doctors of Integral Preventive and Anti-Aging Medicine Leila Mamedova. –Because of this feature, in childhood the skin is most vulnerable and susceptible to adverse factors, including the constant use of cosmetics.

– Why is it harmful to wear makeup frequently at a young age? After all, there are areas where girls, and boys too, are “made up” from a young age: for concert performances, in the modeling business, and in many other places.

– Clinically, this is manifested by xerosis (dryness), peeling, itching, redness and irritation of the skin. In children, the destruction of the natural protective skin barrier occurs every day – when exposed to water, soap, and cosmetics, we remove not only dirt from the skin, but also the components of the skin barrier, “washing out” lipids. And the formation of new lipids in the skin takes time, and this process takes up to several days. If the protective barrier of the skin is affected by other unfavorable factors during this period, for example, powder, blush, shadows, then it is not able to completely restore itself – and, as a result, chronic dry skin occurs and the likelihood of inflammation increases.

Therefore, I advise parents to heed the recommendation: the younger they are, the less often they should use children’s cosmetics, for example, only on some holidays or special days.

But this does not apply, for example, to hygienic lipstick, which can be used every day, especially in the winter, to protect and moisturize children’s lip skin. Creams with protective properties, for example, against exposure to sunlight, are also not prohibited.

– At what age can you start using cosmetics?

– In principle, you can start using cosmetics after puberty, when the epidermal barrier is fully formed. This is approximately 12-13 years, and as I already said, it is advisable to use it not often, but for some special events. And, of course, it should not be “war paint”, but within reasonable limits, “a la naturel”. It’s good if this is a special children’s series, manufactured in accordance with SanPiN requirements.

…Meanwhile, as a subscriber of one of the beauty channels reported, eye masks for children (for 3 euros) were spotted in a foreign supermarket. “Today I learned that there are patches for children,” wrote a web user, sending a photo. “Well, you know, these tired five-year-olds with bruises and wrinkles under their eyes…”

– How would you comment on the production of patches for children? – I ask our interlocutor, a dermatologist.

– Initially, patches were created as an emergency remedy to quickly get your face in order, for example, before an important event or photo shoot. Smooth out wrinkles or moisturize the skin so that makeup adheres better. Therefore, children do not need patches. This is more of a publicity stunt or a way to give children the opportunity to feel like adults “like their mother.”

Most patches have an anti-aging effect, and are often intended for girls 25+, so look carefully at what problems the patches are aimed at solving. Among the active components of such patches may be retinol and plant substances that can cause allergies and dermatitis on children’s skin. The younger the child, the more dangerous the penetration of various substances into his skin, even seemingly harmless ones, for example, plant extracts.

…But there is also a psychological aspect to this issue. As experts in the field of the “human psyche” say, an early, inappropriate passion for cosmetics may (although not always) signal that the child is not moving in exactly the right direction.

“This is one of the ways a child or teenager can attract attention,” explains family psychologist Elena Ulitova. – And here it is more important to understand the motives for why a child starts using cosmetics so early?

And the motives can be very different. For example, be like everyone else: “All the girls wear makeup, and I will too.” The next reason is that perhaps the girl considers herself ugly, and cosmetics make her feel more attractive to boys. Or is it a way to declare yourself as an adult. Therefore, it is worth, first of all, to understand the motives, and, depending on them, perhaps offer the teenager some other ways to achieve the desired goals. Not at the expense of cosmetics and decorating oneself, but at the expense of completely different, for example, intellectual, emotional actions and deeds.

The general opinion, including among doctors, is that people under the age of 14 should not wear makeup at all. All teenagers, as a rule, want attention, love, recognition among their peers. And someone is trying to do this in the simplest way: draw something on themselves, create a “facade”, a mask. But what does he have inside? Becoming interesting from the inside, becoming interesting as a person – this requires much more effort and time. Cosmetics in themselves are not so scary, unless they are a substitute for something.

Girls’ earlier fascination with cosmetics, in my opinion, should alert, first of all, parents, teachers, and school psychologists. After all, this could be a wake-up call. But only at the same time, adults should not condemn, criticize the child, demand that he stop doing this, saying, “It’s too early for you to put on makeup!” – you need to ask him, what does he want to achieve by doing this? Because the little man does not always understand what he wants. This may be a question for the school psychologist.

Elena Ulitova also noted that there is nothing wrong with the idea of ​​decorating yourself and looking better. The main thing is that there is no grotesqueness that is unusual for age. It seems to the older generation that children and teenagers are already beautiful in their freshness and youth. And teenagers, as a rule, want to look more mature, they try to rush the time, including by imitating adults. Understanding this comes, alas, only over the years. And, by the way, it’s also good if a girl puts on makeup to look like adults, and doesn’t drink or smoke for the same purposes…

“After all, every person has one task – to receive love and recognition,” the psychologist sums up. – But how to achieve this – by drawing eyes on yourself, dyeing your hair an unusual color, or achieving success in sports or in math olympiads – everyone decides for themselves. Or rather, while the child is growing, this should be decided by the parents. They must guide him, support his best endeavors and help him make a choice in which direction to move. It’s good if external “transformations” and experiments with appearance do not replace the internal content, but only complement it.