r/Anticonsumption • u/jtho78 • 8d ago
Society/Culture Teens/preteens skin care consumption is out-of-control
I work in healthcare and we have had our dermatologists talk to local news about this topic hoping to make a dent. I spoke to one of them recently, she said her niece overconsumes/uses these products and has tried talking to her with little change.
If a family member who is a medical specialist can't make a difference, we are hopeless against social media.
495
u/ObjectiveInitial6242 8d ago
A lot of TikTok “dermatologists” are normalizing this behavior, and telling teens they can use these products. We need actual medical professionals to start speaking out on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, etc. There needs to be hundreds of videos made, with easy to understand education/talking points. It’s the only way to fight it.
229
u/DrenAss 7d ago
I'm a mom and I see fellow moms saying it's fine, "there's worse things they could be into." But in reality, there are ingredients in these products that are not only unnecessary for children, some of them are BAD for their skin. They're expensive. They come in plastic bottles. But there's no hope in stopping the trend when parents let their kids binge TikTok and but their kids this shit.
151
u/Calamari_is_Good 7d ago
I think a lot of parents just don't actually parent their kids. It's easier to just give in than have a thoughtful discussion.
81
u/DrenAss 7d ago
Ugh you're right. I know so many parents who act like it's impossible to change behaviors and run your household differently.
It's not impossible. It's called parenting. They can't be addicted to iPads if you don't buy them one. They can't get TikTok and YouTube brain rot if you don't add it to your/their devices. They will enjoy low-consumption activities if you put in the effort to engage them and explore their interests together.
29
u/kaisaline 7d ago
That sounds like so much work, ugh. 😉 This is why I stick with dogs. Though my sheltie does like to watch agility on TV.
35
u/DrenAss 7d ago
It is a lot of work! And I think we suck as a society for pressuring people into having kids without being honest about how much work it is to be a good parent from day one until literally you die.
15
u/kaisaline 7d ago
Honestly I have some health reasons to not have kids but I literally just do not have the day to day energy required to do the work of raising them. I don't. Sometimes the dog has to have a chill day and she's cool with that.
3
u/placidtwilight 7d ago
I suppose the advantage of kids is that you eventually have to stop dealing with their poop (I say as person with pets and no kids).
3
21
u/PartyPorpoise 7d ago
I think bad parenting practices are normalized to an extent in a lot of groups. Everyone else does it so it can’t be that harmful.
Also I think a lot of parents don’t understand that something that works for one kid might not be a good idea for another.
20
u/DrenAss 7d ago
100%. I have a kid who gets bored with screens and wanders off to play with Legos and other toys after 20 or 30 minutes. Then I have a kid who would watch YouTube and play video games until his eyeballs fell out if I let him. But they both have lots of other hobbies and things they enjoy doing outside. It's not that hard to get them doing other things, but I as the parent have to actually follow through.
7
u/PartyPorpoise 7d ago
Yeah I think having alternatives to screen time is super important. It’s easy for any kid to get hooked on screens, but if they have other hobbies and activities I imagine it’s less of a fight to get them away from the screen for a while. I think a lot of parents just don’t want to put much effort into finding alternatives, screen is easier. (and unfortunately, overworked parents might not have many options regardless)
19
u/Ok-Development-7008 7d ago
Not just potentially bad for skin, too much retinol (vitamin A) can cause IIH which is a neurological disorder I didn't enjoy. (That's not how I got it, but it's one of the ways it can happen)
11
44
u/coconutpiecrust 7d ago edited 7d ago
I think it’s predatory marketing that targets little girls. I know little girls, as young as 10, use quite a bit of products for mature skin. There is something called Drink Elephant and Sol de Janeiro, it stinks and is disgusting and overpriced, but little girls go crazy over it.
I also think parents are a huge part of the blame. It is not impossible to explain to the little girl that it’s excessive and she doesn’t need that many products, and that the products don’t make her beautiful, but, the products are only use useful when they’re applied on her already beautiful self.
5
u/AwesomeAni 7d ago
I'm an aesthetician, full time for 5 years and am closer to 30 than 20.
We hired a very young girl, 18 or 19? Freshly licensed. There was some weird stuff about her license, she had it, but claimed she didn't take the board exam or have 350 hours. She basically knew nothing. And she'd bring in Sol de Janeiro and that stupid touch less sanitizer (we have good sanitizer already!) And on first glance I was like oh no an Instagram esthetician.
Everyone has to start somewhere, but it made me cringe. This should have been basic knowledge she got in skincare school but didn't, and the worst part was she was so confident and thinking she already knew things but I got the vibe she just watched a lot social media skincare. Ugh
25
u/pajamakitten 7d ago
The problem is that proper dermatologists are boring and focus on health over beauty. Kids want flashy messages and to be attractive/cool, so they are going to be drawn to people who can promise them such things.
9
u/ObjectiveInitial6242 7d ago
I think that’s what I’m trying to suggest though, is that they try to meet these kids halfway (if they want to, I totally understand if they don’t). At the end of the day, this is a parenting problem, and dermatologists don’t HAVE to do anything. But if a dermatologist truly cares, and is upset enough to speak out, I think we need to find ways to make it sound not like a lecture so it appeals to these teens. If you’re a doctor or PA telling these girls “hey, don’t do this! it’s bad for you!” But their favorite influencer is telling them to smother their face in retinol and C E Ferulic… well, we know who they are going to listen to. We are at a point where I think it would be incredibly helpful to have some brave dermatologists try to de-influence these teens from damaging products, but also influence the PARENTS to stop buying these things for their kids. We need a line of cool preteen/teen products that are designed specifically for them, without damaging ingredients, and we need someone that’s an actual doctor to promote it. In general, the loss of preteen culture is heartbreaking, these girls don’t get to be kids at all anymore :(
8
u/YellowCat9416 7d ago
I agree that educational content about skincare products could help combat this phenomenon to some degree. I don’t think that gets at the root of the issue, though. Children’s brains are still developing into their 20s. They’re trying to figure out who they are and how to belong. Influencers are telling them they can be beautiful and well-liked if they just use these 5 products, or whatever. This makes them vulnerable to the marketing practices of many “skin care” brands.
I think teaching children critical thinking skills around media literacy is crucial. They can’t parse the reputable, educational content out from the grifting influencer content and predatory marketing practices if they don’t have those skills.
These skincare companies are making major $$$ from children. It reminds me of how vape companies have said they aren’t marketing to children but quite obviously were with their use of flavors associated with popular children’s treats. I’m not exactly sure what a regulatory response might look like, but it’s clear that the profit-motive of skincare companies that pay influencers popular with children/teens to promote their products needs to be addressed as part of the root issue.
2
u/twocatsandaloom 7d ago
There is a storyline in the show “The Pitt” about this!
3
u/ObjectiveInitial6242 7d ago
I saw that!! Love that show, so excited for the next episode, my boy Robby is going THROUGH it
2
1
220
u/sheep_3 7d ago
I’m an esthetician and previously worked in a medspa…. Out of control is an understatement to be honest.
76
22
u/Deathscua 7d ago
I’m old but curious if them using strong acids and more will help them in the long run or damage their skin? Or is it too early to tell?
My mom got me started on retin-a when I was in my early 20s (I’m now in my 30s) and to be honest I still look like I’m in my 30s haha.
23
u/sheep_3 7d ago
Totally depends on the age- I’m not against 20 year olds using it (correctly lol)
9
u/Deathscua 7d ago
Oh yeah I meant younger because I have seen really young teens and younger talk about drunk elephant (in my own family).
15
u/milfhunterwhitevan2 7d ago
Man I didn’t know that people under 20 shouldn’t use retinols. When I was 16 I started having absolutely awful hormonal acne and my mom never really helped me figure it out. The internet was the only place that had answers, and since there wasn’t a lot of focus on skincare in 2018 compared to now, I absolutely damaged my skin more with all the products and DIYing. I could’ve saved so much money and pain in the long run if my mom took me to a dermatologist instead of letting me out acid serums on my face. I’m currently 21 and use retinol but I do it a hell of a lot safer than what I was doing as a teen.
14
u/Interesting_Ad_9924 7d ago
Retinol is fantastic for acne for a lot of people, and teens do get prescribed retinol. For acne it's a legitimate use. I wish I'd known about it at 16, that would have been super helpful.
3
u/milfhunterwhitevan2 7d ago
I now know how to safely use retinol (I use differin) and how important sunscreen is. I wish older me now could’ve told younger me to be gentle to my skin and not throw 10+ harsh products at it because I hated my acne. I still have acne now but have simplified my routine and my skin is doing so much better. Unfortunately, teens are very gullible when it comes to products and the amount of marketing that happens on a grand scale today is insane.
6
u/sheep_3 7d ago
So I’m also not against people under 20 using it. Sorry I should’ve specified.
Typically retinol’s are used for antiaging, for that purpose I wouldn’t recommend for under 20
However, for under 20, I would recommend a different AHAs (alpha hydroxy acid- this is a group of exfoliants) for acne. acne is really the only reason I would recommend retinol or any other AHA for someone under 20
4
u/Interesting_Ad_9924 7d ago
Retinol is also fantastic for acne, I wish I had known about them earlier, and whilst most cosmetic retinols are advertised to be anti aging, they work for acne, it's exactly the same ingredient. I don't think anything else has made such a difference and it would have been amazing to be able to use it as a teen but that was way before skincare was trendy
1
4
u/HarrietsDiary 7d ago
I’ve used Retin-A since I was eleven because, get this, I had cystic acne. Somehow my liver, brain, and skin all survived. Because I started using it so young I’ve always been militant about sunscreen.
Kids can also have bad skin. Some of this thread is veering into satanic panic levels of stupidity.
179
u/MangoSalsa89 7d ago
Amazing that millennials sandblasted their face with st Ives apricot scrub every morning and are still aging well 😁
41
15
u/1nternetpersonas 7d ago
Lol so true, but for me it was those clean and clear scrubs. I remember being so obsessed with the morning burst one 😭
1
177
u/LadySigyn 7d ago
My husband also pointed out that millennial women like myself are oftentimes found wearing bows and hello kitty and just generally enjoying being able to outwardly express things we enjoy whereas the the year olds are like "THE RETINOL. I NEED THE RETINOL!" and it's just socially very concerning.
122
u/take_me_back_to_2017 7d ago
I'm 25f and I see teen girls (below 18) that are way more polished and made up than I will ever be in my whole life. Back when I was that age I literally didn't have the time or the money for all that stuff. *I know I sound like a boomer now.
35
u/Majestic_Grocery7015 7d ago
I'm 28 and saaame I grew up in a farming family, my mother didn't do makeup or anything beyond a cleanser and maybe a moisturizer.
69
u/demonslayercorpp 7d ago
I am 31 and every time I walk downtown I am taken back by how Many young girls are not only beat down makeup wise but look exactly the same as 1000 other girls their age. Like could be sisters. They all wear hair alike, makeup alike, dress alike. Never have trends like this taken over a generation completely
26
u/pajamakitten 7d ago
Distinct cultures do not really exist much anymore amongst young people these days. They have the ability to dip in and out of all sorts of cultures, mixing them all together and not really sticking with one of them. It creates a cultural grey amongst young people that makes them all seem the same.
1
u/call-me-the-seeker 7d ago edited 7d ago
So do you mean that there aren’t really any ‘cliques’ anymore? There isn’t like a group of ‘preps’, a group of ‘goths’, jocks, gamers, nerds, etc? Or that there are still different ‘cultures’ but they all are starting to dress and style more similarly than they once would have?
I don’t have kids so your comment has really been making me think!
20
16
u/LadySigyn 7d ago
I hate sounding like a boomer but I think the same thing every time I'm at a mall (thank God that's like 2x a year now.) It's so concerning!
17
u/funkiokie 7d ago
They grew up to tiktok filters, which leads kids to think the pore-free look is achievable and normal
6
u/mybrochoso 7d ago
No you are totally right. I am around your age, and when i look at teenage girls, even as young as 13-14-15, they look 21 sometimes. A boatload of make up, grown up clothes etc. I think this is an issue far beyond overconsumption. Kids arent kids anymore
→ More replies (2)15
u/pajamakitten 7d ago
Young people have always wanted to appear more older than they are. I remember going from primary school to secondary school and things like Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Beyblade had gone from cool to babyish in six weeks.
62
u/ReyTeclado 7d ago
Get your kids off social media.
12
u/Key_Cheesecake9926 7d ago
The problem is it’s contagious. Even if your own kid isn’t on social media, if half their friends are then they will still feel peer pressured to spend hundreds at Sephora to fit in.
1
u/ReyTeclado 7d ago
Yes, but it makes it much easier to manage. If they are that influenced by their friends then you need to limit their time with those friends.
2
u/Key_Cheesecake9926 7d ago
Yeah just homeschool so they aren’t influenced by their peers lol
1
u/ReyTeclado 7d ago
No, stay close to your children and teach them why over consumption is destroying earth and unless their generation makes changes there will be no hope left for earthlings. Children are easily influenced by their peers when they don’t have a solid foundation at home.
1
2
81
u/sweetlowsweetchariot 8d ago
Wouldn't an overuse of this stuff would cause long term damage?
137
u/spiralstream6789 7d ago
I wonder if this is the reason why it's being pushed on teens so hard right now. Because if they damage their skin now they will be buying A LOT more products for the rest of their lives trying to fix their skins. It will be one "miracle cure" after another
12
19
u/DraperPenPals 7d ago
It entirely depends on the active ingredient in each product—of which there are many
18
u/sheep_3 7d ago
Depends on the products and depends on how long “long term” is. I think a lot of young people using retinol (for example), are totally destroying their skin barrier so the sooner they stop using those products and start healing their skin the shorter recovery time / less damage
Source- I’m an esthetician lol :)
2
u/Plastic-Rise-1851 7d ago
Question, should I leave micellar water on or wash it off if I was just wearing like a small amount of mascara
I keep seeing skincare people arguing over it and I don't know what to believe anymore lol
2
u/sheep_3 7d ago
I don’t like micellar water at all lol but I’d cleanse afterwards. I don’t think it replaces a cleanser.
Edit to add- an oil cleanser is great for removing makeup if a gentle cleanser isn’t efficient enough.
1
u/Plastic-Rise-1851 7d ago
Any suggestions on products? I genuinely am so overwhelmed by skincare stuff I just want my oily face to not be pimple-y lol
3
u/thegreenmachine90 7d ago
20 years ago we were all corroding our faces with St Ives Apricot Scrub and Clean & Clear. I feel like today’s products being gentler and there being more of an emphasis on proper SPF use has to count for something.
1
u/RManDelorean 7d ago
Precisely. I mean obviously it can depend on the extent of a specific case, but that is the concern yes. Well and by definition I would say "over-use" is where it is starting to have negative consequences.
59
u/Sweet-Emu6376 7d ago edited 7d ago
Skin care in general is out of control.
Unless you have some very specific skin conditions or ailments, all you really need to do is to wash your face, use moisturizer, and apply sunscreen.
Whenever I do "more" like using a mask or something, it's to relax and not so much for my skin or a part of my regular routine.
Also, retinol is the only "anti aging" ingredient scientifically proven to reduce wrinkles (by making it plump up and thus reduce wrinkles). Everything else that claims to be "anti aging" is just marketing nonsense.
Edited to clarify.
37
u/Brawldud 7d ago
Y'know, something that blows my mind is:
Unless you have some very specific skin conditions or ailments, all you really need to do is to wash your face, use moisturizer, and apply sunscreen.
I know an embarrassing number of men (mostly straight men, but not exclusively) who don't meet this threshold. It's very strange to me how women are overexposed to bad skin care advice to peddle products while men are letting their entire hands flake off.
5
u/Amazing_Finance1269 7d ago
Retinol is scientifically not the only ingredient that affects your skin.
1
4
u/AwesomeAni 7d ago
No, antioxidants to combat free radical loss, humectants to prevent moisture loss, acids to help loosen dead skin cells, all contribute to how we age as well.
22
u/Ok-Opportunity-574 7d ago
At the young ages I see doing this the issue is far more poor parenting than social media. Your 11 year old does not need an unrestricted smart phone and computer.
13
u/skirrel88 7d ago
Agreed. We need more parents to start using the word “no” more often. 10 year olds aren’t buying expensive skincare themselves.
61
u/Wytch78 7d ago edited 7d ago
My daughter’s acne is bad. She’s 14 and each new zit leaves a scar and red spot that stays for months. Eliminating dairy helped a lot. Next we eliminated eggs (she was never one for cold cereal) and that has helped even more.
We’re too broke for her to spend gobs on skincare.
Edited to add: lol @ everyone chiming in with their two cents on skincare.
30
u/RequirementHefty7531 7d ago
I still get cystic acne in my 30s-hydrocolloid bandaids (the big ones for blisters) used as overnight pimple patches help me a LOT. I also use diaper cream as an overnight mask to fade the scars.
15
u/the_slavic_crocheter 7d ago
I had really bad acne as a teenager, I felt so helpless and thankfully my parents were able to send me to a dermatologist with little luck sadly but we spent so much on products I feel like. I remember going through all the dermatologist recommended face washes and moisturizers. I even did proactive which was hell. I understand how your daughter feels probably, I wanted to chime in and say removing dairy helped me later at 18. I also have always been sensitive to gluten and I removed that from my diet recently and since that, my skin has calmed down, I’m in my mid 20s now for reference. It’s a rough battle with acne but I wish your daughter all the best, 🙂 body/self positivity is always good to practice.
16
7d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
10
7d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
4
7d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
4
7d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
10
u/DraperPenPals 7d ago
Lots of people are sensitive to fragrances, especially kids. It’s another reason to cringe at the “13 year olds shopping at Sephora” trend.
1
2
u/Anticonsumption-ModTeam 7d ago
Recommending or soliciting recommendations for specific brands and products is not appropriate in this subreddit.
0
u/Anticonsumption-ModTeam 7d ago
Recommending or soliciting recommendations for specific brands and products is not appropriate in this subreddit.
1
u/Anticonsumption-ModTeam 7d ago
Recommending or soliciting recommendations for specific brands and products is not appropriate in this subreddit.
20
u/jtho78 7d ago
They gave us a list of causes and diet was one of the myths. That is awesome this actually helped.
20
u/MisterRogersCardigan 7d ago
That's exactly the thing, so many people are like, Try this, try that, it'll help! NOTHING helped me. I eliminated dairy: nope. Ate shitloads of fruits and vegetables: still zits. Drank nothing but water for months: breakouts PLUS excessive urine. And that shiny, healthy pregnancy glow? AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
16
u/Ok-Opportunity-574 7d ago
Calling diet as a contributing factor a myth takes it a bit too far. There are certain things that studies have shown could be a factor. I had a breakout after using sunflower seeds in my smoothies for a week. Turns out studies have shown it can be a trigger food for some. It certainly is for me.
That's the thing though with diet. When you look at studies some individuals within those studies showed a very strong positive response to things like removing dairy and other people got nothing out of it. That doesn't mean that dairy contributing to acne is a myth. It just means for some people it's a contributing factor and for others it isn't. Telling everyone it's not worth trying does the people who would have responded to it a real disservice.
24
u/bmorenursey 7d ago
Teenage acne is hormonal. It’s not from poor hygiene or diet or anything like that. Yes, lifestyle can affect hormones which is why you may have noticed a slight improvement with diet changes, but it was probably minimal if not just a coincidence, because hormones go crazy at that age no matter what you eat.
I had acne, especially on my cheeks, when I was 14-15, but for most of my life I have had clearer skin than my peers and gotten lots of compliments.
Washing my face even with “gentle” products that my doctor recommended actually seemed to make it worse. I think I was just causing more oil production- my skin was overcompensating for the oil I removed. Cleaning my skin a lot dried it out which just led to more acne.
For years, I told people that what cured my acne was literally NOT washing it with any product or taking care of it at all.
More likely though, it was combination of laying off the cleaning over-drying cleaning products and my hormones calming down over time.
My point is — chances are your daughter has very little control over her acne. It’s not her fault! She shouldn’t have to change her life to look slightly better. If she focuses on being healthy and kind to others, the rest will come in time.
18
u/archdeacon_trashley 7d ago
Dairy products causing acne is not an uncommon thing. If she stopped eating it and it helped, that’s great and she should keep doing that because something in the dairy was messing with her body and exacerbating the issue.
Everyone’s body is different, and while not cleansing your skin worked for you, others need to go on hormonal BC or make a dietary change to get rid of cystic acne. Its not an issue with a single fix, and acne can be intensely emotionally and physically painful.
6
u/bmorenursey 7d ago
You kinda missed my point. What I thought worked for me likely wasn’t what actually worked. I just grew up.
I’m not saying she can’t continue to do what’s working for her, I’m saying it’s very possible that nothing she does will really work but eventually her acne will just disappear on its own. More teenagers need to hear that instead of hear more crap they should try.
→ More replies (9)1
u/SnooGoats5767 7d ago
Oh my gosh she probably has cystic acne which is hormonal, take her to a dermatologist she probably needs acutane or something before her skin is scarred permanently. Stop being cheap!
1
u/Wytch78 7d ago
We did see a dermatologist. It’s not cystic. She’s on tretinoin.
I’m not cheap. I’m low income and caring for a disabled husband AND mom. Walk a mile in my moccasins.
1
u/SnooGoats5767 7d ago
If she’s scarring that much she probably need accutane. You’re denying your kid a normal diet which does nothing for their skin. She probably needs micro needling or something for the scars.
13
u/Ohio_gal 7d ago
Comadified girlhood. Many think they can buy their way to perfection/ acceptance and that makes me sad.
7
u/That-Ad-8482 7d ago
What’s interesting is that in France, children are taught skin care as standard hygiene and in the USA people talk about children’s hair and skin care as though they’re not old enough to properly participate in their own body care/hygiene.
Skin is the human body’s largest organ. I think starting there and teaching them what they need and don’t need at that age is actually a good idea.
10
u/kmill0202 7d ago
These poor kids are going to have skin issues later in life. And it's worrisome how normalized it's become to have a gazillion step skincare routine when for most people they really only need a few things. I've seen a lot of things being mixed together that shouldn't be, like vitamins c and retinol. Or sun exposure after harsh AHA's. I hate that influencer culture is creating so much insecurity over issues that don't really even exist. And it's just leading to worse things like extreme botox, fillers, and even face lifts at very young ages. And the warped perception that skin shouldn't look like skin and any wrinkle, blemish, blotch, and pore need to be eradicated immediately.
3
u/RubyBlossom 7d ago
How do they even know if something works when they mix a gazillion different products?
2
u/kmill0202 7d ago
Exactly. New products should always be introduced one at a time and given a couple weeks to see the results. That way if there are any benefits or bad reactions you can pinpoint it. This is also why I kind of hate products with multiple actives or makeup with skin care infusions, even though it can be more convenient and cut down on having to buy multiple things. It took me a little while to figure out that niacinimide doesn't agree with my skin because it's in a lot of stuff nowadays along with a bunch of other things.
1
u/RubyBlossom 7d ago
100% agree.
I literally have a simple cream and a simple facewash, and I found that consistency helps (plus I am lucky of course!).
You can literally buy the actives in isolation if you need more than that. I do think it's good that there are more skincare options available for teenagers with really bad skin. I remember using some horrible Clearasil facewash that dried my face out.
My husband suffered from horrendous acne when he was a teenager and that really had an impact on him. I don't believe in letting teenagers suffer under the guise of anti consumption, so should our daughters inherit his skin I will help them fix it as best as I can.
0
u/AwesomeAni 7d ago
I'm an esthetician and have to remind people constantly that they don't have "blackheads" they just have pores. Very few people actually have invisible pores, and when they do they're dry af. Or trying to explain to oily skinned people there is nothing wrong with their skin, that's just their genetic skin type
7
u/Honest_Chef323 7d ago edited 7d ago
What are they using exactly? Isn’t using a lot of random products bad for the skin causing inflammation or skin issues?
Unfortunately our world is going to hell in a hand basket
Many issues from self-esteem, unrealistic high expectations (stemming from media), and parent oversight/communication
I wish we had better healthcare particularly mental health is sorely needed
4
u/Ocelium 7d ago
My friend's kid is 13 and uses so many products. The girl and her friends save their allowances to buy each other expensive skincare -- like Drunk Elephant -- as birthday gifts and wear Lululemon as a uniform. She knows more about actives/trends than I do and I literally make skincare for a living. Anyway, I don't have kids so I try not to judge but it's wild to me.
4
u/Timely_Froyo1384 7d ago
I took my teens to a dermatologist for a full body can and to have them talk to the doctor and set up products that work for their individual body.
Plus the dermatologist gives out tons of samples.
33
u/itsatoe 8d ago
Perhaps we need to make zits cooler. Start characterizing them as a beautiful right of passage to adulthood.
Seriously... if you're fighting against an emotional/cultural appeal; you have to fight on the same plane. Mere "education" doesn't talk to emotions.
11
u/lilith_sos 7d ago
I think that happened with the little star stickers people put on their pimples.
9
u/Loner_Gemini9201 7d ago
My dermatologist, when I was on isotretinoin for cystic acne, was $300 a visit. Dermatologists are the epitome of inaccessible medicine.
And when they're online, they cater mainly to their client bases: adults. They unkowingly are advertising retinol and so many other potent active ingredients to populations that DO NOT NEED THEM!!!
7
u/fairly_forgetful 7d ago
i work at an elementary school, my kids are all obsessed with certain brands of skincare, these loong 12 step skincare routines with toners and serums and cleansers and masks and all this stuff. I've tried to tell them hey you basically need a sunscreen, a cleanser/something to clean your face, and a moisturizer, and everything else is extra*, but I think the marketing has worked along with the tiktok videos with all the satisfying clicks and cuts of product on hands, product in bottle, bottle clicking back into place, etc etc. They love their 30 minute skincare routines. It's both a waste of product bc half this stuff is just piling on the same thing or unnecessarily stripping the skin, but I don't think it's rlly abt the skincare, it's the ritual of it. They are trying to be like the older girls they see in the tiktoks. It's a fitting in thing, it's a joint longing for the trendy thing of "now", its a performing of femininity and teen girlhood that they all want to be doing so badly. It's just made me more and more resolved to keep my someday offspring offline as much as humanly possible. I know there's some stuff that's just part of being an adolescent and I don't want to rob any kid of that- I was a girl too! but some of it is so out of control.
(*yes I know in specific circumstances you may need more than that if your skin is tricky- I have ingredient allergies so I am very aware of the pickiness of skin and its needs sometimes, but I'm speaking generally, and especially for an audience of 4th/5th graders with no skin issues to speak of)
5
u/muracoon 7d ago
Can relate, I started overbuying skincare in my mid teens without having a consistent routine. I'm now 18 and only started buying less and being consistent 6 months ago, my skin is doing better
3
u/sodababe 7d ago
A Sephora was recently opened in my city and I was initially excited to visit it until I got there and saw loads of little girls in there who knew all the brands and all the products. They're too young to be that invested in this sort of thing and it really sickened me to see their mums encouraging that sort of behaviour.
5
u/sweetteaspicedcoffee 7d ago
I had a multi step routine that barely kept my acne in check, and then I got eczema. A friend introduced me to a massive tube of eczema lotion and I'm down to that, a cleanser, retinol and sunscreen. Clearest my skin has been in over 2 decades. The kids are making their skin worse with all the expensive products.
1
u/Ohio_gal 7d ago
I feel that way about most makeup. Makeup is fine if that’s what you want but I never started wearing makeup and my skin has always been pretty decent.
3
u/moody_gray_matter 7d ago
I was a content moderator for a video based platform for 4 years. I would watch kids 6-17 smear anything from 6-12 different products onto their faces. Gotta wonder how those chemicals interact and what it's doing to their skin.
3
u/AdElegant9761 7d ago
I work at Sephora and see this every day. And the number of parents buying glycolic acid products for 8 year olds without questioning it is wild
20
u/Midwestern_Mouse 7d ago
Skin care is the biggest scam. It’s so sad how many people have been led to believe they need to be using 20 products on their face daily. At best, a lot of these products are probably doing nothing at all, and at worst, actually making these people’s skin even worse so they keep buying into it. All most people actually need is a basic face wash and maybe a moisturizer.
38
u/jelli2015 7d ago
And sunscreen. Never forget the sunscreen. It’s the best anti-aging products around
15
u/micky21098 7d ago
And even more important than anti-aging, its cancer protective. Sunscreen is one product especially kids should be using because their skin is so much more sensitive
13
u/Radiant_Cheesecake81 7d ago edited 7d ago
I had my son recently (and tactfully thank goodness, the person in question wasn’t present) ask why his friend’s mum looked so much older than me despite being the same age, and I kept repeating the pro sunscreen message until his ears fell off. I was a goth in the 90’s so extra sun smart behaviours were pretty common in my social group plus I tend to prefer working nights so that combined with diligent SPF 50+ use daily since I was 12 adds up over the decades.
I credit sunscreen with doing the heavy lifting because lord knows I didn’t hold back on the partying and shenanigans and had a Marlboro red in my hand more often than not back then.
3
u/sunnyskies01 7d ago
Honestly this is way worse at its worst than them using too much makeup on so many different levels
2
u/Pathrazer 7d ago
This entire thread assumes everyone is 100% familiar with the exact kind of product OP is referring to and their potentially damaging ingredients.
Whelp, I'm gonna be the goofball: What? Would anyone care to explain what exactly is being discussed here and why it's especially concerning outside of an anticonsumption context?
2
u/According_Basis_4721 7d ago
It's constant online consumption, yes I did use some products as teen for my acne, but the idea asking for small jar for $50 to use skincare would been insane.
I think real problem is constant unlimited access to tiktok, ect.
2
u/KeyPicture4343 6d ago
I guess as someone with acne prone sensitive skin, I’m just jealous of these people with perfect skin feeling like they need to use 70+ products.
I can’t imagine the cost to buy all of this. Just throwing away money and killing the environment and their skin.
2
u/Growltiger110 6d ago
The overarching problem is that we don't treat pre-teens and teenagers like teenagers anymore. They are not mini adults. It's normal for them to want to mirror what adult woman are doing (skincare), but that's where their moms need to step in and explain why that's not appropriate at this stage in their lives. We do such a disservice to them when we don't treat them in an age appropriate manner.
3
5
u/findingmarigold 7d ago
Look, is it good that young people are feeling pressure to have perfect skin, not age, and buy all these products? Absolutely not, it’s a sad indictment of our society’s obsession with beauty and youth. However I think the discussions about skin care and teens have gone too far into moral panic territory.
There’s absolutely no evidence that even the most heavy duty skin care will cause long term problems. Yes with products like retinol there might be short term skin barrier problems and irritation but once these products are stopped the skin will recover. Also practices like using sun screen literally prevents skin cancer so I can’t imagine why we would want to discourage that.
5
u/findingmarigold 7d ago
I can’t believe I’m being downvoted for not spreading misinformation.
Seriously people in these replies are saying that skincare is a conspiracy to sell more products later in life and are carcinogenic despite there being NO EVIDENCE that is true. Anyone disagreeing with me needs to look in a mirror and think about why they’re don’t trust science and are choosing to participate in conspiratorial thinking for no reason.
4
u/Interesting_Ad_9924 7d ago
There's some real crunchy stuff going on in these comments.
Retinoids have even been shown to reverse skin cancer cells, a moisturizer isn't going to give you cancer.
2
u/SnoozuRN 7d ago
They are all probably full of carcinogens and we will be seeing more cancer at a younger age 😭
2
u/octopustentacles209 7d ago
Who buys kids the products? Kids don't typically have an excess amount of money to spend on anything. If parents aren't saying no, there's part of the problem. So many products aren't even meant for young skin.
2
1
u/Magnanimous-Gormage 7d ago
Fr just wear sunscreen and moisturize or use acne treatment as needed. If your young you're not doing anything good by rubbing extra anti aging chemicals on your face everyday.
1
u/Nopenopenope00000001 7d ago
As a parent, I completely agree. But as a former teen, I kind of think it is a fad, and I also think of what I was over consuming as a teen, and it was cigarettes and soda / energy drinks, so I’m kind of of the mindset that it’s better to educate and let this fade away versus take a hard line against it.
1
u/-PaperbackWriter- 7d ago
Well realistically these kids don’t have any money, so it’s the parents who need to be targeted
1
u/Infamous-Goose363 7d ago
Skin care obsession is this generation’s version of millennials over plucking their eyebrows. 😬
1
u/DaisyBryar 7d ago
I used increasingly harsher and harsher treatments on my skin as a teenager. Went on holiday at like 17 and forgot to bring my skincare, felt okay so didn't use it for the rest of the month, and my skin cleared up SO fast. I don't wear makeup and I only wash my face when it feels dirty, and I constantly get compliments on my skin. When people ask me how I get it so nice, I tell them I don't do anything to it (in fact, I break out if I wear makeup for a few days on the run) and none of them ever try it. Just bloody try it!!!!!
1
u/Resident-Trouble4483 6d ago
I still just wash my face and grab one of the admittedly alarming hydration masks or gels I suddenly have because at one point or another I went shopping with a niece or younger cousin. I recently started using retinol because I’m almost 40.
1
1
u/betterOblivi0n 4d ago
There is no need for skincare if there is no skin issue at that age. Acne is a bacteria and it has many treatments.
1
u/OrganizationActive63 45m ago
Silly question - where are the parents? Unless the kids are older and working, parents are footing the bill. If I say No to the things I want to buy for me, I can (and did) teach my kids to say no. I learned a long time ago, “it’s a better bargain if you don’t buy it”
Sorry, it just drives me nuts to hear people act like teens/tweens are independent adults
1
u/subiegal2013 7d ago
Step granddaughter is 11 and crazy about skincare. wtf? Skincare? I (68) didn’t know about skincare (we called it moisturizer, toner etc) until I was in my 20s
1
u/CattleDowntown938 7d ago
I make tallow lye soaps with thyme in it for my teenager. The biggest lie ever told is that soap is bad and you need to”cleansers” and stuff in plastic bottles.
0
u/AutoModerator 8d ago
Read the rules. Keep it courteous. Submission statements are helpful and appreciated but not required. Use the report button only if you think a post or comment needs to be removed. Mild criticism and snarky comments don't need to be reported. Lets try to elevate the discussion and make it as useful as possible. Low effort posts & screenshots are a dime a dozen. Links to scientific articles, political analysis, and video essays are preferred.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
0
u/KadrinaOfficial 7d ago
It reminds me of tanning beds. You have all these 18-24 year olds looking like they are in their 40s because they leatherfied their skin. Meanwhile, it makes the rest of us look younger and more youthful in comparison. 😅
-15
u/Georgi2024 7d ago edited 7d ago
They only need sun tan lotion.
Edit to add for downvoters: I meant for a beauty regime, no need to jump on my comment. I had awful ache as a teenager so I'm well aware you might need treatment for that too.
24
u/jtho78 7d ago
Do you mean sun screen?
2
-10
u/MermaidOfScandinavia 7d ago edited 7d ago
Both names are correct.
Edit:
I just looked it up. Got confirmed that people still use the term in casual conversation. Therefore it is not incorrect because people know exactly what the other person is trying to convay. I personally usually say sun lotion. I went a lot of time in Britain as a child and that's what my dad called it.
22
u/jtho78 7d ago
Sun tan lotion accelerates tanning with little or no protection.
7
u/SpirituallyUnsure 7d ago
No, in the UK, sun tan lotion is what we also call Suncream. Tanning lotion is entirely different. The world is not only America.
6
2
1.6k
u/tapdancingtoes 7d ago
It would be nice if actual dermatologists were more accessible to the average patient. Then we wouldn’t have the issue of companies pushing all sorts of treatments that don’t work or even harm us.