“Is it possible to be 10 years younger at 10?” Dove is addressing the ‘nonsense’ trend of anti-aging skin care used by young people

Retinol serum, hyaluronic acid cream and other popular “anti-aging” products. it’s what some teenage girls are already applying to their faces in search of “perfect” skin and a more youthful appearance, encouraged by influencer content. social networks. An early phenomenon now known as “Sephora Kids” refers to these very young girls who are addicted to beauty products and who share their super-complicated, often expensive “skin care” routines on TikTok. Indeed, videos showing their frenzied shopping sprees in a chain of specialty cosmetics stores or their hysterical reactions in front of a pot of “rejuvenating” cream rack up thousands of views and “likes” on the platform as they go viral.

Faced with the rise of these “alarming” practices, Dove launched a campaign supporting the idea that young faces should be covered with big smiles first and foremost… And with the wrong anti-aging ingredients. “Since when do 10-year-old girls worry about wrinkles and skin aging?” It’s time to speak up to highlight the absurdity of the situation and protect their self-esteem,” Dove Global Vice President Firdaus El Honsali said in a press release, stressing that “beauty should be a source of happiness, not anxiety.

Additionally, “young girls’ use of skincare and cosmetics containing highly active antiaging ingredients can have long-term damage to both their self-confidence and skin health,” adds Dr. Philippa Diedrichs, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology and Body Image Specialist at the University of West England’s Appearance Research Center, explaining that “too much exposure to adult grooming content will cause the youngest to feel the short-term need to fix flaws that don’t even exist. All this contributes to maintaining toxic and unrealistic standards of beauty.”

Educate the youngest

In response to these concerns, Dove launched an awareness campaign called “The Gen A Anti-Ageing Talk” on TikTok, a platform popular with young people. Purposeful? Share resources and advice from experts (academics, dermatologists, etc.) to restore proper use of cosmetics and boost self-esteem as they age. Celebrity speeches are also planned, such as a speech by actress Drew Barrymore, who will open the proceedings. “As a mother of two young girls, my heart is heavy that their self-esteem is at risk. The world is pushing them to grow up too fast by bombarding them with pressuring messages about aging,” she said. “I think aging is a privilege that many are denied; every wrinkle testifies. progressive life and past experiences.’

Meanwhile, a series of photos called “#TheFaceofTen” (French for “the face of a ten-year-old”) features young children decked out in glitter, stickers and face paint. The displayed slogans call for: to shine youth needs even more youthful glow. or “Since when did retinol replace face paint?”

Use the basics

In one of the videos posted on the TikTok account, Dr. Marisa Garshik, a dermatologist, also advises parents whose children are interested in beauty rituals. skin cream,” says the specialist. The American brand offers soaps, shampoos and other shower gels specially designed for the skin of babies and children, sold under the Baby Dove and Dove Kids Care lines.

The initiative was hailed by netizens in the comments below Dove’s TikTok post. “Bravo”, “I love”, “Thank you for this”, “Finally an influential brand that educates young people”, “Preach this louder”, “It’s such an important message”, “We have to pass”. this to Sephora Kids”, “We need more content like this”, we can read particularly from the most enthusiastic.

Aggressive product

The experts highlighted by Dove are not the only ones who express their concern on this topic. Indeed, as Sephora Kids has grown in popularity on social media, industry experts have continued to warn of the effects on children’s mental and skin health that these ultra-advanced beauty routines can cause. Many dermatologists are particularly concerned about the use of certain products that, behind their greedy and regressive pastel packaging, contain active ingredients that are incompatible with their epidermis. “More and more children are using cosmetics intended for adults. Most of the parents I see have no idea that there is a risk and trust the beauty influencers more than their doctor,” says American dermatologist Danilo Del Campo to AFP, who notes that “skin reactions and their increasing concerns about abuse. goods.

Also warning about premature exposure to the chemicals in these formulas, the doctor notes that “younger skin is more delicate and more sensitive to irritation” and that “the skin’s barrier can be damaged by inappropriate ingredients.” During the consultation, Dr. Del Campo also notices “self-esteem issues in young children who feel the need to fix flaws that don’t even exist.”

Most parents I see don’t even know there is a risk and trust beauty influencers more than their doctor.

Dr. Danilo Del Campo, an American dermatologist, told AFP

“dolls”

For digital practices psychoanalyst Michael Stora. “These little girls are not playing with dolls as one would expect at their age, they are dolls,” AFP reported. Solene Delecourt, a professor at Berkeley who specializes in social inequalities, also believes that these videos “may reinforce and perpetuate a very stereotypical representation of girls and women” who already work online, “they are not women, but they are already under intense social pressure. . A trend mostly across the Atlantic that experts say is worrying for their mental and physical health, but not yet widespread in France.

However, according to recent research by Dove for Self-Esteem, more than one in two young girls aged 10 to 17 believe they are increasingly concerned about their appearance as they get older (53%) (23 %) and almost One in four young women are considering cosmetic medicine or surgery to change their appearance and counteract the effects of age.