I was reading the Financial Times Weekend paper this morning when one of the front page stories really caught my eye. It talked about “cosmeticorexia”. But what on earth is it? Well, it’s a fancy, rather clinical term for something that actually breaks my heart. Young girls, some as young as 10, are becoming obsessed with anti-ageing creams and 12-step routines before they’ve even taken their SATs.
Cosmeticorexia and covert marketing strategies
Now, this is nothing new. I’m sure many of you reading this are familiar with the Drunk Elephant saga that hit our social feeds a good couple of years or so ago (I’m talking the Sephora Kids era with a demographic predominantly across Generation Alpha). But now, Italian regulators are investigating beauty powerhouses over the apparent use of “covert marketing strategies”.
So, what exactly has happened? The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) has officially launched two investigations into Sephora and Benefit Cosmetics, probing what they call a “particularly insidious” marketing strategy. The investigation centres on the use of very young micro-influencers to encourage “cosmeticorexia” – a compulsive obsession with complex skincare routines among minors, some as young as ten.
The regulator is particularly concerned that these brands have omitted crucial warnings, failing to make it clear that many anti-ageing serums and masks are neither intended for nor tested on children. With the support of the Italian Financial Police, the AGCM is now questioning whether these covert strategies have turned adult skincare into a must-have for a vulnerable group, potentially risking their health in the name of a trend.
Don’t grow up, it’s a trap
We’ve all seen the TikToks. Those tiny hands and fresh faces holding up luxury serums that cost more than a weekly food shop at Tesco (yes, even on Clubcard prices). Phrases like ‘skin barrier’ and ‘wrinkles’ coming out of mouths that still have baby teeth.
As a professional copywriter, I know exactly how this kind of horror happens. Marketing is a powerful tool – especially when done correctly. It’s designed to make us feel like we’re missing a piece of ourselves that only a specific bottle or branded item can fix. But when that message starts targeting children – making them worry about flawless skin – we’ve gone a step too far.
When we’re 10 (which good heavens, feels like many moons ago to me right now), our skin is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do: it’s protecting us while we climb trees, ride bikes, and laugh with our best friends until our bellies ache. It doesn’t need correcting. And it certainly doesn’t need those anti-ageing ingredients.
Why ten-year-olds don’t need a 12-step skincare routine
At ten, skin is biologically at its peak performance. It’s resilient, elastic, and naturally renewing itself with ease. And because young skin is thinner and more absorbent than an adult’s, ingredients like retinol and AHAs can easily strip the delicate barrier, leading to chemical burns, permanent sensitivity, and long-term dermatological damage before they’ve even hit puberty.
Beyond the physical risk, there’s also a weighty psychological toll. Anti-ageing marketing is fundamentally built on the idea of correcting flaws. Introducing children to the fear of wrinkles before they’ve even grown up is a theft of their confidence. It replaces the magic of childhood discovery with a clinical obsession with perceived imperfection, teaching them to look in the mirror for problems that simply don’t exist.
Beauty is a feeling, not a filter
Now don’t get me wrong – I love a good serum or sheet mask as much as the next beauty-obsessed person. My background is in makeup artistry, and I’ve been covered in sparkles and lotions ever since I can remember. Beauty is such a wonderful, creative, and pampering ritual that can undoubtedly make you feel good. But it should be a choice and an enjoyment – not an obsession.
If you have young girls in your life, let’s show them that beauty isn’t a 12-step chore to be completed for a ring light or for outside gratification. Beauty is the rosy glow after a spring morning walk. It’s the smudge of chocolate on a chin after a treat. It’s the quality of a life lived out loud, not filtered through an app.
From PR samples to playing it safe
My niece is 11, nearly 12, and she’s right in that sweet spot where skincare and makeup feel like a glittering new world to explore. Heck, I feel like I’m still in that sweet spot myself. She watches the videos and follows the big names, but I’m so grateful she still checks in with me before she buys into the hype. My advice to her is always stripped back to the basics: a gentle cleanser, a reliable moisturiser, and a good SPF. That’s it. That’s all her beautiful, young skin needs to stay exactly as it is – perfect.
I’m incredibly proud of the head she has on her shoulders – a huge credit to her parents, who have done an absolute blinder of a job. She understands that while looking after her skin is great, being educated enough to make the right choices is what actually matters.
It’s that education that allows us to have fun with it. Do I pass along the beauty and skincare PR I receive to her at times? Of course! There’s a lot of joy in the experiment, and I love her curiosity. But I’m always mindful that while she has a solid filter, many children are far more vulnerable and impressionable. It isn’t their fault – they are children, after all. As the adults in the room, it is our job to be that protective barrier, ensuring their excitement doesn’t lead them toward products that could actually damage their delicate skin.
Let’s let kids be kids
In a world that’s full of noise and full of pressure to be main-character-ready at all times, there’s enough for children to contend with.
So, here’s my advice that you never asked for: Keep the glitter, the strawberry lip balms, and the bubbles in the bath. But let’s leave the anti-ageing to the adults. Our children have plenty of time for that later. But for now? Let them focus on the fun, the discovery, and the magic of being young.
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