From makeup and sunscreen to retinol and fear of wrinkles, young girls are becoming increasingly preoccupied with beauty, skincare, and perceived flaws.
In 2022, researchers innocently questioned the spending habits of girls aged between 6 and 12 years on cosmetics and skincare and returned with a startling figure: $3.6 billion annually. Then, the figure jumped by 23% within a year, reaching $4.7 billion; coincidentally, this equals the GDP of Djibouti.
This is the effect of social media on young girls, with the growing influence of beauty and personal care influencers. In fact, there is now a term for these minors obsessed with the world of cosmetics: “Sephora girls.” For those who are unaware, Sephora is a global chain store that sells makeup and perfumes. And like the Sephora logo with its dual colors, I no longer see the whole picture as either black or white.
On one hand, I no longer object, as some do, to girls smearing their faces with makeup because they believe it will enhance their beauty. I see no problem in their attempt to “enhance” their features as they believe, with eyeliner and mascara; something their mothers and grandmothers did before them, without the earth shattering or the sky falling down. Isn’t it natural for a child to imitate those older than them, especially as they stand on the threshold of adolescence at the age of 11 or 12?
What surprises and concerns me is the amount of issues that have become a troubling source of worry, annoyance, and lack of self-confidence for young girls. Thanks to the influence of social media, they have become acutely aware—often mistakenly—of their current “flaws” and potential future ones that must be corrected.
Girls have started speaking in a prospective tone, carrying deep and long-term concerns about their appearance, preparing for how they will look tomorrow instead of thinking about their lives, careers, studies, dreams, and ambitions. The clearest expression of this is their intense focus on caring for their tender skin.
They follow daily skincare routines because, from today, they bear the responsibility of early “maintenance” of it, applying sunscreen out of fear of wrinkles, not skin cancer, and drinking liters of water like camels to maintain their facial freshness, not because they are sweating from active play, and supplementing with vitamins because their deficiency damages skin. Yes, it will damage their “fresh” skin that was unboxed just a few years ago.
You will hear them using terrifying terms like “dullness,” “dryness,” and “paleness,” because their nightmares have become “dullness,” “dryness,” and “paleness,” not the loss of their favorite Barbie dolls.
While we might have thought in our childhood that “dead skin cells” formed “zombies,” for girls of this era, they are reasons for panic and dissatisfaction.
Imagine the situation’s deterioration: the skincare product manufacturer “Drunk Elephant” had to sacrifice its profits on its website, explaining which products are not suitable for those under 12, as it turns out that “Sephora girls” consume substances like “retinol,” designed to combat aging, when they should be battling the loosening of their baby teeth! Do you see how the catastrophe isn't in them wearing makeup?
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the writers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Annahar.
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