02.29.24
In the wake of #SephoraKids, young girls are being exposed to adult skincare content, and it's creating societal pressure for them to adopt unnecessary anti-aging skincare regimens long before they hit the appropriate age.
According to Dove, the trend toward adult-targeted anti-aging skincare breeds premature appearance anxiety in young girls, which can negatively impact their self-esteem—now and in the future. Per experts, nearly 1 in 2 young girls (ages 10-17) expect to worry more about their appearance as they age, and 1 in 3 young girls are expected to have cosmetic work or plastic surgery to alter their appearance as they age.
"If young girls feel pressure to use skincare products containing highly active anti-aging ingredients, it could be damaging to their body confidence and self-esteem in the long term, not to mention their skin health,” said Dr. Phillippa Diedrichs, PhD, professor of psychology and leading body image expert. “Today, girls are exposed to adult skincare content online and pressures to look a certain way at a very young age, to the extent that they're adding products designed for adults to their wish lists and skincare regimens, without understanding the possible consequences for their physical and mental health. All of this contributes to a toxic culture of unrealistic beauty standards and pressures."
"Gen A Anti-Aging" Talk
Dove believes a 10-year-old's face should be a canvas for care-free fun, not anti-aging products. Without guidance on what is age-appropriate for young skin, young girls will continue to misuse these adult-targeted anti-aging products.
"When did 10-year-olds start worrying about wrinkles and getting older? It is time to speak up to highlight the absurdity and protect their self-esteem," said Firdaous El Honsali, global vice president, Dove. "At Dove, we believe beauty should be a source of happiness, not anxiety. For two decades, we have taken action to build confidence and self-esteem for millions of girls. Today, our girls are anti-ageing before they've even started to grow up and need us more than ever."
Dove, alongside Dr Phillippa Diedrichs, research psychologist at the Center of Appearance Research at the University of West England, and body image expert certified dermatologist Dr.Marisa Garshick have created “The Gen A Anti-Aging Talk,” a free resource on how to talk to young people about anti-aging and beauty anxiety.
“The Gen A Anti-Aging Talk” will be pinned to Dove's TikTok channel for all parents and caregivers.
Dove, together with powerful TikTok voices (academic experts, dermatologists, creators, body confidence advocates and more), aims to highlight the absurdity of the issue and raise awareness of it through “thumb-stopping” creative content featuring impactful, decorated faces representing #TheFaceofTen, and what it should be covered with – more glitter, stickers and face paint – not retinol and inappropriate anti-aging skincare ingredients and products, experts say.