The 10-Year-Old Beauty Takeover
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At 10 years old I sat cross-legged on the edge of my mom’s bed, watching in awe as she applied makeup to her face. Makeup was for grownups, so as I watched her, I awaited the day that I could blend and brush makeup onto my face. A decade later, young girls are no longer fantasizing about the world of beauty, they’re living it.
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You’ve likely heard the nightmare stories of people walking into Sephora and finding tester products completely ravaged. What were once pristine displays have transformed into a mess at the hands of the infamous “Sephora kids.” Today, young girls are mesmerized by everything beauty. Whether it's makeup or skincare, you’re sure to find a 10-year-old holding a Drunk Elephant cream in one hand, and a Rare Beauty blush in the other. A huge part of this phenomenon to consider is the influence that social media has on young audiences.
The internet is flooded with messages urging viewers to appear youthful: “This Retinol Will Make You Look Ten Years Younger!” “Anti-Aging Skincare Routine” “6 Makeup Mistakes That Are Aging You.” They might as well just say, “You're only attractive when you're a baby. Grab our stuff and try to look like a newborn!” Young girls exposed to these messages are now at the risk of being burdened with the fear of aging, prompting them to purchase an array of products that are more harmful than beneficial. The media’s obsession with youth has soared to new heights. The ironic twist of it all is that in the pursuit of looking younger, the young are growing older.
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The companies selling these products have also had a hand in the influx of adolescents investing in beauty. Beauty brands such as Drunk Elephant and Summer Fridays have made their products appeal to children by encasing their products in vibrant and playful packaging. They may not admit it outright, but a retinol cream with pink packaging and a squeeze-pump lid doesn’t exactly scream “adult.”
As a society, we have stepped into a new level of consumerism. TikTok is overflowing with hauls, get-ready-with-me videos, and must-have lists that succeed in captivating the attention of almost every 10-year-old on the planet. The constant exposure to consumer culture on platforms like TikTok shapes their desires and preferences at a very impressionable age. The younger generation craves everything on the market—a capitalist society's dream.
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A 10-year-old girl with a full face of makeup and an entire industry convincing her that she needs a boatload of products to be beautiful has a vastly different perception of herself than a 10-year-old girl who explores the world as her authentic self. Aside from the physical damage that wearing makeup and incorrect skincare can cause for children, there could be significant psychological damage caused by the attempt to meet a beauty standard set for an age that is years away from their own.
As the current generation sprints toward adulthood, their feet struggle to keep pace. Young girls have always rushed to grow up, but eventually, they will come to realize that in their race to adulthood, they missed out on their youth.
Strike Out,
Writer: Isabella Santiago
Editor: Lindsey Limbach
Tallahassee