Why, of course you NEED Preventative Botox, 100 SPF everyday to prevent wrinkles, red light therapy to reverse sun damage and retinoids at age 10!
Sounds ridiculous? It’s not that far from reality. The rise of influencer culture has skyrocketed the cosmetic and skincare industry more than anything else, creating a new way to advertise products and lifestyles to the consumer. Anti-aging products and cosmetic companies have recently gone into an untapped market: impressionable youth.
Companies have found an easily pressured customer: tweens, teens, and twenty-year-olds. Young adults are bombarded with messages on why they need to start anti-aging routines before they even go through puberty.
Every year the pressure to stay younger grows as the consumer gets younger. Before, anti-aging products were marketed towards middle aged women, but now the entire concept has shifted from reversing aging to the idea of preventing aging.
These standards are mentally and physically unhealthy for kids. According to The Skin and Wellbeing Clinic, “In addition to long term disruption to the skin’s development, retinol can be too harsh for developing skin that requires a more gentle skincare routine. When applied, retinol cream can cause children’s skin to become red, dry and even to peel.”
The obsession with youth is not coincidental. Women are chastised and thrown out once they “expire” in society, making anti-aging the perfect trap for women to buy into.
Social media influencers, celebrity dermatologists online, and doctors online, all push the idea that aging is something to fight and avoid. Terms like “prejuvenation” have become mainstream, encouraging young people to invest in expensive treatments like botox, medical grade skincare, and other invasive extreme procedures disguised as self-care.
Companies are pushing the idea to start young or regret it later. But what does this mindset cause? Besides convincing young women to fear aging, it turns natural skin “problems” and changes into a problem that has to be fixed. All of which fuel an industry that capitalizes off of insecurities for monetary gain at the expense of women.
Historically, women have faced an impossible double standard: men can age like fine wine while women expire. Society pressures women to maintain their youthful appearance while simultaneously saying they are “trying too hard.” The beauty industry ensures women as life long customers by pushing this narrative.
Obviously there is nothing wrong with taking care of your skin and wanting to look your best. Sunscreen, hydration and healthy habits are beneficial at any age. But fear mongering and shaming should not dictate your purchases or influence children.
Aging is proof of experience, wisdom and resilience. It is not a disease, no matter how hard they try to convince you; wrinkles, laugh lines and sunspots are proof you’ve had a full and happy life. Why hide that?
Rather than women fearing aging, we should embrace it–because the most radical thing a woman can do in a society obsessed with youth is to age unapologetically.