Last week, I was shown a TikTok video of a 14-year-old girl talking through an extensive 'anti-ageing' skincare routine. Like most of the people who saw it, I was shocked. However, while lots of people were talking about how this reflected ridiculous beauty standards, as a beauty editor of many years, to me it symbolises something else: the often dangerous role that social media plays in the world of skincare.
An unknowing teenager watches endless videos of creators sharing their skincare advice and tips on social media and wants in on the action—it's nothing that surprising. If I didn't work the industry, I too would probably believe the sorts of things content creators tell you about skincare on TikTok and Instagram, and might also believe that 'anti-ageing' skincare routines need to be started from the moment you're born.
