In the age of “Sephora tweens” and retinol-obsessed teens who have 12-step skincare routines filled with products meant for adults thrice their age — you’d be forgiven for forgetting what an actual ten-year-old’s face looks like. Especially when social media is filled with facetuned beauty tips and filtered influencers regurgitating nonsense about “glazed donut” skin.
With headlines declaring that Gen Z believe they’re “ageing like milk”, it’s no surprise nearly 1 in 2 young girls (10-17 years-old) are anxious about what they’ll look like as they age. While a survey commissioned by Dove identified that 1 in 3 young girls want to have cosmetic work to alter their appearance later in life.
“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,” explains Dr Phillippa Diedrichs, PhD, Professor of Psychology and leading body image expert on Dove’s disturbing findings.
It’s why Dove has launched its #TheFaceof10 campaign with their free “The Gen A Anti-ageing talk” resource currently pinned to its TikTok page, which contains advice for parents from experts like body image expert certified dermatologist Dr. Marisa Garshick on how to protect young girls’ self esteem in the treacherous social media age. The idea? That a 10-year-old’s face should be covered with glitter, stickers and a big smile, not harsh anti-ageing ingredients like retinol.
“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,” says Firdaous El Honsali, Global Vice Presidentat 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.”
From debunking the difference between skincare and harsher anti-ageing products to avoiding the harmful comparison trap, check out the rest of Dove’s #TheFaceof10 campaign here.
