Did anyone else see the BBC article released yesterday about the psychological impact the beauty industry is having on young children?
Reading it gave me a familiar feeling.
As a millennial woman, it reminded me of the intense body image culture many of us grew up with in the 2000s. We were surrounded by messages about having the "perfect" body. We were told to eliminate cellulite, follow restrictive diets, and constantly strive to be smaller. That pressure became so deeply ingrained in our generation that many of us are still unlearning it today.
My concern is that we're watching history repeat itself - but this time, it's not body image at the centre of the conversation. It's skin.
Children and teenagers are being exposed to the idea that flawless skin is something to aspire to and that beauty products are status symbols. They're being encouraged to buy products without fully understanding what's in them, who they're designed for, or the reality of what the beauty industry is often selling.
Because beneath the glossy marketing lies a much bigger story.
Throughout history, beauty standards have been closely tied to social status and hierarchy. As society evolved, women's appearance became increasingly linked to their perceived value - professionally, socially, and romantically. While progress has been made, many of these standards are still shaped by deeply rooted patriarchal ideas about how women should look.
A simple example is ageing.
Men are often celebrated as they age. We have phrases like "silver fox" to describe older men becoming more attractive and distinguished. Women, on the other hand, are frequently encouraged to hide any visible signs of ageing. Grey hair is something to cover. Wrinkles are something to fix. Ageing skin is often treated as a problem rather than a natural part of life.
Thankfully, more women are challenging these narratives than ever before. But for children and teenagers growing up immersed in social media, it can be incredibly difficult to escape the constant messaging that youth, beauty and perfection are things that need to be purchased.
The underlying promise is always the same:
If you look better, your life will be better.
It's exhausting.
I'm turning 35 this year, and my face has changed. That's normal. It's part of being human. The challenge isn't stopping the ageing process - it's learning to recognise, accept and celebrate every stage of our lives. And that's what we should be teaching the next generation.
As a teenager, I loved skincare and beauty products.
Not because I wanted to change myself, but because they allowed me to express myself. I loved the creativity, the rituals, the scents, the textures, and the experience of taking care of myself.
That's one of the reasons I created My Skin Feels.
It was never about changing how people look.
It was always about changing how people feel.
And this is where I think the conversation gets really interesting.
Think about the difference between a teenager walking into Lush and choosing a colourful bath bomb, a fun face mask or a skincare product because it feels creative, expressive and enjoyable.
Compare that with a child walking into Space NK looking for products designed to soften wrinkles, boost collagen production or target signs of ageing that simply don't exist yet.
This isn't about criticising either brand. Both serve different audiences and different needs.
The question is what message we're sending young people.
One experience encourages creativity, self-expression and play. The other risks teaching children that ageing is something to worry about before they've even reached adulthood.
There's another part of this conversation that often gets overlooked: the products themselves.
Many of the skincare products currently trending on social media are formulated for adult skin concerns, not children's or young teenagers' skin.
Our skin changes significantly as we age. The skin barrier and microbiome develop over time, and younger skin simply doesn't have the same needs as mature skin. Yet many children are being influenced to use products containing active ingredients designed to target wrinkles, pigmentation, collagen loss and other age-related concerns.
For some young people, this can lead to irritation, sensitivity and a disrupted skin barrier. In some cases, overusing products or layering multiple active ingredients can leave skin feeling more reactive than before.
That's why we're such strong believers in keeping skincare simple, gentle and age-appropriate.
At My Skin Feels, we've always focused on effective natural ingredients that work with the skin rather than against it. Our philosophy has never been about forcing the skin to change. It's about supporting healthy skin, protecting the skin barrier and helping people build positive self-care rituals that make them feel good.
Because great skincare shouldn't be about fighting your skin.
It should be about understanding it...
