As an avid scroller of social media, I too have fallen for the hot new skin care product, and makeup that seems like everyone is using. The new makeup routine promising an effortless glow, and the magic for fixing stubborn acne. Influencers who have tried and tried to get rid of acne finally found the routine to save us all.
With the rise of social media I have seen a boom of teens and tweens in the skin care aisle at Sephora and Ulta. It makes me think twice about the content we are putting out, we can never know who is watching and what effect it may have on them. I have seen middle schoolers buying a $60 retinol serum just because their favorite influencer swears by it. Creating a 5 step routine at an age far too young when all they should be using is a moisturizer.
The Shift of Culture
This is not about shaming influencers or young girls. This is about understanding why this is happening. Over the last decade we have seen a shift of beauty content. We as a generation of social media consumers have moved on from the bold look makeup tutorials to obsessing over poreless skin, looking for that no-makeup makeup routine. We look for skin care products that are supposed to give us that glass, flawless look and forget that what we see is specifically curated and filtered. It sets a beauty standard that is aspirational yet unattainable. And while influencers in their 20’s and 30’s may not mean to, they are unintentionally creating a “must have” culture for a much younger audience.
Our Algorithm Listens
Our algorithms push content that we engage with more. So when we see the new “holy grail” of products and skin care routines that everyone is talking about. Why wouldn’t we be influenced to buy in? But at such a young age we don’t need serums that are not directed by a physician to use. Using products such as retinol, acids, brightening agents can be too harsh for young skin. Most of the time, we really don’t need it till we are in our late teens or even in our 20’s. Our skin is so new and young at that age, and our minds and emotions are so targeted to be perfect that we forget that we are young and should be allowed to just be a girl.
What makes this trickier is that most skincare influencers are not highlighting this reality. To young viewers we are creating a culture of self care and routines that seem like friendly advice. But the reality is, most of these products come from some form of marketing scheme because they are influencers. Paid to put out content for their job. In the current world of marketing, social media plays a big role for growing your company. So when we see influencers carefully placing products in videos with no clear sign of endorsement. We think that this is the holy grail of products that appeared before us. Stealth shilling and exposure experience drives social media marketing and now for impressionable tweens, a five step routine may feel necessary from the content they consume, and this is where our problem lies. We often forget that this is simply social media. That filters and honesty about expensive treatments may not always be implied or told.
Beauty and self care should be fun, not stressful or potentially harmful. Engage with content that catches your eye, but remember who can be watching. This day in age, young girls are not allowed to be just girls anymore. And honestly, I’m not immune to it either. As a fan of social media and slightly more aware, I too feel the effects of watching perfectly curated content affect what I should be doing in my daily routines. At the end of the day, self care should be what is right for you at this age, and skin type, not a new viral product.