The girls who start their anti-ageing skincare regimes aged 11
So are dermatologists right to be worried about the effect of potent ingredients like retinol and Vitamin C on young, sensitive skin?
double-cleanse. I then use a roller and face massager. The jade roller unblocks pores and stimulates blood flow in your face. One of my friends recommended it. It takes me about 15 minutes to get my face ready for school — it’s quite quick. At the weekends, I will spend 20-25 minutes.’
AT A cost of about £85 a month, Florence’s focus on skincare began when she discovered Instagram influencer Madi France, who at the grand old age of 13 reviews skincare products and has 65,000 followers.
‘Before, I had red skin around my nose and also spots by my ears and chin. Now once a month I use Body Shop Vitamin C liquid peel and Vitamin C face mask. I have sensitive skin so I am careful about which brands to use.’
She adds: ‘I use Florence By
Mills Swimming Under The Eyes Gel Pads costing £34 for 60 pads. They’re nice and gentle for my skin. They get rid of bags and depuff my eyes.’
Do 11-year-olds worry about puffy eyes? ‘I usually get bags under my eyes if I haven’t had enough sleep or I’ve been drinking tea, then I’ll do a Love You Latte face mask,’ Florence explains. ‘It’s supposed to ensure my skin retains moisture all day.’
Florence’s mum, Andrea, 41, who works for a Multi-Academy
Trust, worries about the mixed messages around young skin. ‘ It does leave me feeling that girls my daughter’s age could be exploited by clever marketing campaigns,’ she says. ‘Florence would use a lot more products if I allowed her. ‘Some companies are presenting them as “healthy” — which is something Florence’s age group are interested in. They don’t realise the fact they are often designed for adults means that they’re not necessarily “healthy” for their own skin.’ Florence has taken to posting her complex routine online, achieving 1,900 views for her latest video within nine days.
‘Her other videos she made were of her playing with her Sylvanian families,’ says Andrea. ‘But there is clearly an appetite for these sorts of videos at the moment.’
Experts fear that the influx of tween and teen ‘influencers’ are doing more harm than good.
Psychotherapist and anxiety expert Kamalyn Kaur says: ‘Placing such a heavy focus on skincare at such a young age can instill the belief that their natural appearance is inadequate.
‘This in turn fosters unrealistic beauty standards, which negatively impact self-worth. It is also conditioning young children to believe that there is something wrong with ageing.’
Sheena Harewood, 48, who works in customer service, admits to feeling relaxed about her 16year- old daughter’s interest in skincare. She says: ‘I’m laid back
about what she uses, even though she did try a charcoal product once which didn’t go well.
‘Her skin reacted badly to the product and she looked like she’d been slapped.’
Her daughter, Layla Duffy, who aspires to become a lawyer, was 13 when she started caring for her skin after getting acne: ‘I saw one doctor but their attitude was “you’ll grow out of it” so I had to work out what products to use on my own.’
As a result, Layla now uses a variety of soaps, gels, toners and creams, including a Vitamin C serum and a retinol serum.
‘Children might think they are future-proofing their skin,’ says dermatologist Dr Aiza Jamil.
‘But using anti-ageing products too early can cause long-term damage to the skin barrier, making you prone to spots, photosensitivity and allergic reactions.
‘In short, it can invite more problems than it solves.’