CLOSER NEWS REPORT
Sales of expensive skincare and make-up are on the rise as pre-teen girls snap up the products. Closer speaks to one mum whose nine-year-old spends hundreds on the latest lotions and moisturisers…
The first thing Marley Bea McHarg does in the morning is wash her face before applying premium brand moisturiser, serum, a quick face spritz and then adding Moroccan oil to her hair.
It sounds like the average routine of most women, but the difference is, Marley is just nine years old.
She has a skincare collection worth hundreds of pounds and uses it in the hope of having the “beautiful, dewy skin” that she sees on her favourite YouTube and TikTok influencers.
Marley’s mum, Dianna, 41, an executive assistant, says, “Without a doubt, Marley has a better skincare routine than me – as do all her friends.
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“But I do make sure I check ingredients on the products she wants. I am very aware of how young she is, so I don’t want her using anything heavy. I only allow her to have natural products from places like Lush or The Body Shop.”
Marley is among a growing number of children who are spending their pocket money on high-end skincare products rather than toys and sweets. We’re currently in the middle of a beauty boom – global sales within this industry increased by nearly 100 billion between 2020 and 2022.
With their colourful packaging, brands like Drunk Elephant, Summer Fridays and Sol De Janeiro are very popular with pre-teens, and they come with a premium price tag – a perfume mist costing around £38 and a serum from £48. Between now and 2028, revenue from the baby and child skincare market is expected to grow at rate of nearly six per cent each year.
Social media is alive with “skinfluencers” who share their beauty routines, promote products and post “get ready with me” videos, known as GRWMs. Kim Kardashian’s daughter, 10-year-old North West, regularly posts these types of videos, showcasing how she does a slicked-back ponytail and what sheet masks she prefers to use. But experts have warned that young children learning skincare routines from social media could do more harm than good, as a lot of the creams have active ingredients that young skin wouldn’t be ready for, like retinol.
Dr Michelle Wong, a chemist who busts skincare myths online, said that adult skincare products, such as those promoted for anti-ageing, were unnecessary for children and could actually damage their skin. She said, “With the exception of sun protection and cleansing, tweens don’t need skincare.”
Dr Louise Randall is a GP and the founder of GRIT, a charity that supports young people to
