My mom allowing me to wear makeup one day seemed like a pipe dream.
I know it sounds silly, but I was just a simple girl with a glamorous dream!
So when she finally gave me the green light at 16, I was SO excited! I texted my friends and cousins, told my dog, neighbours, my almost dying aloe plant, whatever! You get the message about how excited I was.
But as an adult, I’ve noticed that the girls who are wearing makeup seem to be getting younger and younger! And some of these girls barely look like they’ve hit puberty!
And maybe you’ve been conflicted because recently, your own daughter has been asking if she can wear makeup too!
So should you let her? I mean, what’s the harm, right? It’s just some colour, and she can wash it off at the end of the day anyway.
But it goes deeper than that, and today let’s look at that from a social and holistic perspective!
But First, Why Do Young Girls Want To Wear Makeup?
Let’s be real here, parents. Most of us have probably snuck into our Mum’s makeup bag and tried her lipstick on when we were kids, right?
So it’s not so much of a “Why do they want to wear makeup?” but more of a “Who’s letting them wear makeup at such a young age?” situation.
Well, it’s… SOCIAL MEDIA! It’s always their fault!!!
And if your child has access to the internet, especially TikTok, then that’s probably the culprit.
Beauty content is extremely accessible to anyone these days, and with how influencers are always coming up with the next beauty challenge or trend every other day, it’s easy to rub the feeling of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) on your young, impressionable child.
And when they see one friend wearing makeup yesterday and another today, of course, they’ll want to start wearing it tomorrow!
The Debate
The debate about when you should let your children wear makeup has been going on for decades.
Why do some parents seem so uptight about this topic, while others seem so lax about it?
Which side is right?
Well, if you’re like my Mum (which means you’re a naturalist), you wouldn’t let your child wear makeup for two reasons.
Firstly, she’s still a kid! And secondly, what about the harmful chemicals?
But my aunt, who’s a designer and is more liberal, has let my cousin experiment with makeup since she was seven or eight years old! My cousin was living my dream.
For The Anti-Makep Protest
It’s valid to not want your child to wear makeup at a young age.
Most of the time, these reasons are quite holistic too.
But are they always justified? Sometimes we’re caught up in a way of thinking based on fear. So let’s explore some of these reasons!
The Social Aspect of Young Girls Wearing Makeup
As their parent, you just want to keep them safe.
So it’s understandable that you’re trying to prevent your child from turning vain, wanting them to be a “proper child their age,” or appealing to the paedophiles out there by appearing older than they are.
There are many social reasons for children and younger teens wanting to wear makeup, and not many of them are appropriate enough!
What About the “Harmful Chemicals”
This one is where I roll my eyes a little.
Firstly, our local laws and regulations are strict on cosmetics. And parents, makeup companies want to earn money too.
Do you think they’d risk lawsuits by including illegal substances in their products?
What About the Physical Dangers of Makeup?
Children’s skin is more sensitive and reactive than adult skin, and teenagers, as we know, are prone to breakouts.
So this is also a valid concern and reason for not wanting your child to wear makeup.
Your child could experience skin irritation, while your teen might explode in breakouts!
But you can learn to read the ingredient label on the back of products, and teaching your child to use and store their products hygienically will certainly help prevent irritations and breakouts!
These days, there are apps and websites like INCIDecoder and Skinsort where you can simply type an ingredient or product name and they’ll do all the guesswork for you!
But How Can My Child Even Benefit From Wearing Makeup?
Makeup is an art form as well, you know!
Most people don’t look at makeup this way because human faces can’t be hung and exhibited in a museum.
But you call the people who apply makeup professionally “Makeup Artists,” right?
Makeup, like any other form of art, is a form of self-expression.
That’s why you see so many makeup styles, like the emo-gothic kind with a lot of eyeliner and the Korean style with dewy skin and glossy lips. You see this idea best in drag queens and how they express their different personalities with their bold makeup!
And do you think the children who’re asking to wear makeup are the ones reading about recycling and wearing whatever clothes their Mum buys for them? Or the children who sketch in their free time, are a little sassy and insist on buying their clothes?
Makeup can be another art medium for your child to explore their creativity, identity and preferences.
Another important thing to remember here, parents, is that you can just let your child experiment with makeup.
Let’s take it back to when you were a child and were itching to try your Mum’s lipstick. Once it was on, you were satisfied, and you didn’t feel the need to walk out of your home like that, right?
It’s the same for your child! They’re just curious, and once the cat is satisfied, they’re not curious anymore!
How Do You Decide?
Ok, so maybe makeup isn’t as bad as you had initially thought.
And now you’re fine with letting your child wear a little bit of makeup, or maybe you’re still on the fence!
What other factors can you consider to help you make a better decision?
Age
It’s definitely understandable if you put your foot if your child’s on the younger end of the spectrum.
But it might be time to give your teen the green light if they’re older and most of their friends are wearing makeup!
Social Factors
Do you or your relatives always wear makeup? Maybe your child is inspired by the people around them and just wants to feel like they belong.
Media consumption plays a part in this too, of course. Which actor doesn’t wear makeup on screen? Even child actors do as well. And let’s not forget about the 18-year-olds acting as 14-year-olds, going to school with eyeshadow.
Seeing this unrealistic standard of beauty might dampen your child’s confidence and make them think that’s what they have to look like or that they’re considered ugly.
If that’s the case, sit your child down and talk about reality and expectations and the differences online and in real life to build their confidence!
What’s Your Child’s Reason For Wanting To Wear Makeup?
Hearing your child out could change your mind.
Maybe they’re not wearing makeup because their friends are wearing it too, but because their idol, whose confidence they admire, wears a certain purple lipstick, and wearing that same lipstick can empower them.
We all have different reasons for wearing makeup. For some, it’s self-expression, and for others, it could be for their confidence.
So hear your child out and consider it from their perspective!
The Alternative: Skincare
Now, you might be screaming at me, asking me how that’s a better alternative since skincare is for adults.
But parents, I implore you to look at skincare in another light.
Beauty companies and marketing have made society think that skincare products are for adults and that children’s skin doesn’t need any care products.
But you applied lotion, powder, and sunscreen to your children when they were younger, right? So why stop now?
And experts have said 6-year-olds can start a basic skincare routine just by washing their face at night. And pre-teens can start a skincare routine of cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen! After all, that’s when most of us started breaking out, right?
Furthermore, you might be able to satisfy your child’s itch for makeup with skincare-makeup hybrid products these days.
Products like lip balm with sunscreen or tinted sunscreen that doubles up as a foundation or blush help to protect the skin as well!
Conclusion
If you’re guiding your child on the safety of makeup, your child can learn to express themselves with makeup safely.
Introduce them to makeup slowly, one by one, with what you’re comfortable with them wearing for their age.
Start with tinted lip balm so they still have the satisfaction of a beauty product with some colour.
If it’s still the “harmful chemicals” that you’re worried about, get your child some organic makeup!
They can be found easily online or offline these days! This way, you can have peace of mind while letting your child have fun with makeup. Everybody’s happy!
Lastly, come to a compromise or set realistic expectations with your child.
Tell them why you’re not letting them wear makeup yet, and when they can expect you’ll allow them to wear makeup!
If you’d like your child to focus on school more than makeup, keep them occupied with one of SmileTutor’s 20,000 tutors!
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