children’s cosmetics, a trend far from being risk-free

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Wear makeup to look like mom: behind the innocence of their young age, children are today the target of a colossal market. Foot massage, nail polish application, exfoliation… Beauty salons reserved for children are multiplying in France. The trend is flooding social networks, where little girls share their beauty routine.

A phenomenon that divides Parisians. “A child is a child, that’s all. We make him grow up before his time when the mind is not yet there“, says a woman. “This already alters the child’s view of himself. And then, it’s also distorting a certain reality, so I think it’s a bad thing.” denounces another. “It’s normal at this age to wear a little makeup, it shouldn’t be too excessive.“, nuance a passerby accompanied by her teenager, who admits: “I like to have a little touch of makeup, or just a little bit of glitter.”

The trend has not escaped cosmetic brands. We now find youthful faces on packaging, colorful and fruity. Even Canadian actress Shay Mitchell has just launched a range of hydrating masks for ages three and up. She received an outpouring of immediate negative reactions on social media. Some say to themselves “horrified“or judge his “terrible idea”.

Are these practices dangerous for children? “We consider a child’s skin to be perfect skin. That is to say, it is not too dry, it is not too oily. So, if we use products that we do not need, we unnecessarily expose ourselves to possible side effects. The problem is that a child’s skin becomes sensitized to certain products that were not useful. That’s it: triggering an allergy, contact allergy, contact eczemaexplains Professor Pierre Vabres, dermatologist.

Nothing is illegal in this market, as there are no specific regulations defining children’s cosmetics. Some health professionals are calling for legislation on the subject.