New guidance for parents over child skincare trend

The UK Cosmetics Industry body (CTPA) has launched new guidance for parents over a growing skincare trend for children.

The “SkinCare Simplified – A Parent’s Guide” was published on Tuesday, and it recommends keeping skincare simple for young people.

Parents have been advised to focus on gentle cleansing, light-weight moisturising, and sun protection for children and tweens.

The voice of the UK cosmetics and personal care industry said it does not support young people using anti-ageing products or complex and unnecessary routines.

“The CTPA, as the voice of the UK cosmetics and personal care industry, clearly reiterates its position that anti-ageing products or complex routines should not be used on young people’s skin as they are not designed for this purpose,” the new advice stated.

The advice comes as skincare trends become increasingly popular among children and young people.

Last month Canadian actress, Shay Mitchell, launched a range of skincare products aimed at children aged just three and over.

Dermatologists have warned that the trend may cause psychological harm by introducing beauty standards too early, and as the trend grows, there are concerns that brands are taking advantage of this growing market.

“We need to let kids be kids, we need to let them do children’s activities and not call skincare a hobby,” dermatologist Amy Perkins said.

“Skincare is something that adults develop as they get older, but now the skincare industry are targeting parents and labelling it as ‘self-care’, and that’s unfortunately really damaging and ultimately damaging kids self-esteem in the longer term.”

The CTPA’s online survey of 2,000 UK parents of children aged 8-14 found that many parents are having discussions with their children about skincare.

It found that conversations with children about skincare are now a regular occurrence for 85% of parents, and nearly a third (32%) discuss it several times a week.

Over two in five parents (42%) also believed that their children know more about skincare than they do.

The Cosmetics Body said the new advice is intended to help young people develop healthy and age-appropriate skin hygiene habits and support parents in discussions with their children.