Every year, before flying from the UK to visit family in India, 10-year-old Ziya Shah’s aunt asks her if she’d like anything. This year, instead of chocolate or toys, Shah had a different request: make-up.
Shah doesn’t have an account on Instagram or Facebook and uses YouTube with parental controls, yet beauty finds its way into her world through friends, online advertising and everyday conversations. “My best friend loves make-up, so I wanted to try it too,” Shah says.
Her mother recalls being taken aback when Ziya recently suggested she try a hair-growth serum from a particular brand after seeing an advertisement online. “She declared that my hair is thinning,” she says. “The real issue is the volume of targeted skincare and beauty ads she comes across on the phone.”
For now, the family’s approach is measured. Peer pressure means that you can’t always say no, so make-up is reserved for school performances, while her everyday routine is limited to moisturiser, sunscreen, lip balm, and on football days, mosquito repellent and a body mist. She is allowed to wear a neutral lip gloss for special occasions.
Curiosity about beauty isn’t new. Children have long played with lipsticks and perfumes at their mothers’ dressing tables. What has changed is the beauty vocabulary. Instead of pretending with a swipe of lipstick, today’s pre-teens are asking for retinol serums, chemical exfoliants and anti-ageing products designed for adults. Beauty brands have taken notice. Child-friendly make-up kits, lip oils, glitter balms and colourful skincare packaging increasingly blur the line between play and performance, while viral trends such as “Sephora Kids” have sparked debates about whether beauty marketing is reaching children too early.
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The shift has become significant enough to attract academic attention. In 2026, researchers at the University of Milan and Italy’s National Institute of Health introduced the term cosmeticorexia to describe an excessive preoccupation with achieving flawless skin through cosmetic products. Dermatologists say they are increasingly seeing traces of that behaviour among younger patients.
Recently, Mumbai-based dermatologist Shareefa Chause treated a 13-year-old girl who came to her private clinic with redness, burning, peeling and severe dryness across her face. Although she had no significant skin concerns, the teenager had been following skincare routines she discovered on social media, using a retinol serum, a salicylic acid cleanser and a vitamin C serum every day.
The ingredients had damaged the teenager’s skin barrier, with Dr Chause requesting her to cut her routine back to a gentle cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen.
Within two-three weeks, the teenager’s skin had recovered. “Children and young teenagers do not need anti-ageing or exfoliating products,” says Dr Chause, adding that she has seen a growing number of younger patients with contact dermatitis and other skin concerns after using potent ingredients such as retinol, vitamin C and salicylic acid without medical supervision.
“Children’s skin is more delicate than adult skin, so layering multiple active ingredients can do more harm than good,” she says. “We’re seeing skin irritation, redness, dryness, a damaged skin barrier, acne flare-ups and allergic reactions caused by unnecessarily complex skincare routines.”
According to Dr Chause, ingredients such as retinol, alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) and other exfoliating acids are generally unsuitable for children. They can increase the risk of dryness, peeling, irritation, sun sensitivity and skin barrier damage. She recommends that such ingredients be used only under the guidance of a dermatologist when treating specific concerns such as acne.
For most children, skincare should be uncomplicated. A gentle cleanser, a fragrance-free moisturiser and a broad-spectrum SPF 50 sunscreen are usually all that’s needed, says Surabhi Deshpande, dermatologist at Mumbai’s Zynova Shalby Hospital.
“Healthy skin does not require multiple serums, exfoliants or anti-ageing products,” she says. In fact, overusing skincare can weaken the skin barrier, causing dryness, sensitivity, irritation and breakouts. Rather than buying into influencer-led routines, Dr Deshpande advises parents to encourage simple, age-appropriate skincare habits.
Why are children becoming obsessed with skincare? Experts say the answer lies in the way beauty is now consumed. Social media has transformed expectations around skincare, turning once-niche routines into everyday content. Children and adolescents are exposed to 10-step skincare regimens, influencer recommendations, “Get Ready With Me” videos and targeted beauty advertisements long before they understand what their skin actually needs. More often than not, the faces selling these products are not adults but young, or as they are called “baby”, influencers whose routines make sophisticated skincare seem aspirational, age-appropriate and even essential.
Dhara Ghuntla, psychologist and psychotherapist affiliated with Mumbai’s Sujay Hospital, SevenHills Hospital and CritiCare Hospital, says, “Repeated exposure makes normal skin changes seem like problems that need to be fixed with products, gradually turning beauty ideals into personal expectations.”
Experts agree that banning beauty products altogether is unlikely to work. Instead, Ghuntla recommends open conversations, age-appropriate digital supervision and media literacy.
For some parents, limiting digital exposure is one way of addressing the problem. Mumbai-based educator Meghna Mishra does not allow her nine-year-old daughter to use social media or own a smartphone. “We may give her a basic phone when she’s 15 or 16,” she says. “Cyberbullying and influencer culture are real concerns, and children are becoming far too preoccupied with likes and appearance.”
Others focus on supervised exploration rather than prohibition.
For many parents, the challenge isn’t banning beauty altogether but helping children distinguish between play and pressure. Vinita Jaisinghani, who has daughters aged 9 and 3, says her older child’s interest in make-up comes from watching her own routine rather than online beauty trends. “She has a small, child-safe make-up kit, but it’s reserved for special occasions,” Jaisinghani says. “I want it to remain something fun, not something she feels she needs.”