Whoa, how fast did that happen? Yesterday a tiny baby and today your child already wants to put on makeup like a grown-up? Okay, stop! - It's all happening too fast! But don't worry, with a few tips and tricks, this challenge can also be satisfactorily mastered by both sides. In this blog post, we've gathered some information for you, which essentially comes from our own experience as mothers, and we hope it helps you.
When is it okay for my child to wear makeup?
Of course, there is no universally valid answer to this question, but welcome to what we would call a classic parenting challenge. 🤝 Children generally imitate the behavior of other people, because that's how they learn. The desire to use their own makeup can simply arise from seeing another person they want to imitate doing it. This can happen at 4 years old, 9 years old, or 14 years old. From our perspective, what's important is: imitation learning is completely natural, interests come and go, and children's natural curiosity is an essential pillar in their development. Of course, as a legal guardian, you can and must also say no to some of your children's wishes and set clear boundaries. When it comes to cosmetic products, our approach is: if they want to use something, then the product should "at least" have good ingredients. Or you find a good compromise, for example, regarding the frequency or occasions of use.
What do I need to consider if my child wants to wear makeup?
If your child puts on makeup in the morning with, for example, mascara and lip gloss, the next step is to remove it in the evening, because decorative cosmetics generally have covering properties, so the skin should be regularly "freed" from them to stay healthy. Therefore, talk openly with your child about a suitable routine and see what your child needs at that time. Especially for pubescent children, we recommend particularly mild products with natural ingredients and the use of acids or peels only from a certain age. For daily facial cleansing, we recommend a mild cleansing gel with a pH-skin-neutral formulation for children to gently cleanse the skin without drying it out.
In general, a certain hygiene is important when applying makeup! Explain to your child that brushes, sponges, etc. must be cleaned regularly so that no additional impurities develop on the skin.
Which ingredients should be avoided in makeup?
In addition to removing makeup, we believe it's important that you take a good look at the ingredients of the products your children want to use. Our recommendation is to avoid the following ingredients:
- Titanium dioxide: especially for lip products that automatically end up in the mouth, we recommend avoiding it. Read here why.
- Microplastics: these particles are often used to improve texture. However, they burden the skin's pores and especially the environment.
- Paraffins: can contain residues of mineral oil contaminants (so-called PAHs), which are considered harmful to health.
- Silicones: harmless to health, but burden the environment as they are not biodegradable.
Conclusion: Find reliable agreements and strengthen self-confidence.
The topic is complex and constantly provides material for many disagreements in families, but also in society. We believe that it is important that agreements made together with the child remain reliable on both sides and that the child is also granted a certain self-determination and self-experience. We are sure that you will find a good way together - and as soon as you have found it, the needs will probably change again. So, as always, it's all just a phase on the exciting journey of growing up. 🙃💛
