Vantage | 'Baby Botox' to 'Sephora Kids', our skincare obsession is turning scary

“Be comfortable in your own skin” is powerful advice but a tough task, especially when we are referring to actual skin. Bad skin is a pain point for many, but thanks to the internet, it has turned into an obsession. Hours are lost before a mirror, as it feels more like a magnifying glass. You don’t just stare; you tamper with the evidence. Whatever conclusion you reach, there is a cure: A quick trip to the store to buy some hope bottled in cutesy packaging of creams and serums. If one product doesn’t work, there are plenty more, and if none of them work, there is always a cosmetic procedure. Like botox, which is a minimally invasive procedure. It promises wrinkle-free skin and a youthful appearance. Initially, it was used for medical purposes; about two decades ago, it was approved for cosmetic use. Most of its recipients are middle-aged, but now more youngsters are seeking it the world over. It is a new norm in South Korea. In India, botox has become a pre-wedding trend. In America, its use for people aged 19 or younger grew 75 percent between 2019 and 2022 and 71 percent for adults aged 20 to 29. Gen-Z has given botox a new twist. They are calling it “baby botox,” which is horrifying on so many levels. Their wrinkles are not even defined yet. So youngsters are not aiming at fixing something; their goal is avoidance. Gen-Z is getting botox out of the fear of ageing. In doing so, they are creating what they fear: doctors say that too much botox can age you. It curbs the use of some muscles; their size decreases, and muscles waste away. Botox can also cause bruising, nausea, and headaches, but that is not the only price the young must pay. Botox is costly. The average going rate is 500 US dollars. An average botox lasts about three months. Plus, multiple treatments are required, so the costs line up, and Gen-Z is throwing money at a problem that doesn’t exist. However, they aren’t the only ones; the focus on perfect skin has trickled down to Gen Alpha. They are the youngest generation, aged 13 or below, basically kids. One can find this new species hunting through cosmetic store aisles. These kids are building their own multi-step skincare routines with expensive products. Their favourites include products available at Sephora, so the internet has a term for this species. They’re called “Sephora kids”. Now, school is tough; imagine a 17-step skincare routine on top of that, but that’s not the only reason why this trend is worrisome. Tweens are spending thousands on products, and there is a good chance they won’t work. This is because formulations are developed for older skin. Plus, children don’t have a fully formed skin barrier. So these products could do more harm than good. If this is shocking, know that there are skincare products for babies too; apparently treating perfectly normal baby acne is the need of the hour. It sounds bizarre, but who cares? We live in a culture that feeds addictive behaviour, and social media is more than happy to oblige. Reddit has a group called ‘skincare addiction’ that has two million subscribers. Up from half a million in 2018. Hashtag skincare routine has over 55 billion views on TikTok. Influencers resent acne and wrinkles, calling them scourges to be punished. They talk about a facial cream that stings. So they know it’s working. They smile while ripping the pore strips off their faces. With this, the bigwigs of the beauty industry smile too. Skincare is the fastest-growing market segment in the beauty industry. It is worth about 180 billion dollars. The irony is that people want to find a product that works, while companies want to sell as many products as possible. Maybe you like the ritual element of 20-step routines. Maybe you want a new project. Maybe it is performative self-soothing. But when your skincare routine starts sounding like cleanse, tone, obsess, ask yourself what it will take to be comfortable in your own skin?! Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost_’s views._ Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.