The closer you look at the teen (and even tween) skin care craze, the more blemishes appear. The modern rebranding of “beauty products” to “skin care” - reminiscent of that of “diets” to “lifestyles”- implies that simply leaving your skin alone is tantamount to negligence. In 2020, clinical skin care brand Murad enlisted high-school influencers to promote its rejuvenating serums on Instagram. Considering how many such products tend to feature in the average online skin care routine, the potential cost overall is breathtaking. The most worrying thing about today’s skin care craze isn’t just that the financial and emotional buy-in are completely out of proportion to the “need” being addressed.

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Persons: Holly Thomas, Katie Couric, mascara, Holly Thomas Holly Thomas, don’t, tweens, “, ”, Murad, Nil Sani, Gen Z Organizations: Katie Couric Media, CNN Locations: London, TikTok