After years of dealing with acne, hyperpigmentation, and a long list of skin-related insecurities, I’ve finally reached a place of ease with how I look. More importantly, I’m determined to ensure I no longer have to carry the shame and self-doubt that once came as side effects of those struggles.

But just as I’ve found my footing, I’ve noticed something unsettling: my 12-year-old niece and many other young girls, some as young as seven, are now grappling with the same pressures I only began to experience less than a decade ago. The difference is scale and speed. Social media doesn’t just expose them to beauty ideals; it amplifies them relentlessly.

It frames the natural stages of growing bodies and developing skin as problems to be fixed, even as abnormalities to be ashamed of. And worse still, it sells them a solution: expensive skincare routines, adult-grade actives, and aesthetic-driven consumption – all products they can’t afford, shouldn’t need, and that may ultimately damage their still-maturing skin.