Ellie-May was 10 when she filmed herself rubbing translucent toner into her skin, telling her TikTok followers: “I love, love, love, love, love this toner.” The then-10-year-old from the south east of England was part of a growing trend: children using sophisticated skincare products, often with anti-ageing ingredients, and posting the routines online.
Now 13, Ellie-May has been using and advertising skincare since she was eight. What began in lockdown as fun has become her family’s main source of income. Her mother Sophie, who has five other children, says they make over £50,000 a year from content across Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat. Ellie-May’s own TikTok account has more than 330,000 followers.
“Children as young as eight are using anti-ageing skincare and earning families like Ellie-May's over £50,000 a year”
“Being content creators has transformed our lives,” Sophie said. “So many other young kids just wanted to know about Ellie’s skincare routine and, well, it just took off.”
But experts fear the long-term impact. The market for children’s skincare is booming, fuelled by social media. Videos show girls as young as three or four enthusing over products, doing “get ready with me” or “after school” skincare routines. Some child influencers describe themselves as “brand ambassadors” for companies such as Bubble, Drunk Elephant, and P. Louise.
Drunk Elephant, one of the brands popular with young people, says it does not want to be associated with this part of the market. A source close to the company said it is not a “youth-focused” brand and is trying to educate its customers. The worry is that children are using products designed for adults, with ingredients intended to fight ageing, on young skin that does not need them.