A disturbing trend is sweeping through Britain’s youth: ‘cosmeticorexia’, a term coined to describe young girls’ obsessive and often dangerous use of adult skincare products. As a financial editor, I see this as a classic market failure. The beauty industry, driven by profit margins that would make a hedge fund manager blush, has created a demand among children for potent ingredients like retinol and acids.
These products, designed for mature skin, are now being applied by 10-year-olds chasing unattainable perfection. The result? Chemical burns, allergic reactions, and long-term damage.
The Bank of Mum and Dad is footing the bill, with parents spending up to £50 a month on these unnecessary commodities. This is capital flight from common sense, a misallocation of resources that will cost the NHS millions in dermatological treatments. Regulators are asleep at the wheel, allowing this bubble to inflate.
The market, left to its own devices, has failed these children. Fiscal responsibility demands intervention. We need a stamp duty on reckless beauty spending and a tightening of advertising rules targeting minors.
The gilt yields of our children’s health are falling. It’s time for the financial adult in the room to step in.
