Generation Alpha Beauty: How young should you start at cosmetics, skincare?

MANILA, Philippines — Like dermatologist and doctor Chesca Sy-Alvarado, you might have seen it on TikTok: Young kids from the Generation or “Gen” Alpha trying on and reviewing different skincare products and makeup that garner thousands, if not millions, of views.

“It's quite controversial because that means… kids actually having a skincare routine,” the doctor noted at a talk at the recent Makati City launch of Avon’s new Anew Skin Renewal Power Cream, which has Protinol clinically proven to activate Collagen 3, the collagen “that gives babies a wonderful elasticity and soft skin.”

At the same talk, Jowie Dizon, Head of Beauty Innovation, Avon Philippines, asked how safe it is for children to use skincare and makeup.

“That’s a good question,” Dr. Sy-Alvarado said, “Actually, anyone at any point in our life, we deserve to have a skin guarantee.” 

According to her, people at an early age can already have a “skin guarantee” with just a “very basic" beauty routine.

Hence, according to her, the kinds of product one uses, even by a child, should depend on one’s needs and goals. 

“For example, when you wash your face, it's almost hygiene. Yes, because that's the main purpose of skin therapy now. It depends on what kind of ingredients that we have in the skin,” the doctor explained.

According to her, generally, kids only need to wash their faces with a basic or gentle soap and not yet practice cleansing using a skincare product, which is done by adults “to remove excess oil.” Children, in general, do not have excess oil yet, which only starts to show at puberty.

The doctor, however, agrees that kids should be taught a basic skincare routine early on.

“Well, because we can all benefit from having a skincare and it gives us a sense of self care, empowerment. It actually gives a sense of visibility and it's also a form of relaxation and practicing mindfulness,” she expounded.

Apart from washing, the doctor only prescribed moisturizing to strengthen children’s skin barrier, using a gentle lotion and/or moisturizer formulated for kids; and to protect their skin from harmful ultraviolet rays by using sunscreen as protection from the sun. 

The doctor showed a picture of her