Anti-Aging Makeup for Teens - Seriously!

My husband related a new trend to me that he'd just heard about - makeup for 8-year-olds. Well, I know little girls love to play with mom's makeup and there are even some brands of makeup that are exclusively for the younger--and I do mean younger--set. Ok, this old-fashioned mom who is of a grandmotherly age can deal with that.
I can remember how badly I wanted to wear makeup when I was a young'un.
I also wanted to wear high heels and wear my hair in some sophisticated hair style (or so I thought) such as a beehive.
But my mom, in her old-fashioned wisdom, refused to let me wear any makeup.
I wasn't even allowed to borrow hers. She was of the opinion that little girls should be little girls and not mini-versions of adults.
How archaic of her I thought at the time; that is if I even knew the word archaic, but I knew what I meant - she was old-fashioned and of course, not fair.

If my mother were not, sadly, already gone from this crazy world, she would be astonished or as the Brits say, gobsmacked.
Good word, that. It conveys so much.

But what would really gobsmack my mother, as it does me, is the notion that 8-year-old girls are being inculcated in the idea that they need "anti-aging makeup.
" Yes, you read that correctly; "anti-aging makeup" for the third-grade set and up.

Let's consider that for a moment - seriously - isn't it the job of third-graders to age? Aren't they supposed to want to be fourth-graders and to be another year older? Or even half-a-year older? Ask any adult their age and they'll reply with "I'm 55," or whatever; they won't say "I'm 55 and a half.

" No, that's a young kid's response; those ½ year increments are incredibly important to them.
Imagine an adult saying I'm 60 and a half. You'd be doing all you could to conceal your incredulity and laughter.

The creator of this anti-aging makeup, "Geo-Girl," says that the "formulas are made for delicate young skin, free of parabens, sulfates, synthetic colors and fragrances. The makeup also comes in recyclable packaging and the anti-aging components are all natural, with ingredients like willow bark to exfoliate and chamomile to calm, as well as anti-oxidants, which reportedly prevent aging.

" There it is, right there in black and white.
They are determined to prevent aging in the 8-year-old set. I could overlook their desire to cash in on the makeup for 8-year-olds because we all know that little girls want to grow up.
..
fast.
But I can't overlook their mindset that 8-year-olds need anti-aging makeup.
They were on the right course when mentioning their product has no parabens, sulfates and so forth, that lack of such being good for their delicate young skin but they went off the track when they decided to include little kids in this anti-aging philosophy. If I may go out on a limb here, I'd also add it's unnatural.
Does anyone really want a perpetual looking 8-year-old? Then when they turn 10 are theylike OMG, I'm getting so old, pretty soon I'll be (gasp) 12. That's almost a teenager for goodness' sake. I wonder if mom will let me get a facelift before I reach the grand old age of 13.

I mean I won't be able to stand it if I start looking older.
What boy will want a haggard old bag of 13? This is not funny stuff; it's actually sad.

It's sad in that we'll be perpetuating low self-esteem and a poor body image if we allow kids and grandkids to literally buy into this concept that you are only worthy if you look young. I think it behooves all parents and grandparents to take a deep breath and say a firm No, when our tweens and teens start wheedling for things "beyond their pay grade."