Cosmeticorexia: Safeguarding Children from Harmful Social Media Beauty Trends

The term 'cosmeticorexia' describes an unhealthy obsession with skincare products, increasingly affecting primary and secondary school girls who are bombarded with 'get ready with me' content and anti-ageing messaging on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Fuelled by influencer marketing and unregulated advice, children are adopting complex routines using potent active ingredients designed for adult skin, risking dermatological damage and premature anxiety about physical appearance that threatens their mental health and sense of belonging in educational settings. This phenomenon represents a safeguarding concern that extends beyond parental control into the responsibilities of schools, local authorities, and digital regulators. The intersection of mental health, body image, and commercial exploitation demands a coordinated response from children's services to identify early signs of obsessive behaviour and challenge the normalisation of cosmetic insecurity among children. Cabinet members responsible for children's services must consider how local safeguarding partnerships can address the drivers behind this trend, including working with schools to strengthen digital literacy and self-esteem programmes, whilst holding social media platforms and the beauty industry accountable for predatory marketing practices targeting vulnerable young people.