Since the beginning of civilization, humans have been obsessed with the idea of beauty. From the Trojan War, which started over Helen of Troy, rumored to be the most beautiful woman in the world, to William Shakespeare’s Juliet, whose charm ultimately led to an enormously tragic misunderstanding, people, specifically women, have molded and metamorphosed themselves to allure others through varying cosmetics, creams, serums, and even procedures. Why has our hyperfixation on beauty remained constant despite constant societal and cultural developments throughout time within humanity? Why is the pursuit of beauty and perfection so ingrained in our culture, especially when the topics in question are strongly subjective to the individual? The answer, just like our engrossment with aesthetics, is much more complex than what meets the eye.

The biological factors of attractiveness have remained the same for most of history. We are instinctively attracted to genetic variations that will improve our species’ rate of survival and reproduce until that trait is common within our population. One example of this, which has recently blown up across social media, is facial symmetry. Facial symmetry has been considered a component of attractiveness for centuries, with the earliest example being shown with African hunter-gatherers, due to it being a sign of both genetic and physical health. Although there are certain aspects of beauty that are considered ideal across the world, different ethnicities value different physical attributes as a result of their standards and cultures.

The first recorded instance of cosmetics being used is seen with the Ancient Egyptians, who would use kohl, a black, powdery substance used to outline the eyes and protect them from the blazing sun of Ancient Egypt. Although kohl was used in a more practical sense, many other forms of cosmetics in Ancient Egypt — like eyeshadows made from lead and copper ores — were often used to isolate the elite from lower classes. Similarly, aristocratic Elizabethan English women would wear ceruse, a white lead and vinegar concoction that would give off an alabaster illusion to the skin, insinuating great wealth as if they would never do any labor in the sun. Throughout history, cosmetics have served not just functional purposes, but also as an essential marker of distinction between social statuses. But why and how have our usage of cosmetics changed, and why are we now bordering the line of unattainable — to the point of dystopian — beauty standards?

In more recent times, a sudden craze for appearing youthful has seemed to skyrocket in the media, but for the wrong audience. Creators on TikTok keep poking fun at “Sephora Tweens”, young adolescents who have been recorded purchasing and using expensive anti-aging products at makeup stores. These children have been utilizing retinoids and creams to attempt to preserve youth, while already possessing youthful skin. Young girls have already for centuries been waiting to grow up, with many experimenting with things like makeup since most of us can recall; however, this renaissance of hyperfixating on beauty, more specifically anti-aging, will have dark consequences in the near future. A study conducted by the National Library of Medicine found that prolonged usage of retinoids, especially by children, can lead to “skeletal abnormalities” and even “may inhibit their growth due to premature epiphyseal closure.” Thus, this “beauty trend” of remaining young that is being picked up by children is actively causing physical harm, emphasizing a need for a more responsible approach to beauty standards and practices. Nevertheless, can we even blame the young girls purchasing these products to be “beautiful,” or should we blame the companies that market to them in an attempt to leech off of a larger demographic?

While reading an interview with various tweens by reporter Elizabeth de Luna, I couldn’t help but notice how the girls kept mentioning that they mainly bought skincare “because of the packaging” and how the issue obviously alludes to some deep-rooted instinct to feed consumerism, to own and collect as many material goods as possible to stand out against others. One of the brands that sticks out to these “Sephora Tweens” is Drunk Elephant, a cosmetics company whose products have gone viral across platforms marketed towards children, like TikTok. The brand itself has colorful, neon packaging, making it seem more like a candy or colored toy than a product for an older demographic; of course younger adolescents will be drawn to a cartoonish product and purchase it, regardless of the $50+ price tag. After all, we all just want to fit in with our peers, especially at ages 12-14 when we are most susceptible. In 2023, Drunk Elephant made approximately $96.2 million in first party net sales alone, excluding sales from other retailers like Sephora, Ulta, and Target. All considered, it’s not just the urge to fit in with others that drives these tweens to spend upwards of hundreds of dollars on lethal skincare, but rather a deep rooted dependency on consumerism and corporate greed run by officials hoping to train loyal customers from an impressionable age.

In conclusion, humanity’s constant pursuit of beauty has intricately woven itself into the fabric of human civilization, evolving and changing alongside our growth. From mythological tales from ancient civilizations, all the way to modern-day fixation with eternal youth and perfection, our primal yearning for beauty remains constant. Biological instincts and cultural standards have both shaped our perception of beauty and highlight the lengths we are willing to go through to attain it. Nevertheless, ancient usages of cosmetics have evolved into a multibillion-dollar industry fueled by an addiction to consumerism and manipulative marketing strategies. The emerging anti-aging craze with young adolescence raises significant concerns about the ramifications of our societal addiction to the pursuit of beauty. What kind of world are we creating in which children feel the need to act so mature to the point of emulating grown women? It is imperative to note that our absorption with beauty and perfection is not merely superficial, but rather a reflection of our societal issues, which are rooted in our innate desire for validation and social acceptance from others.