Welcome to my website. This blog is for the parents who worry how to keep kids away from chemical-laden cosmetics.
Why to keep kids away from cosmetics?
I will be sharing my experience and how I managed to do it. Those who love cosmetics are not doing any crime or anything wrong. I am not here to preach. If doing make-up makes anyone happy, it’s fine.
I was never a person with too much interest in beauty stuff. My cosmetic bag had lip balm and kajal only. That is my choice and it’s fine for me and I have never lectured anyone to be like me. Having worked in the healthcare sector and witnessed several cancer patients suffering, I just felt scared of using too much chemical-laden stuff. It’s no secret that the excessive amounts of chemicals used in such cosmetic products are harmful for our skin. many research articles have proved these products are cause of some cancers. I can’t eliminate them but I use them to the minimum limit possible.
So when I had my daughter, I was worried as to how I should keep her away from cosmetics. Because there is a craze for beauty products nowadays. As she didn’t see me using any such products and I didn’t let her see any makeup videos, it was fine for the first 3 years.
How my kid got attracted to cosmetics?
When my daughter took part in dance for the annual function at her school, an incident happened and she got attracted to cosmetics. The teachers applied slight makeup on all the kids. After the function, I saw her face. I was furious at the teachers as to why they applied makeup without taking permission from parents. But then I let it go thinking it was a one-off incident. I think kids have a natural glow and they don’t require any artificial glow. Anyway, the matter was forgotten.
But, after that, I noticed my daughter started having an interest in all this stuff. Thankfully, she didn’t have any real stuff to use as I don’t keep anything with me. She would often pretend to sit in front of a mirror and apply something.
How I handled the situation
I got worried thinking how to control the situation. Then, I started talking to her about the dangerous effects of such products.
I would tell her ‘Make-up is junk food for the skin. Like junk food can be eaten once in a while, make-up should be applied once in a while.’
So whenever she would pretend to apply something, I would say that just pretend but never actually apply. I would always compliment her for natural beauty and say that she doesn’t need any extra stuff. I always tell her that these things are harmful to her sensitive skin and when she grows big she can use them in moderation. As parents, we should always compliment and encourage them to be natural.
And now, she has grasped this concept so well that she would herself say makeup is junk food for the skin. I don’t know how long she would follow it. But I would try my best to keep her this way as much as possible.
How to tackle cosmetics around kids?
It is an individual choice to do make up or go natural. But, these things are definitely not good for kids. So, parents can follow some rules around the house if they want to keep kids safe.
- Out of reach: As chemical laden cleaning stuffs or medicines are kept out of reach, these cosmetic products also should be kept out of reach of kids.
- Explain the side effects: I feel proper reasoning works wonders. Kids should be explained what will happen with their skin as well as health if they use these products from young age.
- Clear the clutter: If possible, de-clutter your cosmetics area. Keep the stuff which are really needed and get rid of expired products.
Once again, this is my view and I am not preaching anything to beauty lovers. This blog is for like minded parents only who prefer to keep kids away from chemical laden cosmetics. If you liked this blog, then please share it and subscribe for newsletters.
Don’t forget to check other parenting blogs such as Why can’t a girl child complete a family??
If you have a young kid at home, do check out my books
