Crosspost "[personal] rant about anti-aging influencers" from /r/SkincareAddiction:

small rant about anti-aging influencers

I just watched a TikTok video of a 30 y/o woman promoting anti-aging “no excuse” tips that included eating chia seeds for “detoxing” and dry brushing every day. Granted, her skin looks wonderful and completely clear through my phone screen. The pseudo-scientific chia seed bit didn’t bother me nearly as much as her comments section. There were comments saying “I thought you were 15!!” “you look 17, MAX” with her thanking them.

When you break it down, being mistaken for a child is not a compliment. Women’s beauty standards are riddled with pedophilic undertones. For example, some men have a “preference” for hairless women. So. Many. Pornstars have full Brazilians. Think about it, the only people with naturally-occurring hairless genital areas are…children. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with wanting to trim or wax your own pubic hair. It’s worth looking into and reconciling with the history of that beauty standard, though.

I truly was just so irked by these comments because it reinforces this desire to look as young as possible. Otherwise, why would looking like a high school freshman be a compliment?

TLDR: There’s nothing wrong with wanting to care for your skin or incorporating anti-aging products. I am just so sick of influencers promoting the message that I shouldn’t look my age, that I should want to look like a child.

EDIT: women’s modern beauty standards are rooted in pedophilia. this is a fact that one cannot “disagree” with. i’ll admit, it is an uncomfortable fact for all of us, including women, to examine and reconcile with. if you don’t want to take my word for it, that’s alright. here is a literal peer-reviewed article from JSTOR: https://www.jstor.org/stable/29779450

Posted by Puzzleheaded-Pie-382 | 10 October 2021 | Link