Critics are blasting Kim Kardashian, claiming her 9-year-old daughter North West is too young for her expensive skincare routine.
Little North West and her mommy Kim Kardashian share a Tik Tok account where they post cute videos as a duo. But some critics think the North West’s skincare routine is too much for someone her age.
The video in question features North in pajamas in front of her mirror. She breaks out some of Kim’s very pricy SKKN product. Next, she applies one of those scary face masks. North then curls her lashes and brushes her teeth and is basically ready for the day.
It seems harmless, but a debate erupted on Reddit about whether North is too young to be deploying such an elaborate skincare routine.
“No kid needs an extensive skincare routine. Water, moisturizer & SPF is more than enough,” one user wrote.
Another chimed in: “Kim is using her kids as literal billboards for products.”
Many other Redditors shared these sentiments.
Is 9 years old too young for a skincare routine?
It’s fair to ask if little North really needs Kim’s SKKN products. But let’s be honest, the precocious influencer’s interest in mom’s elaborate self-care system is low on the list of damaging parenting stuff going on lately.
Here is a recap, in case you somehow missed what North’s dad Kanye West has been up to.
Reddit outrage aside, if you look at North’s skincare routine, it’s not that crazy, even for a kid. She’s basically just cleaning her skin, and applying a mild moisturizer.
One of the biggest problems with skincare routines is that they are advertised as a treatment. In reality, topical skincare works best as a preventative measure. That means it’s almost never too early to start.
That’s mostly because the most effective anti-wrinkle cream on earth is just SPF. But sunscreen only works if you use it every day from a very young age. The sun damage that causes wrinkles is cumulative. It builds up slowly every day, rain or shine. By the time visible wrinkles appear, fancy skincare products are unlikely to do the trick.
What we can learn from North West’s skincare routine
While it’s best to start good habits early, I personally think North is too young for a daily SPF. She should obviously wear SPF to the beach or during any long outdoor activity in sunny Calabasas where the family resides. But daily use in winter is probably excessive. That’s because chemical sunscreens do come with genuine health concerns.
I’d recommend starting a mineral SPF daily in your teen years. That means every day, even if it’s raining, even indoors. Yes, harmful UV rays come through clouds and windows, and, over time, damage your skin.
This SPF 30 by Paula’s Choice is the one I use and recommend. It has vitamin C and E, which provides extra sun protection, and some collagen-boosting benefits too. It’s not too greasy and has a little tint to even out your skin.
Best of all, this SPF uses a physical shield (Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide) to deflect the sun’s harmful rays, rather than possibly harmful chemicals to defuse them.