Sharing face lotions and products with a 7 year old
Do you let your young girls use face lotions and other skin care products (not makeup) and if so, what are the restrictions you place, if any? I have a 7 year old who asked to take all of my unneeded lotions and I'm wondering if there is a reason why I should not give it all to her. I'm changing my skin care routine to one with creams/serums with a bit more active ingredients (with retinol, brighteners, and other stronger active ingredients) and going to stop using my current products. I have quite a bit of products left that are mostly for moisturizing, sun protection, etc. (i.e. Clinique, Neutrogina, Olay, etc.) that are good products and many are still unopened (so I could save them for a bit till she is older) but that are for younger skin and my aesthetician recommended for me to change products now that I'm a bit older. I checked the products and none seem to have any strong active ingredients so seem to be ok to give to a 7 year old to use occasionally, especially since the day creams have spf in them, but I'm wondering if I'm overlooking something.
Parent Replies
I'm not sure that would be a good idea. I don't think it's been proved definitively that the ingredients in adult skin care lotions are dangerous, but there is enough evidence to suggest great caution. Ingredients like retinol, salicylic acid, etc., encourage exfoliation, not a great idea for a young child's skin. Some ingredients (for example, chemical sunscreen) also act as hormone disruptors.
The Skin Deep website is a good resource and if in doubt, I cross-check ingredients on https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
As an example, here's what I found about a common sunscreen ingredient, oxybenzone:
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Oxybenzone#section=Safety-and-Hazards
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Oxybenzone#section=Toxicity
Why not buy some special just-for-your daughter moisturizers with a few low-hazard ingredients? The cost is relatively low and that way you'll have peace of mind, plus it's a sweet treat for a little girl.
For some general ideas, start here: https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/users-guide-to-skin-deep/
You can look up individual ingredients or products on the Skin Deep website as well; I try to stick with products that have a rating under 3.
Fragranced products? Those are bad for everyone, but especially a young child. On her face would give her a rather high dose. Just throw them out. Give her her own special olive oil and coconut oil lotions to put on her face.
I have an 8 year old girl and I do not encourage her interest in my makeup or skincare routine, or her own appearance. I would not give her my old products - I would never want her to think she needs anything to be beautiful exactly how she is. I tell my daughter that I wear makeup on my face for sun protection, which is of course true as far as it goes, and we have kids sunscreen for her. I encourage you to think through the messages about appearance you are passing down, and also to discuss it with her father to get his perspective on her interest in her appearance.