The Cost of Aging

“Don’t forget to wear sunscreen!” This is a prevalent phrase used by most of my friends to induce anxiety towards the concept of aging and getting wrinkles, not skin cancer. To most teenagers and adults today, aging is detrimental to their physical health. Particularly when your age is evident on your face. It’s a multi-billion supposition sold out on the premise of people’s insecurities which does not solely tantalize humans. At what cost are we consuming skin items?

Skincare has always put aging in a negative light. People learn to hate how their skin starts to sag and how their faces grow dull, shadowed by the weight of their dark eye bags. Many brands like Arrum, want to combat that narrative by selling products that don’t conceal their “imperfections” but rather aim to embrace healthy aging. It’s an amazing effort to encourage people to love themselves the way they are but the products still strive to correct skin “impurities” like lack of collagen which impedes as we age.

I myself pamper my skin with skincare because it feels like a necessity and a hobby. I love watching skincare videos and reading up on the scientific components of certain skin ingredients and why they’re essential to our skin’s natural barrier. It’s entertaining and offers me pleasure. Nevertheless, it depends on how far you take it because the fact is, it’s just another normalized routine that is profited off of.

Animals have to undergo abuse in order for the chemicals in skincare and cosmetics to be tested as safe for humans. About 100,000–200,000 animals die yearly just from cosmetic skin testing. They’re hurt so we don’t get harmed in the process of indulging in our favorite trendy skin care products. This isn’t to say all brands enforce animal cruelty. Though many countries, such as the United States, haven’t completely banned testing on animals, there are many animal cruelty-free products that have been on the rise.

Many people have the mentality of “if you can’t beat them, then join them” which persists in fostering the long-term stigma of younger people holding more beauty due to their age and their consumption of age-defying serums. Inevitably, this ritualistic aspect can’t be broken. The market will only grow in size as we get older. “Skincare Market, 2021-2028,” Fortune Business Insights cites that the market stood at USD 98.83 billion in 2020, which was three years ago. Now, imagine the future. If even food companies like Nestle, who test on animals, have purchased some skin products from Canada’s Valeant for a billion dollars, then you might as well succumb to that societal pressure of “aging gracefully” in order to be happy. But at what cost?

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Author Jenelia is a 17 year - old student who enjoys reading and writing. In her free time, she likes painting or going out.