"Are You Gifting Cosmetics on Children's Day? Controversy Over Corsets and Appearance Supremacy"

Growth of Cosmetics Market for Girls
'Kids Cafes' with Powder Rooms and 'Kids Spas' Offering Mask Packs Also Popular
Some Criticize 'Appearance Supremacy'

As the cosmetics market targeting infants and young children grows, some criticize that children may grow up with 'appearance supremacy.' The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] # On the 4th, a day before Children's Day, A, a worker in his 20s, is facing many concerns. He does not plan to gift his six-year-old niece children’s cosmetics this year, but the niece wants the latest cosmetics. A said, "Since videos of children applying makeup have become popular on YouTube, I gave children’s cosmetics as a gift, but afterward, my niece has been absorbed in makeup play all day, so it seems she is focusing only on 'beauty care'." He added, "Seeing that, I feel like I am confining my niece to a kind of narrow 'female' image demanded by society."

Controversy is rising over children’s cosmetics ahead of Children's Day. Opinions range from seeing them as mere toys to concerns that playing with them might confine children to the 'female ideal' demanded by society.

Some criticize that girls might fall into the 'corset' trap. The corset refers to a tool worn by women since medieval times to create a slim waistline. Because of this, 'corset' is commonly used to mean decorating oneself to meet others’ expectations.

In this context, a 'de-corset' movement has emerged. It is a social movement urging women not to conform to others’ expectations. Since around 2017, posts certifying 'de-corset' on social networks (SNS) like Instagram have started appearing, usually showing broken lipsticks or cut hair.

◆ Children’s Cosmetics for Girls Remain Popular... Kids Cafes with Powder Rooms Flourish

Sales of children’s cosmetics are steadily increasing. As the age of starting makeup lowers, the popularity of children’s makeup products is rising day by day.

According to 11st, an open market operated by SK Planet, sales of children’s cosmetics last year increased by 29% compared to 2016.

Sales also grew by 94% and 251% in 2015 and 2016 respectively compared to the previous years, showing continuous growth. Sales of products like dressing tables and makeup play sets increased by 182% and 7% in 2016 and last year compared to the previous years.

In 2017, sales of toddler lipsticks surged by 549% compared to the previous year. Toddler nail polish rose by 233%, and toddler makeup boxes increased by 101%.

Keyword search volumes are also on the rise. Searches for children’s makeup and toddler makeup increased by 583% from 2016 to 2017.

In response, kids cafes equipped with powder rooms where children can actually apply lipstick and nail polish have appeared. Additionally, 'kids spas' offering services like nail care and face masks have even emerged as hotel products.

A verification photo of a woman who joined the 'Talcorset' movement. She discarded all the cosmetics she used. Photo by Twitter@100***

◆ Criticism That Using Children’s Cosmetics May Lead to 'Appearance Supremacy' and Being Trapped in a 'Corset'

The problem lies in the risk that focusing on appearance through cosmetics at an early age may lead to 'appearance supremacy.' There is also criticism that children may be confined to a narrow view of femininity.

A worker in her 30s, A, said, "I understand that the growth process of children and adolescents is a process of forming self-identity including gender identity," and expressed concern, "Playing with children’s cosmetics that focus only on appearance may cause side effects."

Another worker in her mid-20s, B, emphasized, "If parents provide proper guidance, there may be no problem, but if they cannot or even with education, children may develop the wrong value that 'women must be pretty,' so I do not recommend such toys."

The popularity of children’s cosmetics is also driven by YouTube content. As of 10 a.m. on the 4th, searching for videos titled 'children’s cosmetics' on Google yields over 300,000 related videos. Most are videos of girls applying makeup themselves or content about how to use children’s cosmetics.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Some criticize that this may trap children in the 'corset' phenomenon, meaning blind female beautification. It is a concern about the solidification of gender roles.

A worker in her 40s, C, who has two elementary school-aged daughters, pointed out, "If children play with cosmetics without sufficient education about why and the reasons for makeup, they inevitably focus only on 'beauty care' as a side effect." She added, "This can create the prejudice that women must always be pretty."

Foreign media also react that the Korean children’s makeup craze is unusual. The Washington Post (WP) in the U.S. analyzed in April last year, "The Korean cosmetics industry, which has dominated the market with 'K-Beauty,' is now focusing on children as new customers." It pointed out, "There is concern that the makeup craze may instill values about appearance in children." The U.S. economic magazine Quartz also criticized, "Children are starting to wear makeup at too young an age."

Experts say that children’s interest in makeup is a natural phenomenon but focusing solely on appearance care can lead to negative outcomes. A youth counselor explained, "Any situation that can create stereotypes or prejudices during children’s developmental process is not good," and added, "In this sense, the use of cosmetics by girls should be well supervised by parents or adults responsible for education such as teachers."