What Age Do You Have To Be To Wear Makeup

What age is OK to let your kids starting time wearing make up?

We asked over 1,400 mums and an expert: when is it OK to let your children cease using 'play brand-up' and outset putting on the real stuff? Here's what they told us...

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Published: December 21, 2018 at half dozen:00 am

In a nutshell: Over 12 is when most people said they'd let their kid start wearing proper (not play) makeup (we polled i,427 parents).

For lots of lilliputian girls (and some boys) wearing make up tin exist a way they like to re-create mummy (if mummy wears any, that is).

We shared a story on MFM a while dorsum about a mum who bought her 4-twelvemonth-old daughter a brand-up kit – mainly, she said, to keep sticky fingers out of her own expensive eyeshadow (which we totally get).

And while lots of the states have probably had to prise lilliputian easily away from our fave lippy every now and and then, at that place'south a difference between tots covering their faces in creams and powders to simply to be funny or messy – and young girls or boys deciding they want to habiliment make-up because they think information technology makes them look prettier.

And so, when do yous reckon y'all'd let your kids actually vesture make-up properly?

What our parents said

When we asked 1,427 parents this very question, the most popular answers to at what historic period they'd let their child wear make up were:

Over 12 (42%)
Not certain (12%)
12 or never (both eight%)

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The difference between 'pretend' and existent make-upward

When nosotros probed a scrap farther on this one, lots of parents stressed the difference betwixt 'play' brand up – which they'd let their children use, in the business firm from a younger age – to 'proper' make upwards that their child would put on to get out.

For example, one respondent said: "I would let them play dress upwardly with brand upward at home from nearly 4."

And another, who said she'd allow her daughters wear make-up from half-dozen, commented: "Only a picayune bit of lip gloss and blusher – vacation time only."

But when information technology came to putting on make upwardly to go out in – that historic period went up significantly. A few said their child would have to be sixteen before they'd allow them wear make upwardly beyond the play stuff.

Just another pointed out: "I hate make upwards on children – I imagine in that location's not much you can do after 13-xiv though!"

What the expert says

Dressing upwardly, playing, and pretending to be an adult is great and should be encouraged, says educational psychologist Naomi Burgess, adding:

"We also need to have ongoing conversations with our girls and our boys well-nigh how we refer to their 'primary worth'.

"Do we desire to refer to our girls as but beingness 'cute' or 'pretty' rather than 'happy' or 'interested'? And boys as 'sporty', or 'manly'?

"Does beauty only exist on the outside? It is and so important to assistance children develop autonomy, acceptance and ownership of their own bodies by helping them select their looks, outfits and accessories, for different occasions and purposes.

"Then, if your daughter or male child wants to wear make upward or paint their nails to experiment and run across what information technology looks like to be a girl or boy or grown upward, just go with information technology and explore it with them."