by Emily Johnson

Created on: January 11, 2009

For many children there's something special about that moment when the lights have just turned out, they're tucked warmly under the covers and mom or dad is snuggled up sharing the last whispered words of the day intended to bring about happy dreaming. They feel very safesafe enough to tell you things that may be harder to talk about during daylight hours with the space of a kitchen table separating you. So when I said goodnight to my 13 year old daughter last night and she told me she wanted to talk, I braced myself. The topics she wants to discuss have gradually matured along with her age.

Eventually, she confessed to me her concern: Her friends were changing. I didn't know what "changing" meant, but all kinds of awful images went through my head for which I trust the parents of these very sweet girls will forgive me. From bullying to boys to, well, I won't even say. I began mentally ticking off other schools we could send her to if need be. When she finally got to the specific problem, I felt like a fool and worked to choke back a laugh: A few of her close friends had begun wearing make up.

First, I will be straight. Whether or not to allow my daughters to wear make up hasn't been a major issue for me because neither my tween nor teen have shown much interest. But it got me wondering. How young is too young? I would argue that children in elementary school (6th grade and younger) have no business going out in public with make up on their innocent little faces. It's one thing to experiment with cosmetics at home with your sisters or with friends, but when parents allow their 10 and 11 year olds to go out into the world advertising their pre-pubescent curiosity about the stuff of adults, it's not only inappropriate but it's dangerous. What these little girls see in the mirror is "pretty". What others see, some of whom are dangerous predators, is sexualization of a child.

Beyond elementary school, I'd concede that decisions about make up are best left to parents and their daughters individually. When the topic arises, there are a few more things to consider besides their daughter's physical maturation or emotional readiness. The facts are that many cosmetics may be unsafe for teens.

Teens for Safe Cosmetics is a teenaged girl-led coalition formed in California in 2005 after a link was identified between breast cancer and chemicals used in some cosmetics. At the time, there were no federal or state laws requiring manufacturers to reveal or report the use of these

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