“The first thing I do every morning is drink a glass of water. Staying hydrated helps flush out toxins and clear acne,” 12-year-old Tenzin Ogyen tells me over Instagram on the weekend, right before he returns to boarding school and loses access to his phone for another fortnight. The Gangtok-based tween takes his skincare very seriously; he watches K-dramas and follows beauty creators like Joan Day and Liah Yoo for inspiration.
After trial and error, Ogyen has finally locked in on a morning routine. The six-step process includes COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser, Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water, Numbuzin No.4 Pore Zero Peeled Egg Toner Pad, and COSRX Snail Mucin Essence and Moisturiser, sealed in with Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics SPF 50+ because it’s “great for clogged pores”.
If that product list felt like a mouthful, it’s because it is, and it’s not light on the pocket either. The trendy skincare routine—with seasonal discounts—is just shy of ₹10,000, a hefty sum for many but especially a seventh grader. Ogyen shares his love for exfoliating on social media as well; amidst a sea of pick-my-outfit videos, there are Burger King hangs with his BSFs and selfies with Manish Malhotra (!). There are also GRWMs where the pre-teen creator is seen using Etude’s Moistfull Super Collagen Under Eye Concentrate and Pixi Beauty blushes.
This is a norm for most Gen Alpha. Ogyen’s friend @PrakriyaTamang also makes skin-loving content for her 20.8k Instagram followers, featuring serums from The Ordinary and dew drops from Glow Recipe, while @idk_Roopkatha receives PR presents from homegrown brands like Auli Skincare and Hilary Rhoda. Darshita Goyal on how tweens today aren’t just tinkering with products—they are studying active ingredients and testing what works for their skin well before they hit puberty.
