Girls as young as 10 under pressure to wear make up

Whether it's thanks to One Direction and Little Mix's cosmetics ranges, peer pressure or just wanting to copy their favourite celebs, young girls are dabbling in make up at an ever decreasing age.

New research has found that girls as young a 10 are using slap, with almost half claiming they started wearing make up between the ages of 10 and 15 - significantly lower than previous generations.

Though the blame could be laid at the door of young celebrity role models such as Miley Cyrus, or at tween magazines that introduce girls to the idea of make up, the research by Fragrance Direct found that a quarter of the 1,600 respondents had actually been taught to apply cosmetics by their mums.

Melanie, 38, and mum-of-two explained: “I don’t mind foundation on teenagers to cover bad skin as it boosts their confidence. A tiny bit of mascara or lip gloss isn’t bad either. If it makes the difference between them feeling confident or wanting to shy away from everyone else, then what harm can it really be doing?”

Others added that they'd rather save their hard line responses for tougher subjects like studying, boys and drugs.

But many schools ban pupils from using make up, even going as far as removing mirrors from bathrooms to remove the temptation for pupils to obsess over their looks.

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Nichola Morris, a secondary school teacher thinks there's no place for make up at school : “The use of make-up sexualises young people and makes them look older.

"Students are at school for an education; not a fashion parade. Make up exhibits a social status. If they wear it, they instantly feel more confident and it sets them aside from the other pupils. In school, everyone should be equal. Outside influences should be kept for home time.”

There's also the issue of teen skin and make up, with many girls trying to cover up spots and inadventantly making outbreaks worse as pores get clogged with products.

What age do you think it's acceptable for girls to start wearing make up? Vote below.