Referring to members of gen Z, she says, “They are growing up in a culture of social media that promotes the endless pursuit of maintaining youth — and at home, some of them are watching their mothers reject aging with every injectable and serum they can find. Jessica DeFino, a beauty writer, recently coined the term Serum Mom to describe a mother who is ‘obsessed with meeting a certain standard of beauty and nurtures the same obsession in her children.'”

For the latest edition of Beauty Independent’s ongoing series posing questions related to indie beauty, we delve into the role the beauty industry has played in perpetuating the culture promoting the “endless pursuit of maintaining youth.” We asked 15 brand founders and executives the following questions: Does the idea of toxic beauty standards passed down from one generation to the next resonate with you? What culpability do beauty brands have for this dynamic today, and what should they be doing about it?