Should Christian teens wear makeup?
Figuring out what God wants us to do with cosmetics.
Lots of teenage girls like to wear makeup to enhance their natural features and hide imperfections.
But if you’re a Christian, you might have wondered – what does God think about makeup?
Well, as with many modern inventions not mentioned in the Bible, it’s not so much about whether or not you use it, but more to do with your motivations.
Good things about makeup
Let’s be real – makeup is awesome! It’s brilliant that we can use these products to have fun with our appearance.
Makeup can be a great way to express ourselves creatively. It’s truly amazing what some makeup artists and amateurs can do with their beauty products! Check out the phenomenal skill and talent on YouTube and you’ll see what I mean.
It can also be a good way to feel a bit more confident on days when you don’t. There’s definitely something great about being able to dot some concealer on a big zit and face the world with confidence!
Some girls also see applying their makeup as a type of self-care, helping them to appreciate themselves and care for themselves. While the Bible teaches that we should always put others before ourselves, it’s still crucial that we do look after our own needs, and if spending a little time on your appearance each day helps you to remember that you are a beautiful, valuable child of God, that’s great.
Bad things about makeup
There are two main things that can be problematic about makeup for Christians.
Firstly, wearing makeup all the time can cause Christian girls to become dissatisfied with their natural appearance. It’s all well and good to cover up some pimples or conceal dark circles after a sleepless night, but some makeup routines involve covering up every pore and freckle.
Remember: God has made you, formed you and shaped you to be exactly the person you are. If you find yourself unable to leave the house without a full face of makeup, you may need to think about whether your use of cosmetics is causing discontentment.
If you think this is you, try and practice hanging out with friends without makeup, or try some more natural looks that embrace your uniqueness.
Secondly, makeup can be a really fun hobby but it can also be very, very time-consuming. Some young women spend hours and hours a day on their appearance, and that’s time that could be spent doing other things.
If you find yourself spending inordinate amounts of time on your face, try and wind back the time and instead replace that time with more worthwhile pursuits like reading the Bible, praying, spending time with friends or even getting ahead on homework!
Remember who you are
Makeup or no makeup, remember that God has made you. You are a unique and precious creation and you are so loved that God sent his son to die for you! Remember that every time you pick up your makeup brush and you’re likely to use makeup in a God-honouring way.
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