When is it acceptable for a little girl to be initiated in grown-up beauty rituals? I remember the look of disgust on my grandad’s face when he caught me, aged 10, trying on granny’s bright coral lipstick. To be fair, it was pretty innocent – a tentative experiment that was then healthily shelved for several years.

These days, however, young girls seem far more eager to get themselves a full-blown grooming habit. When I last had a manicure, I found myself sitting next to a child of about six; and, on the celeb circuit, Madonna’s 12-year-old daughter, Lourdes, is rarely seen without perfectly tended nails.

You can’t blame them too much: little girls have always enjoyed dressing up. It’s just that there’s a fine line between playing dress-up and looking as if you’ve just stepped out of one of those creepy children’s beauty pageants. After all, it is okay for children to have their faces painted like butterflies. The problem comes when it is more about provocation than playing. The Shoreditch beauty salon The Parlour, for example, hosts Sugar Plum Parties for girls aged 4-8, but the focus is on dressing up, curling hair and having fun; not until they are 8 can they opt for an event where “subtle make-up” is included.

In my mind, if you have a preteen daughter who just wants to dot her eyelids with sparkly eye shadow once in a while, you should probably count yourself lucky. The news that the Florida-based plastic surgeon Dr Michael Salzhauer has written a book entitled My Beautiful Mommy – which explains to children as young as four why “mommy” looks so different after a tummy tuck, nose job and boob job – should strike fear into the heart of any parent. If children are educated at such a young age to believe that the shape and size of their features can be changed on a whim, who knows what they’ll be begging their parents for next?

Lust of the week

Most mums are pretty adept at multitasking, so it’s no surprise that many have found a new purpose for their baby’s nappy cream, using it to soften their own cheeks, too. Apparently, Waitrose’s olive-oil-based Baby Bottom Butter scored such rave reviews on the parenting website Mumsnet.com as a “miracle” facial moisturiser, it is now selling out in stores. Make sure you snap up a pot as soon as stocks are replenished. £2.50

Try 3: nappy creams

Most mums would prefer to cure their baby’s nappy rash with a natural skin-soother. We put three to the test.

Erbaviva Diaper Cream, £15; 020 7503 7376
Thick and chalky, this provided a mild barrier against clamminess.

Neal’s Yard Organic Baby Balm, £7
An organic salve with shea-nut butter that is pure enough for newborns. Extremely nourishing and good on dry, chafed skin.

Weleda Calendula Nappy Change Cream, £5.25; 0115 944 8222
Tested on eczema-prone skin, this excellent barrier is rich in soothing calendula.

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