And since when has it ever been okay to dictate to teenagers what they can and can’t do?
In California, a bill aimed at banning the sale of certain anti-aging skin care products to children under 13 failed to pass last week, ending Democratic Rep. Alex Lee’s attempt to fight the so-called Sephora Kids trend.
The trend of 8- and 9-year-olds using anti-aging skin care products purchased from beauty retailers like Sephora has divided opinion among parents, dermatologists, retailers and social media.
Millions of people have watched and shared videos decrying the bill, with dermatologists warning that some of these products are not suitable for children’s skin. But with the bill defeated and Gen Alpha continuing to drive skin care sales in North America, some youth and media experts say banning the products was never the answer.
Not really, with TikTok having 11.9 million “get ready with me” videos, where Gen Alpha influencers show off their skincare routines and “shopping lists,” garnering millions of views and comments.
Meanwhile, the global beauty industry is expected to generate revenue of US$430 billion in 2022, with skincare making up the bulk of the revenue, according to a 2023 report from consulting firm McKinsey & Company.
The real problem is capitalism and its drive to get kids to consume as much as possible, said Shauna Pomerantz, a professor of child and adolescent studies at Block University, adding that the more beauty trends there are on social media, the more kids are motivated to buy them.
“Kids just find other ways to get it,” Pomerantz told CBC News.
Social media has been buzzing about how many teenagers are becoming obsessed with makeup and skincare, in a trend dubbed “Sephora Kids.” CBC’s Anya Zoledewski explains how they’re getting so obsessed, and why experts are divided on whether we should be worried about it.
No problem with the product: Industry group
Shanna MacDonald, an associate professor of communication arts at the University of Waterloo, said the problem lies with social media.
“Young women have always been interested in skin care and cosmetics, but at this point, that has been accelerated by the power of social media and it’s becoming more risky,” McDonald said.
California’s bill, AB 2491, would ban the sale of over-the-counter skin care products or cosmetics that contain vitamin A or its derivatives (such as retinoids or retinol) or alpha hydroxy acids, such as glycolic acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), or citric acid, to children under the age of 13.
According to a press release from Rep. Lee’s office about the bill, these ingredients, which help increase cell turnover and reduce fine lines, can also irritate the skin, causing redness, itching, and dryness, leading to localized dermatitis or eczema, and children’s skin is more sensitive than adults’.
Dr. Michelle Ramien, president of the Canadian Academy of Dermatology and a pediatric dermatologist, told CBC News that there’s a risk of sensitization to certain ingredients in these products, or developing allergic contact dermatitis.
“Many products have strong fragrances or contain many ingredients, so the risk of this type of skin allergy is real, especially for pre-teens and teenagers with eczema or sensitive skin,” Ramien said.
The problem is that social media pressures kids to use products inappropriately, the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) said in a news release at the end of April.
PCPC is a national trade association in the U.S. that represents more than 600 companies, including Sephora’s parent company, LVMH.
“All of the ingredients covered by this bill are safe when used as directed at appropriate ages,” the bill states.
“Trends come and go, but the underlying motivations for following trends tend to stay the same,” said Michelle Chen, an assistant professor in Brock University’s school of communication, pop culture and film.
“People follow trends because they want social validation from their peers.”
Teenagers are especially vulnerable because they are beginning to forge their own identities, she said.
While skin care products tend to be marketed to boys, the beauty industry primarily targets girls and women, creating an “extremely sexist culture and gender double standards”, Pomerantz said.
Gen Alpha is driving beauty sales, and some brands are following suit
Canadian beauty industry sales Rose That’s expected to grow by 18% in the first nine months of 2023, according to global analytics firm Circana, which said Gen Alpha is likely to drive growth “for the next few years.”
“There’s no doubt that social media content motivates Gen Alpha,” beauty director and industry analyst Jennifer Famiano said in a May 14 post.
“This is a game where consumers are looking purely at aesthetics, and the measure of success is an enviable ‘shelf’ for the ‘get ready with me’ videos showing off their collections.”
But others argue that brands like Drunk Elephant, seen as a status symbol among teenagers, with their colorful packaging and cutesy names like “Itty Bitty Middy Committee Acid Kit,” aren’t helping.
In a social media post last December, Drunk Elephant shared a list of recommended products for kids, including the $92 Virgin Marula Luxury Face Oil, which claims to address concerns like fine lines and uneven skin tone.
“None of this is suitable for children,” one user wrote in one of many comments.
Drunk Elephant makes products for all ages, it’s just that everyone needs to be clear about which products are right for who, founder Tiffany Masterson said in an Instagram video in December.
“It’s great because they’re learning how to take care of their skin. I think their skin will be better than a lot of other people’s,” she said in the video.
Pomerantz said Drunk Elephant markets directly to young people, getting kids and parents to pay “enormous amounts of money for the privilege of the brand.”
“This brand, more than any other brand, has made skin care kid-friendly,” she said.
Dermatologist Ramien explained that most pre-teens simply need to wash their face twice a day and use a moisturizer if their skin is dry. She recommends using a gentle, soap-free cleanser like Dove and a moisturizer from Cetaphil or CeraVe.
And be sure to use sunscreen, she added.
Spending too much time on social media is damaging girls’ mental health and affecting their learning, a new UNESCO report warns, and also finds that girls are more likely than boys to have negative feelings about their appearance and body image.
So what’s the answer?
Kids have been following trends to gain acceptance from their peers since long before social media, Chen noted.
After all, in the 1990s, kids were peeling layers of skin off their faces with apricot scrubs and slathering their bodies with benzoyl peroxide acne creams so strong they would bleach your pillowcases.
The difference, Chen said, is that social media creates more pressure and interactions become a kind of social currency.
Meanwhile, influencer culture has normalized the use of luxury products like $100 skin creams, McDonald said, so part of the responsibility falls on families to talk to their kids about what’s appropriate for their skin and to help them recognize that a lot of what they see online is marketing.
But Pomerantz says the skin care industry itself also bears some responsibility.
“For as long as marketers have been preying on girls’ and women’s insecurities, they have been buying beauty products,” she said.
“The skin care industry must take greater responsibility to ensure their products are not marketed in a way that suggests they are for children.”
Meanwhile, Gen Alpha influencers continue to grow their followings online through their activities and routines.
“I got this from Sephora!” a child pronounces “Se-fo-wah!” in a video that has been viewed 1.2 million times as she applies a night cream containing alpha hydroxy acids (which are said to help smooth out fine lines) to her cheeks and forehead.
Calling the Happiness Hotline helped Janayye discover how to use social media to feel more confident and not overwhelm her space.
