The California Legislature is currently considering a bill that would ban the sale of anti-aging skin care products to young children.
Assembly Bill 2491, sponsored by Rep. Alex Lee of San Jose, aims to ban the sale of anti-aging skin care products to children under 13.
The bill passed the Environmental Safety and Toxic Substances Committee last month and is scheduled to head to an appropriations hearing on May 16. If passed, the bill would go into effect on January 1, 2025.
The bill targets over-the-counter skin care products and cosmetics that advertise skin aging and contain certain ingredients such as vitamin A and its derivatives and alpha hydroxy acids. The main goal, proponents say, is to prevent young children from being exposed to these powerful substances, which are usually aimed at older adults with mature skin problems.
A young girl enters a Sephora store on April 6, 2024.
Yannick Billioux/Abaca/Sipa USA(Sipa via AP)
Industry representatives from the Personal Care Products Council, an industry group whose members include major companies like Sephora and Ulta, say the bill is unrealistic and “nearly impossible” to enforce, adding They claim that this could affect many essential products such as drugs.
The council also argues that member companies are already educating young consumers about age-appropriate product use, and that too much regulation limits access to safe skin care and outweighs profits. He says he is concerned that the harm could be greater.
In addition to prohibiting sales to children, this bill would impose strict requirements on companies doing business in California and require necessary steps to verify the age of purchasers to ensure compliance. It is mandatory to take the following measures. This could include introducing measures such as requiring ID and age verification systems at the point of sale.
“Children don’t need anti-aging products. AB 2491 protects children from potential harm from using products that can cause short-term or long-term skin conditions,” Lee said in an April press release. and will protect teenagers.” There is no other case. ”
The potential impact of this law is far-reaching. If passed, California would set a precedent as the first state to regulate the sale of anti-aging products to children, and other states could follow suit.
