The “Sephora Kid” trend shows that teenagers are obsessed with skin care.But their overzealous approach is raising concerns

new york
CNN
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Teenagers are obsessed with skin care. Their curiosity about all kinds of creams, gels, face masks, and facial peels earned them the nickname “Sephora Kids.”

“The Sephora Kid trend is a real phenomenon,” says New York-based dermatologist Dr. Lauren Penge.

And skin care experts are praising the fact that children as young as eight years old seem so committed to taking care of their skin. The evidence is all over social media. At the same time, they are concerned that these young consumers are behaving in risky ways, from what they buy to where they buy it. – It causes unnecessary damage such as rashes, allergic reactions, and even skin burns.

Numerous recent TikTok and Instagram videos document the infiltration of so-called tweens into Sephora and Ulta stores, with many adults lamenting the Alpha generation takeover of these popular beauty product chains.

Tweens are drawn to Sephora and Ulta for the same reasons as adult shoppers. Both stores offer customers the option to try before they buy the beauty and fragrance products sold in-store.

At a Sephora store in New York City, Laneige is promoted by Drunk Elephant, Glow Recipe, and influencers, without asking much of the staff for advice or recommendations.

Offering products ranging from $38 for a 30ml bottle of the hugely popular ‘D-Bronzi’ Peptide Face Serum to $62 for a 50ml bottle of Lala Retro Whipped Cream, Drunk Elephant has the ‘It’s Okay to Get Drunk’ product. There is an online FAQ section that caters to younger customers. Are elephants used by children? ”

The response begins like this: “Yes, but not all of our product lines should be used by younger fans under the age of 12. They contain high concentrations of active ingredients that generally address concerns that don’t exist at that age.” We do not recommend the use of this product,” it continues, urging parental supervision.

Dr. Stacey Tull, a cosmetic dermatologist in Missouri, says preteens don’t properly understand popular skin care products like retinol, how to use them, and whether those products are actually suitable for young skin. I’m concerned that people are being fooled by the hype. Retinol is a type of vitamin A and is a popular skin care ingredient used to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in aging skin.

Tweens definitely don’t need to use retinol, Tal says.

“Retinol is derived from retinoic acid, and it’s actually for acne, but it first came to prominence as an anti-aging serum probably 20 years ago,” she says. “If a teenager is suffering from acne, they should consult their doctor or dermatologist and get a prescription for an anti-aging serum that contains retinol. However, the original purpose is to treat acne. It’s not about treating it, it’s about the wrong formulation. Treat your acne.”

Retinol products sold in beauty stores are aimed at older consumers’ mature skin, she said.

Dr. Penge shared similar concerns, saying he was concerned that the effects were already being felt among younger patients.

“This is the age when skin problems are most likely to occur. Hormonal changes, stress, poor hygiene, etc. are the causes. This is when they begin to understand what their skin type is,” she said. Ta. “It’s certainly a good thing that young people are aware of their skin type, but they need to learn how to properly care for their skin.”

But rushing to Sephora or Ulta to find products may be overkill. Her three products she recommends tweens to use are a gentle cleanser and moisturizer that’s appropriate for their skin, and a sunscreen. Additional products should only address specific needs at this age, such as oily or acne-prone skin.

Penge said she has seen many cases of allergic reactions among young patients recently. “It’s accompanied by redness, burning, itching, scaling, and a rash,” she says. “Either they’re really allergic to it, or it’s one of those ingredients that’s too harsh for their skin barrier.”

She also sees younger patients with worsening acne. “In the 10- to 12-year-old age group, we are definitely seeing cases with these symptoms more frequently than we used to,” Penge said.

“They’re young, so they don’t want to be aggressive with me. And their mom is always sitting in the back of the room telling me I’m using things that kids shouldn’t be using,” Penzi said. said.

Sephora, which is owned by French luxury goods group LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, declined to comment on the matter. The retailer operates more than 2,700 stores worldwide, including more than 1,000 independent stores in the United States. The beauty products chain also operates hundreds of smaller Sephora stores inside Kohl’s department stores.

Ulta, which operates more than 1,300 stores nationwide, told CNN in a comment: “We want to be a resource for guests of all ages and stages in their beauty journey. ”

“While we love seeing tweens and teens embracing skincare and establishing healthy habits early on, we want everyone to take responsibility for this. We want to address the category and provide you with access to information about the best ingredients for your skin care needs,” the emailed statement said.

Ulta says it offers educational guidance in stores and on Ulta.com, including “products recommended by dermatologists and brands formulated with youth in mind.” It is said that “Our associates will help customers find products that are gentle and effective for all skin types, especially younger generations.”

Jennifer O’Brien celebrated her twin girls’ 12th birthday at a Sephora store in Long Island, New York, in January.

The store offers birthday events for tweens and teens that include group beauty makeup and skin care 101 tutorials before or after the store opens.

“After the event, they had an hour to shop in the closed stores. The girls had the aisles all to themselves, filling their souvenir bags,” she said of the products she was buying for her daughters. said O’Brien, who is giving advice.

O’Brien said she understands Sephora’s appeal to teenagers. “It’s like an aspirational brand for them, like the Stanley tumbler craze. I see people on social media using Sephora products, so they don’t even know how to use them properly. But buying a product from there is like a status symbol, you can show your friends that you have it.”

At the same time, O’Brien, who worked in the cosmetics industry and ran a Sephora store inside J.C. Penney in New York City, has some concerns.

“My biggest concern is not being able to layer all these products on my daughters’ faces when they’re going through hormonal changes,” she said. “At some point, you can see that the skin can break out from there.”

Penge cited social media as a contributing factor to preadolescents’ feelings of exclusion. “Their friends are trying the product and want to do it. No one wants to be left out at this age,” she says.

Market research firm Sarkana, which tracks retailers’ in-store data, said the recent holiday season showed the popularity of skin care among Generation Alpha.

Receipt-based checkout data shows that spending on big-ticket beauty products (including skin care) among high-income households ($100,000 or more) increases by 16% when children under 18 are present, compared to households without children. It was revealed that the increase was significantly higher than the 6% increase in the previous year.

Cheryl Jorgensen Massoudi told CNN she doesn’t object to her daughter shopping at Sephora.

Still, Masoudi has limits on how much leeway she can give to her teenage daughter, who bought her a dressing table to show off her skincare collection for Christmas.

Masoudi said her 11-year-old son is very knowledgeable about skin care, but he still sometimes reaches for the wrong products. “She was looking at this product that tightens her skin, and I said to her, she needs to tighten her skin. Don’t do that.”