ANALYSIS | Why banning tweens from buying anti-aging products won't stop the Sephora kids | CBC News (2024)

Since when did telling tweens what they can and can't do work out, anyway?

A California bill that aimed to ban selling certain anti-aging skin-care products to children under age 13 failed to move forward last week, endingDemocratic Assemblymember Alex Lee's attempt to combat the so-called Sephorakids trend.

The trend, where kids as young as eight or nine use anti-aging skin-care products purchased from beauty retailers such asSephora, has been dividing parents, dermatologists, retailers and social media.

Millionsof people have watched and sharedvideoscondemning it,anddermatologists have warned that some of these products aren't meantfor pediatricskin. But with the bill's failure, andGeneration Alpha continuingto drive skin-care salesin North America, some youth and mediaexperts say a product ban was never the answer.

Not when there are 11.9 million "get ready with me" videos on TikTok, and Gen Alpha influencersshowing off their skin-care routinesand "hauls" on videos with millions of viewsand comments.

Meanwhile, the global beauty industry made $430 billion US in revenue in 2022, with skin care making up the lion's share, according to a 2023 report by consulting firm McKinsey& Company.

The real issue is capitalism, and the drive to get kids to consume as much as possible,said Shauna Pomerantz, a professor of child and youth studies at Brock University. And the more beauty trends that exist on social media, the more kids will buy, she added.

"Kids will simply find other ways to get it,"Pomerantztold CBC News.

WATCH | Breaking down the Sephora kids trend:

The products aren't the problem: industry group

Shana MacDonald, an associate professor in communication arts at the University of Waterloo, says the problem lies more with social media.

"Young girls have always been interested in skin care and in makeup products. It's just that at this current moment, that's being furthered by the social media machine — that means the stakes are higher," MacDonald said.

California's BillAB 2491would havebanned the sale of over-the-counter skin-careor cosmetic products to kids under age 13 that containeitherVitamin A and its derivatives (such asretinoids andretinol), or an alpha hydroxy acid, including glycolic acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) or citric acid.

These ingredients, which can boost cell turnover and help reduce fine lines, can also irritate skin, causingredness, itching and dryness, and potentially lead to topical dermatitis and eczema, according to a news release about the bill from Lee's office. Children also have more sensitive skin than adults, it noted.

The riskis sensitization, meaning development of allergic contact dermatitis, to specific ingredients in these products, pediatric dermatologistDr. Michele Ramien, the president of the Canadian Dermatology Association, told CBC News.

"Many are highly fragranced and/or have many ingredients, so especially for tweens and teens with eczema or sensitive skin, this risk of this type of skin allergy is real," Ramien said.

The problem is thatsocial media pressureskids touse the the productsinappropriately,the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) said in a news releaseat the end of April.

The PCPC is a U.S.national trade association representing over 600 companies — including Sephora'sparent company, LVMH.

"Every ingredient targeted by this bill is safe when used as directed at the appropriate age,"itsaid.

"Trends come and go...but the underlying motivation for following trends remain largely the same," said Michelle Chen, assistant professor in the communication, pop culture and film department, also at Brock University.

"People follow trends because of their desire for social validation by their peers."

Tweens are especially susceptible because they're starting to carve out their identity, she said.

And while there is atrend toward selling skin-care products to boys, it's mostly girls and women targeted by the beauty industry, where there's a "hyper-sexistculture and gender double standard,"Pomerantz said.

Gen Alpha driving beauty sales, and some brands are on board

Canadian beauty industrysalesrose 18 per cent in the first nine months of 2023, according to global analytics firm Circana. And the firm said Gen Alpha will likely drive growth for "years to come."

"Social media content no doubt sways Gen Alpha," said beauty director and industry analyst Jennifer Famiano in a May 14 post.

"It's a game in which the consumer is looking purely at aesthetics, with the measure of success being an enviable 'shelfie'for their 'get ready with me'video showing off their collection."

Others have argued that brands like Drunk Elephant, considered a status symbol among tweens, aren't helping, with their colourful packaging andcute names, like the "Itty Bitty Midi CommitteeAcid Kit."

Ina social media post last December, Drunk Elephant offered up a list of product recommendationsfor children, including a $92 bottle of Virgin Marula Luxury Face Oil. The product says it treats issues likefine linesand uneven texture.

"None of this is appropriate for children," a user wrote in the comments, one of many.

Drunk Elephant makes products for all ages, and everyone justneeds to be clear on which products are appropriate for whom, founder Tiffany Masterson said inan Instagram video in December.

"It's great because ...they're learning how to take care of their skin. My guess is theirskin is going to look better thana lot of other people's skin," she said in the video.

Drunk Elephant is marketing directly to a younger demographic, Pomerantzsaid, getting children and parents to fork over "enormous amountsof money for the privilege of the brand."

"This brand, more than any other, has made skin care a thing for kids," she said.

Most tweens and teens only need to wash their faces twice a day and use moisturizer if your skin is dry, Ramien, the dermatologist, explained. She recommends usinga gentle non-soap cleanser like Dove, and a Cetaphil or Cerave moisturizer.

And always use an SPF, she added.

WATCH | How social media harms girls' mental health:

So what'sthe answer?

Kids have followed trends to gain acceptance from their peers longbefore social media, Chen pointsout.

After all,in the 1990s, kids exfoliated layers of skin off their faces with apricot scrubs and smeared themselves with benzoyl peroxide zit creams sostrong they bleached their pillowcases.

The difference is that social mediacreates more pressure, Chen said,whereinteractions are aform of social currency.

Meanwhile,influencer culture has normalized using luxury products, like hundred-dollar skin creams, MacDonald said. So some of the responsibility lies with families to have conversations with kids about what'sappropriate for youngskin, and being able to recognize that a lot of what they see online is marketing.

But theonus is also on the skin-care industry itself, Pomerantz said.

"For as long as marketers have preyed on the insecurities of girls and women, they have purchased beauty products," she said.

"The skin-care industry should take greater responsibility to ensure their products are not marketed in a way that signals they are for kids."

In the meantime, Gen Alpha influencers continue to build followings online with their hauls and routines.

"Sephora haul!" says a childwho pronounces it "Sephowa"in a video with 1.2 million views, before dabbing a night cream containing alpha hydroxy acids— meant for smoothing fine lines — on her cheeks and forehead.

WATCH | Media literacy and self-image tips for kids: