By Jessica Scarpati –
Back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, parents of grade-school children thought they had it bad with Beanie Babies and Pokémon. But now preadolescent parents may be worse off thanks to tweens descending on cosmetic stores such as Sephora and Ulta, earning them the nickname “Sephora kids.”
Taking their cues from beauty influencers on TikTok and other social media platforms, these preteens are looking for more than just a little pimple cream. Children as young as 9 and 10 claim they are anxious to ward off wrinkles and achieve an airbrushed complexion by dropping hundreds of (their parents’) dollars on luxury anti-aging creams and serums meant for people with, you know, actual wrinkles. Chances are, however, these precious young ones aren’t doing themselves any favors.
“My almost-13-year-old has so much skincare [merchandise] she could open a satellite Sephora location in her bathroom,” one Massachusetts mother bemoaned to The Boston Globe.
While preteens preening over their appearance is nothing new, doctors are warning parents that products intended for adults ― often containing heavier or harsher ingredients ― can do unnecessary damage to younger, more delicate skin.
“They come in with redness, burning, itching, scaling and rashes,” dermatologist Dr. Lauren Penzi told CNN about the younger patients she sees at practice. “One of the ingredients they might be truly allergic to or it’s way too irritating for their skin barrier.”
In addition to harsh exfoliants, a popular ingredient in anti-aging products is retinol, a form of vitamin A that can reduce the appearance of wrinkles by increasing the skin’s production of collagen and elastin, giving the skin a plumper appearance.
In an interview with USA Today, Arizona-based pediatric dermatologist Dr. Brooke Jeffy described an 11-year-old patient whom she had treated for a severe rash around her eyes. The girl had been using beauty products with retinol.
“This rash had been going on for so long and was so intense, it’s probably going to take at least a month, if not more, to totally resolve ― all for trying to use an anti-aging product that she doesn’t need,” Jeffy said.
Besides triggering these kinds of painful conditions, the “Sephora kids” trend is also pretty painful for parents’ wallets. One product with a rabid following is a moisturizer by the company Drunk Elephant. It retails for $69.
“Kids have access to all kinds of information now and are being influenced and targeted by these product companies via social media influencers who are paid to hawk this stuff,” Chicago-based pediatric dermatologist Dr. Brandi Kenner-Bell noted in Next Steps in Derm blog. “These kids then beg and harass their parents to buy them all this stuff, and parents have a hard time saying ‘no.’ They see it as harmless.”
What’s needed? Well, experts suggest focusing on the old adage “less is more” when it comes to tween skincare. Before teen hormones kick in, gentle cleansing and sunscreen are all that most young children need.
It’s probably also a good idea to limit the time spent on social media.
