If you’ve been to a beauty outlet lately and were shocked to see more teens and kids there, you’re not the only one. The internet is reeling at the number of kids at beauty stores purchasing not just expensive but also ones that could damage their skin. Additionally, Sephora employees have also taken to Reddit and X to voice out how these kids are being disrespectful to not just employees but other customers as well!
“They are always messing up with testers, emptying them and mixing different products. For people like me who really want to analyze a product before buying it, it’s inconvenient,” A Sephora customer wrote on the website that’s become a conversation starter for other shoppers to share similar experiences.
What’s Really Happening?
Call it the side effects of too much internet or influencers doing their job too well, a growing number of school children and teenagers are shelling out thousands for skincare and beauty products designed for older people. They even have a term now – Sephora Kids.
One user made an accurate observation about how kids today don’t really have anything marketed toward them. While the millennials had Barbies and Bratz toys to play with as kids and drugstore makeup products to dive into as teenagers, Gen Alpha has Instagram and TikTok flooded with adults talking about skin barrier and haircare. They even have an entire 10-step routine figured out!
These girls already have the fear of ageing instilled in them. From eye creams to retinol and AHAs, they’re purchasing it all without really understanding that right now, they don’t need such targeted skincare or younger-looking skin. Between the ages of 10-14, most girls hit puberty which often wreaks havoc and brings about multiple changes in your skin. Even ingredients like peptides, ceramides, etc. while great for the skin, are only required once the skin barrier is developed.
Between 10-14 is also a crucial time for the skin, according to experts, and there’s no better way than keeping things simple to bring about its best version. As long as you follow basic hygienic practices – wash your face, and use a basic moisturiser and sunscreen, you don’t need to apply anything else to your skin.
The Ideal Time To Start Using Different Ingredients
This is debatable. Some experts believe it’s okay to start with basic ingredients like hyaluronic acid and vitamin C in the early 20s. However, stronger ingredients must be used on the skin only once you hit 30 – nowhere close to the age at which Gen Alpha is buying these products!
| Age | Ingredient |
| 0-14 | Sunscreen and maybe a body lotion |
| 20-25 | Hyaluronic acid |
| 20-25 | Vitamin C |
| 25 onwards | AHAs |
| 25 onwards | BHAs |
| 30 onwards | Retinol |
| 30 onwards | Peptides & Ceramides |
While this is what most experts suggest, it’s still best to consult a dermatologist before starting with acids and retinoids. On the other hand, if you have acne-prone skin, your dermat might recommend a salicylic acid-based product (a BHA), much before you hit 25.
That being said, I do see both sides of the problem. School kids today have nothing targeted towards them and are over-exposed to the internet, where they are bound to pick things up. When I was 10, I was too busy trading Pokemon cards and still making time to give my Barbie a much-needed makeover by chopping all her hair off (something neither of us recovered from). Skincare was the last thing on my mind. The kids of today only watch dance recreations and skincare reels and TikToks, what else are they supposed to end up doing?
Featured Image: Instagram