Helping ‘Sephora kids’

Amid viral videos and news stories about preteens dubbed “Sephora kids” raiding makeup stores to stock up on aesthetic skin care, Assemblymember Alex Lee, D-Milpitas, is proposing a bill banning the sale of anti-aging skin care to anyone under 13. 

In a time when children spend significant time on social media, they’ve become a targeted audience for the advertisement of consumer goods, often guised under skin care routines by influencers.

Dermatologist Dr. Brooke Jeffy said that skin care has become a social status indicator, much in the way that certain fashion items have been in the past. However, she said this trend is different because it can have actual health and safety consequences. 

“Kids really want to fit in and that’s always been true,” Jeffy said. “But now it’s not just trying to fit in with your classmates, it’s trying to fit in with people you think you have a relationship with who show up constantly on your feed.” 

Common ingredients in anti-aging skin products are retinol, glycolic acid and ascorbic acid. These aim to boost collagen production and increase cell turnover, but collagen is not something your skin begins to lose until you are in your 20s, Jeffy said. These products can also cause skin irritations such as redness, dryness, peeling and could lead to topical dermatitis and eczema. 

Jeffy said there are some children who look toward products containing retinol or exfoliants because they experience breakouts or oily skin, but this is much more unlikely for those under 13, further establishing how unnecessary it is for preteens to buy these products. 

“It’s important to focus on the fact that these are not completely safe products and that you can’t just put anything on your skin without any consequences,” Jeffy said.

Assembly Bill 2491 would ban the products advertised to address skin aging and contain Vitamin A and its derivatives including retinol, and or an alpha hydroxy acid including glycolic acid, ascorbic acid or citric acid. 

Lee’s bill comes after the British Association of Dermatologists warned that children using anti-aging products can result in irreversible skin problems and a Swedish pharmacy chain announced an age limit to restrict the sale of anti-aging products to those under 15. 

“AB 2491 protects our youth from the unnecessary risks of using products that are not suitable for their skin care needs,” Lee said in a statement. “Children and preteens do not need anti-aging products and often lack proper information about the effects and risks of using these products.”

According to dermatologists, all that a child typically needs is a gentle cleanser, light moisturizer and sunscreen. 

When Jeffy asks her younger clients why they buy products, she said she often hears it is because of the aesthetically pleasing packaging. More often than not, she said how a product looks on their sink or vanity is what drives a purchase, and companies are capitalizing.

“Brands are coming up in the skin care space and are taking advantage of knowing that,” Jeffy said. 

These brands are noting how much social media plays a role in what children want to buy, she added. 

Young social media users are susceptible to all of the varying information shared on social media platforms, which often are shared by nonprofessionals. In addition to misinformation, even the accurate facts shared by beauty gurus and social influencers are simply intended for an older audience with more mature skin.

The Personal Care Products Council, a lobbying group for the global cosmetics and personal care products industry, said in an email that increasing education on the ingredients used in products is essential. However, it still values supporting consumer choice. 

“We look forward to working with California legislators and other stakeholders as AB 2491 makes its way through the legislative process to develop practical and effective regulations,” the PCPC said in a statement. “We will continue to advocate for policies that protect young people while preserving choice and industry innovation. Our companies support enhancing self-esteem, not creating needless ‘appearance anxiety.’”