Beauty Companies Dangerous Marketing for Children
- MakeupClasses
- 10 hours ago
- 5 min read
Twenty years ago, when you pictured a ten-year-old girl, you might think of twintail hairstyles, Lisa Frank notebooks, and stuffed-animal tea cup parties. Today, that image has shifted dramatically. These days young girls are more concerned with the latest Stanley Cup drop, the most popular skincare at Sephora, and what’s going viral on TikTok. What happened that made young girls grow up so quickly? The answer is much more complicated than it seems–and much of it points to the beauty industry’s targeting marketing.
The Sephora Kid
Now more than ever, tweens (aged 8-13) are immersed in skincare culture. Recent data shows that households with children 12 and under spent $2.4 billion in 2023 on skincare and makeup; their fascination for skincare has given them the nickname, “Sephora Kids.” Big makeup companies like Sephora and Ulta Beauty, use these skincare and makeup obsessed tweens to sell their product. While taking good care of your skin is very important, the issue lies in how these products are marketed.
The average child does not engage in advertising the way an adult does. Bright colors, fruit themes, cute characters, and playful packaging are designed to grab attention. However, behind the appealing design are ingredients that may not be safe for young skin. Without proper knowledge, children risk rashes, allergic reactions, and long-term skin damage.
Many of the popular skincare products that kids love, do not clearly identify what they are intended for or that the ingredients can be harmful to younger skin. Some skincare products contain Retinol, a derivative of Vitamin A, which is commonly used for anti-aging and acne treatment. Retinol boosts cell turnover and stimulates collagen, which benefits mature skin but can be dangerous for younger skin. Children already have high cell turnover, as well as more sensitive, thinner, and delicate skin, using products with retinol can cause irritation, dryness, stinging, and possibly permanent damage.
Assembly Bill 728
On April 29, 2025, member of the California State Assembly, Alex Lee proposed Assembly Bill 728. This bill proposed that it is unlawful for a person, firm, or corporation to sell to another person under 18 an over-the-counter anti-aging skin care product or anti-aging cosmetic product. Similar to products like tobacco and alcohol, this bill would trigger an age verification at check-out, making sure children under 18 do not buy harmful products.
Alex Lee brought in witness, Scarlett, an 11 year old girl who found skincare and Get Ready With Me’s during the pandemic. She went out and bought products herself that she saw were being promoted online. One of the products she purchased was a cute kitty cat animal face mask, not knowing that the product contained retinol. She then experienced burning and small bumps on her face, thinking the products weren’t working, she used more which caused further irritation.
Her story highlights a bigger issue, companies using cute animals and bright colors on products that contain dangerous ingredients. Despite concerns from parents and health advocates, unfortunately this bill was not passed due to the immense pushback from skincare and makeup industries, blaming social media for kids not understanding the products they are buying.
Why It’s Important
It’s important to know what products you are putting on your face, and even more important for your children to know. Most children don’t contact a dermatologist before buying skin products, instead rely on influencers and social media trends. Many of these online videos are sponsored by beauty brands, yet young viewers may not recognize them as advertisements. Children are being exposed to anti-aging messaging before they even reach their teenage years. This not only risks physical harm to their skin but also promotes unrealistic beauty standards and premature concerns about appearance.
Beauty companies have a responsibility to market ethically. When profit is prioritized over child safety, the consequences can be long-lasting. Protecting children from harmful ingredients and manipulative advertising is not about limiting self-expression—it is about ensuring that growing up does not come at the cost of their health. It is always important to know what products your child is interested in to make sure they are always safe and in the right hands.
Research quotes:
CBS News Confirmed analyzed more than a dozen popular TikTok accounts featuring skincare-obsessed teens and tweens and found that many featured products with anti-aging ingredients that, according to dermatologists, can be harmful to young skin.
Nielsen data show that households with children 12 and under spent $2.4 billion in 2023 on skincare and makeup — more than households with teens.
But many popular skincare products that contain retinols and other harsh anti-aging ingredients don't clearly identify what they are intended for or that the ingredients can be harmful to young skin.
"How do you get a child's attention amid all these other products in a store?" Cingel said. "You put fruits, you put things that are cute on it, you put bright colors, we know that those things draw and hold children's attention."
From bubblegum cleansers to Sephora Barbie to kid-fluencers promoting viral brands, the skincare industry is cashing in on the so-called "Sephora kids" trend, named after one of the trendy cosmetic stores that sells the viral skincare brands, though Sephora didn't create the trend.
Nielsen data show Gen Alpha (kids under 12) households spend billions of dollars a year on skincare and makeup. However, dermatologists warn that many viral products, which are sold in brightly-colored packaging and appear to be marketed to kids, often contain hidden anti-aging ingredients that can harm young skin.
Sephora's CEO insisted that the company does not market to kids. "It is incumbent on us, it is incumbent on our over 250, 300 brands, that we're talking to the right audience at the right time about the right thing." Meanwhile, we found Sephora sale promotions on Instagram featuring Sephora Barbie, Sephora stickers, and cartoons.
Assembly Bill 728 would trigger an age verification flag at the register when clerks scan "anti-aging" products with certain ingredients like retinol and harsh acids. Kids would need to be with someone over 18 in order to buy those products in-store, and there'd be a pop-up similar to this one for vapes when purchasing the products online.
"We know that developmentally, they don't recognize ads at the same level that adults do," Cingel said. "And it becomes much more blurred in a social media environment."
In a digital world, tweens and teens can also be influenced by what they see other adolescents doing online. This is one of the reasons why teenagers recommend cosmetics, creams and makeup to an audience of girls as young as 10, especially on TikTok. This situation has created a new mental health disorder in pubescent girls: “cosmeticorexia”. It is defined as the excessive interest in the use of cosmetics and facial care products, which are often harmful to young skin (Bisbal Delgado, 2024).
Let’s call this what it is: predatory marketing. Sephora, in particular, has capitalized on the social media landscape, where TikTok influencers promote their latest beauty hauls and skincare regimens to millions of followers, many of whom are barely teenagers. It’s a coordinated effort, designed to push products while preying on the insecurities of a generation that is still forming its identity.
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