"Sephora Kids"

“Sephora Kids” is a term used to refer to children as young as eight but no older than twelve. The trend began on social media, with children being influenced by young influencers and celebrities. An article by Branding New York City refers to this as “influencer marketing.” One of the most influential posts from a young influencer was one made by Kim Kardashian’s daughter. According to CBC News, her morning routine “included a sheet mask, lip mask, and toner. She was nine at the time.” Similar videos have gone viral with dermatologists critiquing them as well.

An article published by Yale Medicine last November explained that, “Children’s skin is thinner, softer, and more delicate than an adult’s skin, making it more sensitive to irritants." While some skincare companies including Drunk Elephant, one of the companies at the center of this trend, have released statements saying most of their products are kid friendly, many of the products children are buying are not meant for their skin, CBC says. According to Yale, using products containing ingredients like retinol or acids can cause irritation in kids because their skin barrier is not yet fully developed. The Guardian reviewed a study by Northwestern University in November of 2025 which states that “skincare routines posted by teens and tweens on TikTok contained an average of 11 potentially irritating active ingredients per routine.” This has the potential to cause “acute reactions and triggering life long reactions.”

According to the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, “In addition to the dermatological issues, the psychological impact of early exposure to beauty standards warrants significant attention.” Kids are having to deal with societal pressures even in elementary school. Not being able to achieve the bodies or looks they are aiming for based on what they see on social media may contribute to “unrealistic beauty standards and adversely affect children’s self-esteem and mental health.” Working with parents and kids to know what types of skincare products are healthy and appropriate for their kid is important, the journal says, as a child having a physical reaction to a product may affect them emotionally as well. 

Despite all of these findings, simply banning “Sephora kids” may not be an option. The Ivey Business Review states that “In 2023 alone, Gen Alpha spent nearly 4.7 billion USD on beauty products, with their spending power expected to reach 5.5 trillion by 2029.” According to Denise Shah, an associate professor of marketing at Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business, individual beauty companies have also benefited from this. A popular company called e.l.f has reportedly had such a rise in sales that their stock price has risen 203%. In addition to affecting the economy, there is divided opinion on whether or not wearing skincare and makeup at such a young age is a problem in the first place. CBC News says that adults who wore makeup as young children report it was a great form of self-expression for them. Psychologists also claim ‘tweens and kids mimicking trends they see in pop culture and from older role models is nothing new.” Though shopping for makeup and skincare may not be harming your child or younger sibling, be sure to watch out for ingredients such as retinol that could be harming their young skin!