'Sephora kids' are using anti-aging creams. A new study says harms aren't just skin deep

Natalie Stechyson · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 18, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

If you've precocious witnessed a 10-year-old smear their look with an $80 anti-wrinkle pick — either successful existent beingness oregon successful immoderate fig of "Get Ready With Me" TikTok videos — you're astir apt already alert of the "Sephora kids" skin-care trend that has young people clamouring for anti-aging products acknowledgment successful portion to what they spot connected societal media.

Now, a caller study published successful Pediatrics this month, the archetypal peer-reviewed paper of its kind, found that skin-care solutions promoted connected TikTok not lone connection small to nary payment for children and teens, but they tin really beryllium harmful. And the risks spell beyond tegument harm (although, determination is that, too), the authors note.

"It's problematic to amusement girls devoting this overmuch clip and attraction to their skin," corresponding author Dr. Molly Hales, a postdoctoral probe chap and dermatologist successful the section of dermatology astatine Chicago's Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said successful a quality release.

"We're mounting a precise precocious modular for these girls. The pursuit of wellness has go a benignant of virtuousness successful our society, but the perfect of 'health' is besides precise wrapped up successful ideals of beauty, thinness and whiteness."

The authors in the survey analyzed 100 unsocial videos by contented creators betwixt the ages of 7 and 18, with an mean 1.1 cardinal views each. On average, each regimen featured six products, totalling astir $230 Cdn. On the higher extremity of the scale, immoderate of the girls utilized much than a twelve products connected their faces, the authors said.

WATCH | Explaining the 'Sephora kids' trend:

They recovered that lone a 4th of the skin-care routines included sunscreen use, the astir fashionable videos contained an mean of 11 irritating progressive ingredients for young tegument (such arsenic hydroxy acids) and the contented creators often layered multiple progressive ingredients oregon the aforesaid 1 implicit and implicit successful aggregate products.

In 1 video, the authors say, 1 miss applied 10 different products connected her look successful 10 minutes.

The videos besides sometimes had racially encoded connection that emphasized "lighter brighter skin," the authors noted.

The occupation with 'Sephora kids'

The "Sephora kids" trend, where children as young arsenic 8 oregon 9 usage anti-aging skin-care products purchased from quality retailers specified as Sephora, started rising successful popularity past twelvemonth — and truthful person attempts to halt it.

In California, for example, Alex Lee, a subordinate of the State Assembly, has been pushing a measure that would prohibition the merchantability of anti-aging products that incorporate potent and harsh ingredients to kids nether the property of 18. In May, CBS reported that the measure softly died without a vote.

And past December, Quebec's Order of Chemists published a informing that immoderate skin-care products designed for adults and popularized connected societal media should beryllium avoided by children due to the fact that the progressive ingredients tin beryllium harmful to young skin.

The products often incorporate beardown progressive ingredients that young tegument isn't decently equipped to handle, said Dr. Julia Carroll, a dermatologist and lecturer astatine the University of Toronto, who was not progressive successful the existent study.

WATCH | Quebec chemists pass astir skin-care products and tweens:

Younger tegument is typically much sensitive, truthful ingredients similar alpha-hydroxy acids and retinoids tin origin irritation, drying, peeling and dermatitis, Carroll told CBC News.

"It tin really sensitize their tegument and springiness them a lifelong allergy to an ingredient," she said.

The inclination besides creates a dependency wherever kids deliberation they request a 10-step routine, Carroll added, "when truly they conscionable request a gentle cleanser, a moisturizer and a sunscreen."

Gen Alpha drives sales

Canadians spent astir $9 cardinal US connected quality and personal-care products in 2024. According to Statistics Canada, households started spending "substantially" more connected idiosyncratic attraction aft the COVID-19 pandemic, expanding by 30 per cent successful 2023 compared with 2021.

Meanwhile, Generation Alpha continues to thrust skin-care sales in the United States, according to caller Nielsen data. A planetary Mintel marketing quality report this twelvemonth noted that this digital-first procreation besides has spending powerfulness projected to scope $5.5 trillion US by 2029, erstwhile the oldest of the cohort volition beryllium 19 years old.

Members of Gen Alpha, who were calved astir betwixt 2010 and 2024, see beauty influencers and their routines arsenic sources of inspiration, the Mintel study says.

"However, this acceleration into adult-oriented tegument attraction often results successful routines that prioritize appearance implicit wellness — a spread that the quality manufacture indispensable address," it adds.

For now on TikTok, wherever determination are immoderate 18.3 cardinal "Get Ready With Me" videos, Gen Alpha influencers show off their skin-care routines and "hauls" connected videos with millions of views and comments.

In the Pediatrics diary study, the authors found that these products thin to beryllium marketed heavy to younger consumers. They besides expressed interest that it's "nearly impossible" for parents and pediatricians to way precisely what children oregon adolescents are viewing.

"We're seeing kids arsenic young arsenic 8 oregon nine who are utilizing anti-aging ingredients they picked up connected TikTok," Carroll said.

"You're mounting kids up for an unrealistic quality modular that isn't truly due for an eight-year-old, nine-year-old, 10-year-old. They already person usually beauteous cleanable skin, truthful to acceptable them down that roadworthy that aboriginal tin beryllium rather harmful."

LISTEN | How bash cosmetics impact my tegument health?: