With the rise of influencers in our media, the trend of posting their “skincare routines” has been all over girls’ for you pages. Unfortunately, they’ve been reaching the wrong audience.
Many media outlets have recently covered the epidemic of tweens infiltrating beauty retailers like Sephora and Ulta to purchase skincare products that they see online. On the surface, while this may seem like a harmless trend amongst young teens, it has actually proven to cause concern amongst the public.
Skincare products range from creams, gels, lotions, solutions and serums. People buy skincare for a number of reasons, such as to treat acne, prevent wrinkling or age spots and much more.
The main problem that has arisen from this epidemic is the damage to public property these tweens have done. In these stores, testers are displayed so shoppers can have a feel of the product they are curious about. However, these tweens have not only used up the testers but also mixed outside products with the testers and left them extremely dirty. In response to this, some branches of stores like Sephora and Ulta have removed testers or enforced an age requirement to enter the stores.
Lambert Senior Nikki Raghavan commented on this issue.
“Part of it is just because of TikTok trends,” Raghavan commented. “They see people doing it on Tiktok, so they don’t have anyone to tell them that you’re not supposed to do that in stores.”
Not only is this practice of buying skincare at a young age harmful for businesses but for underaged consumers as well. Many of these products contain harmful chemicals such as retinol, harsh exfoliants and acidic substances. Applying these at such a young age will not only be ineffective but damage kids’ skin barrier in the long run.
Raghavan is also an avid consumer of skincare. However, she is aware that these products should be used in moderation.
“I’m like an avid makeup user, and I don’t spend more than twenty dollars on a single product,” Raghavan said. “Anything under $20 dollars is okay, a moisturizer, sunscreen, cleanser and not retinol. 10-year-olds need nothing more than that.”
This begs the question, when is the right age for skincare? While everyone’s skin is changing at the adolescent age and may have different needs, it’s important to remember that these products should never go to the extent of harming their skin. Tweens and teens should stick to the bare necessities in caring for their skin and leave the chemically concentrated products for their adult years.
