Sephora Kids: do 10-year-olds need a skin care regimen?

Tween skin care trends exploded Social media has fueled rising interest in high-end skincare products among children, raising health concerns.

Any parent of a tween may have noticed there are a lot of high-end skin care products on wish lists this year.

That includes child psychologist Dr. Tamara Soles who says she’s had to have a talk with her daughter about why she wants these products.

“When I hear the words Drunk Elephant out of a ten-year old’s mouth, I know that something’s trending that we need to understand,” she said.

Soles says there’s nothing new about kids wanting to play dress up and experiment with makeup.

But social media has amplified those desires and birthed the so-called “Sephora Kids” movement, where young influencers demonstrate their skin care regimens, and makeup routines.

“So many kids are on Tik Tok and other social media platforms, they're seeing these skin influencers, these young kids talking about their skincare routines. And so, it's not only serving as something that they feel like they should be a part of in order to belong, but even the products themselves have almost become status symbols,” said Soles.

One study found the number of skin care and cosmetics customers aged nine to12 has doubled over the past five years.

High end skin serums and lotions, some of which tout anti-aging benefits, are driving this growth.

Quebec’s Order of Chemists issued a warning earlier this month of the danger these products, some which contain retinoids and acids, can have on young skin.

“So, you have skin peeling, you can have rashes. You can have acne. And you can actually go all the way to some minor chemical burns,” said the order’s president Michel Al Sayegh.

The damage can be more than skin deep. Soles said parents need to ask questions.

“So, when we're doing it because it's fun, it's playful, that's one thing. But when we're doing it because we feel pressured or because we start to not feel confident unless we're putting on our glam faces, we have a problem,” she said.

Limiting social media is one thing parents can do, but she said it’s also important to find activities that their children enjoy doing to build up their confidence and competence.