(NewsNation) — With the rising popularity of luxury makeup and anti-aging skincare among teens, a California lawmaker is sounding an alarm about the dangers of ingredients in cosmetics, proposing a bill that would ban the sale of the products to people under 18.
Assemblymember Alex Lee, D-San Jose, introduced the bill Tuesday, aiming to prohibit the sale of cosmetics to minors if they contain vitamin A and its derivatives.
Products containing retinoids, retinol, alpha hydroxy acids, glycolic acids, ascorbic acids, and citric acids are on the chopping block.
This comes as consumers of beauty merchandise are getting younger. Elementary-age kids are flocking to beauty stores, and social media, especially TikTok, is an enticing motivation to show off the latest goods.
Anti-aging skincare products are the latest trend, but some are concerned about the dermatological harm products made for adults can have on children.
“Children who are 10 years old, 12 years old, shouldn’t have to worry about wrinkles,” Lee told The Los Angeles Times.
Gen Z and Gen Alpha are now being called “Sephora Kids.”
“The viral trend of Sephora Kids is better marketing than any company could ever pay for,” Lee said. “The multibillion-dollar industry is willingly profiting off this trend, even though they themselves admit and know that those products are not safe for children.”
What is a Sephora Kid?
“Sephora Kid” refers to young consumers, particularly those under 18, of anti-aging skincare and makeup, as the industry begins to market toward teens.
Gen Alpha, those born between 2010 and 2024, are the primary demographic, but some Gen Zers (born between 1997 and 2012) can be considered a “Sephora Kid.”
The term is derived from the global beauty retailer Sephora.
