With children driving almost 50 per cent of skincare sales growth, a leading pharmacy chain has introduced age restrictions for buying certain products
If you are 15 or younger and live in Sweden, you will no longer be able to buy skincare products with AHAs, BHAs, vitamin A (retinoids) and vitamin C at your local Apotek Hjärtat. The leading chain of pharmacies in the country has introduced age limits on anti-ageing and “advanced skincare” products, in an effort to put a stop to a rising phenomenon known to many as ‘Sephora Tweens’ – young kids using viral skincare products prematurely and damaging their skin.
“Using advanced skincare that, for example, aims to reduce wrinkles and get a more even skin tone is not something a child needs,” said Annika Svedberg, chief pharmacist at Apotek Hjärtat, which has around 390 stores around Sweden. The chain will not sell these products to custumers under 15 unless they have parental permission or a relevant skin condition. The company is hoping that this will start conversations between parents and their children about skincare routines that are based “on needs, not ideals” Svedberg sad.
Apotek Hjärtat’s CEO, Monika Magnusson, added: “We want to be ahead of the curve, and take greater responsibility for not being involved in pushing unhealthy behaviours and ideals that have grown up among many young people.”
These new restrictions come amid a skincare boom among Gen Alpha across the country, as well as the rest of Europe and the US. According to The Guardian, one beauty chain in Sweden said that between 20 to 40 per cent of its customers are now aged under 13. Anecdotal accounts across social media suggest that girls as young as 10 are shopping for brands like Drunk Elephant, Glow Recipe and harsh active ingredients like retinol. “I’m 11 and I think I know more about Drunk Elephant than you do,” says one TikTok video.
According to data released this week, tweens are driving 49 per cent of mass skincare’s growth. “We’ve traced [momentum] back to this general phenomenon of kids getting into the skincare category more quickly,” said Anna Mayo, vice president of NIQ’s beauty vertical. Cleansers, serums and masks are among the products young consumers are buying, she added.
The concern around the Gen Alpha skincare boom comes from worries about the damage harsh ingredients like retinol and exfoliating acids could do to young skin. “The skin of children is very different to that of an adult and this means that the skin barrier is more sensitive to the active ingredients in these products. It can expose children to products which can cause long-term sensitivities or allergies,” Dr Andrew Kane told ITV.
Equally important is worries around the anti-ageing and beauty standard messages that these young girls are learning. The fear of ageing is more intense than ever, and people of all ages are becoming increasingly unhappy with their appearance. Earlier this year, it was reported that one in 10 teenagers have tried harmful weight loss products, and eating disorders are on the rise. Young people are going into debt to try to maintain their cosmetic procedures and half of both men and women reportedly experience body dysmorphia. Young girls will inevitably want to have a skincare routine because that is what they are seeing in pop culture and the media they are consuming. It is our job to make sure that it is a routine based on keeping skin healthy, rather than adhering to damaging beauty ideals.