Calling the trend of children buying antiaging skin care “ridiculous and a paradox,” a state legislator has introduced a bill that would ban the sale of such beauty products to customers under the age of 18.
The recent obsession among so-called Sephora Kids for skin care containing potent chemicals has alarmed parents and dermatologists, who say anti-wrinkle serums, exfoliants and peels are too harsh for sensitive young skin.
Under a bill introduced Tuesday by Assemblymember Alex Lee (D-San José), retailers would be prohibited from selling cosmetic products to shoppers under 18 if they contain vitamin A and its derivatives, including retinoids and retinol. Products containing an alpha hydroxy acid, including glycolic acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and citric acid, would also be covered.
“Children who are 10 years old, 12 years old, shouldn’t have to worry about wrinkles,” Lee said in an interview with The Times. “The viral trend of Sephora Kids is better marketing than any company could ever pay for. 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.”
For more than a year, a fast-growing army of kids, many still in elementary school, have been swarming into beauty stores around the country and showing off their skin-care hauls and elaborate morning and nighttime regimens on TikTok and YouTube.
The skin-care phenomenon among Gen Alpha — typically defined as those born between 2010 and 2024 — is leading to a windfall of unexpected business for the booming global skin-care industry, which historically has targeted women, not girls.
Cosmetics brands and the retailers that carry their products are facing a delicate balancing act as they figure out how to market to a growing cohort of impressionable customers. Many are rolling out kid-friendly skin-care products with colorful, eye-catching packaging, while noting that they do not promote products with active ingredients to children.
Dermatologists encourage kids to get into the habit of using age-appropriate products such as a daily sunscreen, gentle cleanser and hydrating moisturizer.
But they draw the line at potentially harmful skin care intended to slow the aging process in adults, and worry “skinfluencers” are pushing children to splurge on expensive products they don’t need. They’re also concerned the craze is kick-starting an unhealthy fixation with physical appearance.
“If someone is just trying to start incorporating skin care into their routine and they don’t have any concerns like acne, then definitely try to stay away from active ingredients,” said Dr. Jayden Galamgam, a pediatric dermatologist at UCLA Health. “They can cause a lot of irritation for kids’ skin.”
Sephora did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Lee introduced the bill, AB 728, after an earlier version failed in May. The new iteration goes a step further than last year’s bill, which sought to ban the sale of antiaging products to shoppers under 13.
The earliest AB 728 could be signed into law would be October.
Lee acknowledged that some young consumers will inevitably try to get their parents or older friends to buy the products for them, but that it was “important that we send a strong market signal” nonetheless.
“Just because someone will try to cheat the system, it doesn’t mean we don’t have over-18-and-plus laws on marijuana, on alcohol, on tobacco,” he said. “Because the reality is there are a lot of kids today who are able to purchase something that is harmful for them and there’s nothing stopping them.”
