“Strawberry smoothie!, I found it!” shrieks a high-pitched 10-year-old voice.
“I need the Baby Face serum,” says another 5th-grade girl.
“It’s right here,” says a third. “Oh, it’s actually kind of cute,” she adds, referring to the baby pink packaging.
That’s just some of the audio recorded when CBS News California Investigates Correspondent Julie Watts sent her 5th-grade daughter and some classmates (with parents’ permission) undercover shopping for skincare products to see what would happen when the kids tried to buy products that, according to dermatologists, contain anti-aging ingredients that could harm their young skin.
From bubblegum cleansers to Sephora Barbie to kid-fluencers promoting viral brands, the skincare industry is cashing in on the so-called “Sephora kids” trend, named after one of the trendy cosmetic stores that sells the viral skincare brands, though Sephora didn’t create the trend.
Nielsen data show Gen Alpha (kids under 12) households spend billions of dollars a year on skincare and makeup. However, dermatologists warn that many viral products, which are sold in brightly-colored packaging and appear to be marketed to kids, often contain hidden anti-aging ingredients that can harm young skin.
The industry says it doesn’t market adult skincare to kids, but most shoppers wouldn’t know that by looking at the shelf or even the fine print on the fruit-shaped and brightly colored packaging with product names like “strawberry smooth” and “baby facial.”
“Do you think it smells like blackberries?” one girl asked when selecting a retinol product in a blackberry-shaped bottle that comes in a fruit-covered box. “Probably,” another girl responded.
In a recent interview with Fortune Magazine, Sephora’s CEO insisted that the company does not market to kids. “It is incumbent on us, it is incumbent on our over 250, 300 brands, that we’re talking to the right audience at the right time about the right thing.”
Meanwhile, we found Sephora sale promotions on Instagram featuring Sephora Barbie, Sephora stickers, and cartoons.
In response to criticism, popular brand Drunk Elephant posted this list on social media with products that it says are safe for kids. We found another list of products that kids should avoid in their online FAQs under the “Younger Fans” section.
Take a look at the shelf. Can you tell the difference?
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