After the pandemic, everyone took a break from the hustle and bustle of dressing up. There was a higher demand to take care of ourselves while the world was burning down around us. Skincare became trendy. To find some of the best skincare, people flocked to Ulta, Dior, YSL, and, of course, Sephora. Now, that we’re exiting the stress of the pandemic, we’re returning to a little bit of glam, but skincare has not been forgotten. It remains a strong selling point and a central part of many people’s self-care.
As of late in the make-up world, more and more Sephora employees and customers are reporting the trend of children and pre-teens entering Sephora stores near and far and getting into the make-up, playing with the displays, and using the luxury skin-care. To no one’s surprise, the presence of children in make-up stores in not a welcomed one. As someone who is highly into make-up, I’m sympathetic and can understand wanting peace to browse the stores and review the latest trends with the professionals. It’s a small moment of joy.
But, the presence of pre-teens and children in a store that caters to mainly a young adult and adult audience is not surprising. If anything, it is a right of passage to be a child and to want to be in adult-centered spaces. Using make-up makes one feel grown-up and stylish. It’s meeting your peers and showing them how elegant you are and that you’re no longer a little kid who plays with dolls. You’re one step closer to being seen as an adult. It’s a growing pain, but not an unexpected one.
The issue isn’t children wanting to play with make-up. That’s normal.
The issue is children wanting to play with skincare that has nothing to do with their skin.
Preventative Care
Everyone should use sunscreen, and moisturizer, and wear hats when outside as temps climb to historic highs. That is the basic foundation of skincare; taking preventative care to protect your skin. What we’re seeing more and more of, are children wanting to do masks, exfoliate, use strip pores, and use half a dozen other skin care products that are meant for skin with those issues, not baby skin. This isn’t saying that children shouldn’t be taught the virtues of taking care of personal hygiene and heaven knows that acne can strike at any time. Everyone should take care of their skin. Everyone should be able to use products that will help with their specific skin issue.
But there is no reason for children to be using retinol, peptide serum, or anything that has anti-aging in the title.
The greatest concern that I see with Sephora Kids storming the stores is children not only using skincare products that are ineffective but also pushing a subtle narrative that aging is the death of beauty. In the past years with botox becoming commonplace and fillers and filters being used by popular influencers to avoid any signs of aging, today’s generation and oncoming kids are presented with the idea that signs of aging are to be avoided.
Instilling a belief that goes against the natural flow of time will never end well for anyone. We can’t escape aging, but we can accept it for all the highs and lows that accompany it. We will get wrinkles. Laugh lines, a sign that we’ve enjoyed the life we’ve received will be apparent. Embrace that it is a part of life, rather than pushing the idea. Otherwise, I feel that if we fear the idea of aging, then eventually, as the signs of aging to begin to appear, anxiety will set in.
It’s important to have conversations with children of age-appropriate tools. A clay mask every once and a while for a tween is normal. Showing your children the proper way to take care of their skin is great parenting. But bringing your child into a make-up store, whether it’s Ulta, Dior, Sephora, or YSL and allowing and encouraging them to pick up items that they will not face for years to come is, in my humble opinion, harmful.
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