The increasingly available knowledge about skincare products and ingredients has been helpful. But, when a nine-year-old uses the same, is it worth it? The skincare market is witnessing a booming increase in tweens engaging in skincare. And, it does not stop at lip gloss, it has reached a point where they’re buying retinol and niacinamides. Let’s delve deeper.
Gone are the days when young teens would raid their mother’s vanity for entertainment. It’s no longer fun and games and tweens are engaging in skincare, and actively. There has been a noticeable number of nine- to 15-year-olds buying skincare products with active ingredients such as vitamin C, niacinamide, and retinol. And, it is increasingly concerning experts and parents, alike.
There have been several cosmetics and skincare brands globally that cater to tweens and younger consumers. Some brands produce makeup for kids, acne and skin texture products for teens, and other skincare brands which claim to be safe for those as young as eight. All of which seems acceptable to the market bearing in mind the ingredient list is considerably safe for occasional use. In fact, data from Statista shows that the baby and child skincare market is expected to grow at a 7.71% rate by 2028. The study further shows the market will reach USD 380 million and 160.7 million users worldwide by 2028.
The larger issue on the rise is tweens engaging in skincare with products made for adult skin. As these kids are hyper-active on social media platforms, there is a heightened exposure to influencers raving about skincare products. Moreover, there is more awareness of active ingredients and their benefits. The sophisticated algorithm can easily feed such content to the kids if they search for it a few times, leading to increased curiosity and trials. What is often absent is the child’s realisation that the influencer’s audience is much older.
This clubbed with tween’s concern about their changing bodies and appearances is adding fuel to the fire. Growing tweens are often very sensitive about their looks and are on the lookout for products that may help. These factors are all driving the number of tweens engaging in skincare.
There has been a visible increase in the number of tweens/teens visiting beauty stores such as Sephora. Stats support the rapid rate at which younger demographics are buying skincare, both online and offline. Moreover, social media is flooded with tween influencers talking about skincare and demonstrating its use.
As the kids now understand the benefits these products offer, they are using the same as ‘preventive remedies.’ These products have no benefits for young skin. Tweens and teens have skin with robust collagen and elastin. They do not require external ingredients to amp it up. Rather, as kids do not have a fully developed skin barrier, these active ingredients can act counter-intuitive, causing more damage than any good they can cause for kids.
While skincare is healthy and a must, it’s time to drive the right conversations to prevent unwarranted use.