Life&Style’s Fisayo Balogun explains the cause for concern with children, social media, and skincare
With the rise of skincare and makeup social media influencers, some kids as young as eight crave skincare routines. The get ready with me videos, that used to be filled with mainly young adults, are now shared with tweens and little kids showing their daily routines. That is why these videos are labelled ‘Toddler Get Ready With Me’ videos by the internet community. While some watch in fascination of the detailed steps these kids take, others watch in confusion and concern for the young generations.
Some watch in fascination… others watch in confusion and concern
The majority of the concern is because people are worried that these kids are starting things too early and damaging their sensitive skin. Most of the high-end skincare products sought after are not made with kids in mind. These thoughts are in the comment sections of Toddler Get Ready With Me videos, but are met with either jealousy accusations or deleted by the account owner. There are many TikTok videos of people narrating their experiences with Sephora Kids, especially about their attitude to workers and the misuse of tester – and sometimes boxed – products.
As kids continue to gain access to watching and creating Toddler Get Ready With Me content, their purchase of skincare and makeup products spike. With the majority of them shopping at stores like Sephora and making a mess of their tester products, they are branded as ‘Sephora Kids’. These kids go into beauty stores with their parents, or as a group, and rush to try the latest high-end products before purchasing what fits their premature routines. The brands Drunk Elephant and Glow Recipe are favourites amongst Sephora Kids.
With the increase of so-called Sephora Kids purchasing many products at once, Drunk Elephant created a section on their website’s frequently asked questions page to address the use of their products by younger fans. To the question ‘Can Drunk Elephant be used by Children?’ they said, ‘Yes, however not every product in our line should be used by younger fans, 12 and under. In general, we do not recommend using products containing high concentrations of active ingredients, which address concerns that aren’t present at such an age.’
Kids are easily influenced and constantly desire to fit-in
They have done their part with their warning, so it is left to parents and these kids to take their word. Unfortunately, as kids are easily influenced and constantly desire to fit-in, there is no telling when the influx of Sephora Kids and Toddler Get Ready With Me videos will decrease.
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