Running rampant amongst the aisles of Sephora are adolescents, charmingly coined “Sephora 10 year olds”, destroying the store, disrespecting employees and obsessing over what many don’t indulge until their mid-teens: skin care.
There has been an excess of horror stories from Sephora employees and store attendants alike regarding the preteens’ bratty attitude and behavior amongst the sudden rise in skincare usage. The most common products these children are rampant to purchase is from the Drunk Elephant skincare business, a company whose products are not directed toward children regardless of the brightly colored packaging of their products.
It is important to note that this age range is within Generation Alpha, each of them at an age where their skin barrier is not yet fully developed. For many, they have not begun puberty yet and do not regularly use or need skin care products, many of which are prescribed or recommended by dermatologists or estheticians, due to the sudden outbreak of acne caused by an influx of hormones in the body.
The skin barrier is another alarming piece of this confusing puzzle as it is significantly more permeable, or sensitive, for adolescents. The most popular of the Drunk Elephant brand includes the Bronzing Drops, Protini Polypeptide Cream and the A-Passioni Retinol Cream. Peptides are used for anti-inflammatory usages, reduction in rosacea and wrinkles. The list of Drunk Elephant ingredients includes Pentylene glycol, Linoleic acid and Sodium hyaluronate to name a select few. Each of these ingredients contain lactic, salicylic and glycolic acids, but what makes these so special? They are the acids that are the most common causes of chemical burns, a reaction that easily penetrates the skin barrier and can cause permanent scarring.
You will also recognize retinol thrown around a lot, but what exactly is it? Retinol is a form of Vitamin A, which increases skin cell and collagen production, giving the skin a fuller, smoother appearance, aiding in the reduction of wrinkles and giving the skin a younger appearance. What these children fail to realize is that an excess of Vitamin A in the body causes hair loss, cracked lips and dry skin, a far cry from the youthful appearance they are desperate to maintain. Retinol is also commonly known for its damage to the skin in a condition called retinization which causes redness, dryness and a scaly skin texture. Keep in mind that these symptoms are reported by adults with fully developed and strong skin barriers, so consider how this will affect the children using these products daily.
The reality of this trend, despite how fun it is to point and laugh at these children, is rooted in deep insecurity starting at an alarmingly young age. Sephora and other brands are forced into a strange situation where they can either encourage this behavior, profiting off the lack of education, or put a stop to it. Skin care brands such as Drunk Elephant will be forced to choose to either release a new line of child friendly products or continue to reap the rewards of over-consumerism practiced by preteens.
While the children are at the forefront of this trend and are easily the first people that are mocked on the internet, take into consideration the parents of children who are not only purchasing extremely expensive products but encouraging the use of active, harmful ingredients on their young children’s sensitive skin.
With the rate that these girls are consuming these products to prevent an older appearance, they are very likely to look far more decrepit and, well, old than they may think they will.
