A New Generation of Shoppers: The Sephora Kids
When visiting Sephora, have you noticed more kids walking the aisles of than usual? Many users have shared on social media platforms that cosmetic stores, such as Sephora and Ulta, are crawling with tweens and early teens — naming them “Sephora Kids.” Though shopping for cosmetics may seem harmless, it may be more harmful than you think.
What’s Trending?
Many of these tweens shop for viral products they have seen on social media platforms, like TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube. However, Glow Recipe in particular has generation alpha around its finger. With bright, sleek and luxurious packaging, the products are bound to catch the eyes of many tweens. Though Glow Recipe is cruelty-free and considered “clean,” not all products are beneficial to the premature skin of tweens. Here are some of Glow Recipes most popular products of Tweens, through young TikToker Haven’s must-have products.***
The Garza Crew: Haven’s Routine
Popular TikTokers, Haven and Koti, share their life as twins alongside their mother. Their account, @garzacrew, shares many of the trios favorite beauty and lifestyle trends. In particular, the trio often makes Get Ready With Me (GRWM), sharing their favorite products at the moment. In a GRWM, Haven shares some of her glow recipe must-haves: The Watermelon Glow PHA+BHA Pore-Tight Toner; Plum Plump Hyaluronic Serum; Strawberry PHA Pore-Smooth Blur Drops; and Plum Plump Hyaluronic Gloss Bomb.
The Watermelon Glow PHA+BHA Pore-Tight Toner
In its pretty glass bottle packaging, the toner helps hydrate the skin and tighten pores. Retailing for $35, the product is one of Glow Recipes best-sellers. Not only has the toner become a cult favorite among Sephora kids, but it has also won many awards, such as: Cosmopolitan Readers’ Choice Beauty Awards ‘Best Toner’ for 2023; The Marie Claire Skin Awards ‘Best Toner’ for 2023; and The Knot’s 2022 Beauty Awards ‘Best Face Toner.’ It’s star ingredients? 3% polyhydroxy acid (PHA) and 2% beta hydroxy acid (BHA).
The Strawberry PHA Pore-Smooth Blur Drops
Made to blur pores and balance oil, these blur drops offer a pore treatment and primer for $32. These blur drops are vegan and free of parabens, silicones, alcohols, and more. The clinically effective ingredient in the product is encapsulated BHA. According to Glow Recipe, the encapsulated BHA and strawberry enzyme “smooth uneven texture over time,” allowing you to remain poreless.
PHAS and BHAs: Are They Safe For Tweens?
However, both of these products contain PHAs and BHAs, which pose a threat for young skin. According to Howard Sobel, MD, acids “work at removing the ‘glue’ of dulling skin cells on the outermost part of the skin, sloughing off lackluster cells to reveal a brighter, more radiant complexion.” Though the exfoliation is useful as we age and our cell-turnover declines, it can be harmful on premature skin. Often, resulting in “dryness, irritation and redness.” Ultimately, harming the natural, youthful glow. The FDA also advises against “using BHA-containing products on infants and children.” It’s safe to say that most acids, especially BHAs, PHAs and AHAs, are not needed for a tween’s skincare routine.
Tween Approved: The Plum Plump Hyaluronic Serum & Plum Plump Hyaluronic Gloss Bomb
If you are still looking to find kid-friendly Glow Recipe products, Haven features two products that are relatively safe for children — The Plum Plump Hyaluronic Serum ($45) and the Plum Plump Hyaluronic Gloss Bomb ($22). These products feature hydrating ingredients that are relatively gentle on the skin—niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. When used correctly, these products add moisture to the skin. According to Ana Mansouri, MD, hyaluronic acid “is a humectant—meaning it pulls water from the environment to the upper layers of the skin like a sponge.” Essentially, hyaluronic acid adds moisture to the skin, rather than exfoliating it like the name acid would suggest.
What’s In Your Tweens Skin Care Bag?
All in all, whether or not you chose to use these products is up to you. However, as a parent it is important to be checking the ingredients in your tweens skin care and makeup bag. Understanding what is safe and appropriate for their age can protect their skin from unnecessary harm and damage. By prioritizing gentle products over harsh acids, you can nourish the glow without the damage.
***Disclaimer: I will be mentioning children in this blog post. However, I want to clarify that I am doing so with caution. I am not writing this post to criticize their actions, but rather to address a broader issue of protecting children, their skin and their health. Though this information is public, I will not be sharing last names.
KYRA JACKSON 
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