Heavy restrictions have been placed on popular skincare buys across Sweden – and now thousands are calling for similar rules in Australia.
Young people under 15, dubbed ‘Sephora Kids’ because of their TikTok-fuelled love of skincare, have been banned from buying products with active ingredients like retinol, glycolic acid, tri-peptide and pre + postbiotics at Apotek Hjärtat pharmacies.
The ban means children in Sweden won’t be able to access trending products like the Dream Mask, The Glow Serum, The Face Jelly and The Whipp.
‘Using advanced skincare that, for example, aims to reduce wrinkles and get a more even skin tone is not something a child needs,’ Annika Svedberg, chief pharmacist at Apotek Hjärtat, said when asked about the costly decision.
And while the pharmacy giant is the first to implement a blanket ban, voices are growing globally to stop Generation Alpha from accessing the products.
The British Association for Dermatologists says children who use skin care products containing anti-ageing ingredients or other potent actives run the risk of developing permanent skin conditions or allergies.
And Australian skincare experts are backing the push to enforce age restrictions on the strong skin products.
‘Australian regulations do need to be reassessed because the reality is that Aussie kids – like elsewhere in the world – are highly influenced by social media trends, which come from global sources,’ Isabella Loneragan told Yahoo.
Young people under 15, dubbed ‘Sephora Kids’ because of their TikTok-fueled love of skincare have been banned from buying products with strong active ingredients
The ban means children in Sweden won’t be able to access trending products like the Dream Mask, The Glow Serum, The Face Jelly and The Whipp
‘Children aren’t necessarily able to decipher the dangers of products. They generally want ‘what’s hot’ but these products can actually be very damaging to their skin and, moreover, potentially damaging to their mental and emotional health too.’
But some experts have slammed the decision and claim it is best to educate young people when it comes to skincare – not ban them from using it or create fear.
Aussie mum Belinda Kurtz has worked in the skincare industry for years – even developing products specifically for young people – and says she lets her daughters experiment with viral products.
She says open communication is key – and that her daughters talk to her about the products they want to try and together they research whether it is appropriate.
Aussie mum Belinda Kurtz has worked in the skincare industry for years – even developing products specifically for young people – and says she lets her daughters experiment with viral products
As a general rule the mum steers her pre-teen daughters away from active ingredients like retinol, and ‘any of the acids’.
Speaking to FEMAIL she admitted she may be naïve in thinking other parents are as hands on or involved with their children’s choices.
But she claims it is key.
‘Just because something in the range isn’t suitable doesn’t mean everything in the popular range is,’ she said.
She then goes with her children to Mecca or Sephora and accepts samples of the products.
‘Most of the time they decide on their own that they are too heavy or don’t feel right on their skin,’ she said.
Education and sampling is key for safety and also helps them avoid paying full-price for products they may try but not continue to use.
‘There is a lot of fear mongering, people who say it will damage their skin forever. It wont. Skin can heal,’ she said.
Belinda says her girls keep going back to the CeraVe cleansers which can be bought at Priceline and Chemist Warehouse. They also like the QV moisturisers
The mum also noted skincare routines should be started early on in life – even if they aren’t labelled that.
Things like sunscreen and a gentle cleanser at night are a great first step.
‘We put these thick suncreams on kids faces and then don’t wash them off at night,’ she said.
The mum-of-two noticed her kids’ skin changing ‘way earlier’ than she thought. With daily grime and oil and sunscreen building up and clogging pores.
‘At a young age we should get them used to cleansing their faces, then as they get older using a light moisturiser,’ she said.
‘Skincare is trial and error for everyone and about what works for you. I don’t think we should be putting it all in the “bad” category.’
Belinda says her girls keep going back to the CeraVe cleansers which can be bought at Priceline and Chemist Warehouse. They also like the QV moisturisers.
Kids who want ‘more exclusive’ products which look more like the trending items but are actually formulated for children’s skin should try ‘All Kinds and Petite Skincare’, the mum said.
‘At the end of the day parents should consider the products their children want, research the ingredients and allow them to try those without super active ingredients,’ she said.
‘My kids have tried many viral TikTok products from Drunk Elephant and Glow Recipe with my permission and only after careful ingredient research.’
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