With the holidays around the corner, a story from earlier this year keeps resurfacing in my mind. Remember the 8-year-old Ohio girl who made headlines for driving her family’s car to Target with $400 in cash? As a mom of a teen and tween, I wasn’t as shocked as most people seemed to be—especially with $400 and big plans for Target involved. My daughters are already planning their first solo outing when my oldest gets her driver’s license: Target and Sephora.
Their holiday wish lists this year are full of items that could double as a high-end beauty haul—or perhaps a skincare enthusiast’s fever dream: Glow Recipe PHA+BHA Pore-Tight Toner, Drunk Elephant Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops, Youth to the People Kale Green Tea Cleanser, Sol de Janeiro Body Cream with Guaraná extract, and so on.
This skincare obsession became clear when my younger daughter recently rummaged through my (apparently woefully outdated) makeup and skincare stash. It was as if Marie Kondo, Tan France, Joan Rivers, and Gwyneth Paltrow* all took over her body at once. “Oh my gosh, mom still has a cleanser with salicylic acid?” and “How do you even live without a Gua Sha?” and “Mom, get rid of this Mario Badescu spray right now!”
This new wave of skincare-savvy kids comes with its own set of challenges. Countless articles warn about the dangers of Sephora-obsessed kids overdoing skincare. Bullying, social media, alcohol/drugs, and boyfriends used to top the list of worries; now sleepless nights come from worries about potential long-term skin barrier damage from products not even designed for their age group.
As a marketer, I have to give credit to the skincare brands that have skillfully captured their attention, managing to engage them without overtly targeting them. These brands have mastered the art of creating products and messaging that resonate with younger audiences, making skincare feel aspirational yet accessible. While I can’t help but feel nostalgic for the simpler days of slathering on SPF-50 and heading out the door, it’s impressive to watch kids today navigate the complex beauty landscape with such confidence, curiosity, and self-expression, diving into product and ingredient research like seasoned pros.
*This list of beauty and fashion advisors is apparently “just not it, mom.”
