Recently there has been an outbreak on the internet over young kids who have been using makeup. They have been named ‘Sephora kids’ due to a lot of the makeup consumption being from stores such as Sephora and Ulta.
With the increase of ‘Sephora kids,’ many people have been asking for stores to restrict who can enter without an adult or restrict certain products so kids aren’t allowed to purchase them. The reason for this is due to the rapid destruction of makeup products in stores, as many kids don’t know proper makeup etiquette for testers. On the other hand, some believe that the backlash has been extreme.
“I think for kids, makeup is fun,” French teacher Jenny Liberson said. “I don’t think there should be an age limit to things just like the skincare products that are over the top that kids are trying to get to.”
There’s also a strong concern that kids aren’t getting age-appropriate makeup and skincare but rather what is trendy and influential on social media.
“There’s no longer a tween stage, there’s no more stores like Justice which is where you go through that little phase of glitter and pink,” sophomore Yoceyln Gonzalez said.
As kids see what they have access to, many are buying things with retinol and anti-aging products that aren’t necessary for their skin. There has then been an increase in kids on the internet who find themselves with ‘influencer’ accounts. They reenact what many other influencers do that get views and soon after, kids have many views and followers on social media. This has raised a different concern on how much kids should have access to the internet.
“I think it comes down to the parents moderating their kids,” Liberson said.
Many on the internet have taken the side that kids shouldn’t be allowed in the stores and are hoping the stores follow through with the restrictions. Some believe that this is the parent’s fault who lack supervision or proper education on the products. Others believe that kids are doing what kids do and are copying what they see older people do.
“As a society, we should be looking into why they feel the need to look older than they are and act older,” Gonzalez said.
