in Sweden, pharmacies ban care products for children under 15

In March 2024, why has your group chosen to ban the sale of certain cosmetics to under 15s?

We have set this age limit for anti-aging or exfoliating care products in order to take our responsibilities. Our pharmacies were seeing younger and younger customers, they were buying items that were not suitable and could be harmful to their skin. We have imposed this restriction in our 400 stores in Sweden. It is lifted if the parents give authorization or if these young girls have a medical certificate, for example for severe acne.

What do you mean by “taking responsibility”?

We seek to open the debate in society on how cosmetics enter the lives of young people. Do we really need creams and serums at the age of 10? Our group
also made this decision because we collaborate with an organization called Mind, which studies the mental health of minors. She observes that the new generation is affected by increasing unease, particularly because of social networks. Girls no longer worry only about their weight but about their complexion, their pores. There is a constant search for feminine beauty which reaches an increasingly young audience.

How did public opinion and brands react to your announcement?

We were quickly overwhelmed by the positive reactions, on social networks, on the phone… Some parents felt relieved because they were helpless in the face of their children who were pressuring them to buy expensive products, to do like the others girls, while we were in the middle of an economic crisis. Among our Swedish partners, some pharmacies have decided to follow our example and set an age limit. One of our suppliers, a major cosmetics brand, has even launched a beauty care guide to educate parents and children about their proper use. This is encouraging!