“Sephora Kids”, the new and very dangerous fashion phenomenon among pre-teens
This Friday afternoon, in Lyon, teenage girls are swarming like bees in the store of a large cosmetics chain. Two little girls covet creams with colorful packaging, similar to candy. Louise and Nawel, 12 years old, took advantage of the end of classes at their college in the Lyon suburbs to go window shopping.
These schoolgirls are “Sephora Kids”, as social networks call them, these little flower girls under 13 who already love beauty products. Accompanied by their mothers or in groups with friends, they boost the sales of cosmetics store chains, such as the French giant Sephora. “They love the older adults’ “beauty routine,” confides a saleswoman. We have seen them come to buy products from us for about a year. The youngest I advised was 8 years old! It’s destabilizing for us, but nothing stops them from buying beauty products. We still strongly advise them against taking care that is unsuitable for their skin. »
At 12 years old, Louise talks about how she conscientiously carries out her beauty treatments at home, morning and evening. “I clean my face, then I apply serum, moisturizer and concealer,” says the schoolgirl, a backpack on her shoulder, decorated with a marker with the first names of her friends. “Most of them use, like me, a cream from the Drunk Elephant or Byoma brand (very popular with young women), explains the teenager in a matter-of-fact tone. We treat ourselves to masks or lip balms for our birthdays. »
An exploding market
Since the Covid pandemic and the long hours spent at home, more and more girls are getting into a “beauty routine” like their elders. They are therefore not completely unrelated to the explosion in sales of cosmetic products – a global market growing by more than 8% in 2023, according to the Statista agency. The industry in the sector, by imposing its diktats through the media and social networks, has created new needs: it is no longer just a question of monitoring one’s figure, but of scrutinizing one’s epidermis. Each product promises to solve a problem, like hydrating overly dry skin or hiding dark circles. This catalog of ailments can create complexes and trigger “prevention” purchases, years before the slightest sign of crow’s feet appears.
Often, it is by watching videos on social networks that preteen girls spot trendy products, which they then purchase in stores or on the Internet. There are countless content creators on TikTok or Instagram publishing tutorials to teach the famous “beauty ritual” that looks like a magic formula. Scrub, serum, moisturizer, lip oil… The layers of care are piled up on the faces of these Web demonstrators with a mantra: the cleaner your skin is, the fewer imperfections you will have. Why not start as early as possible, the little ones say to themselves? Especially when the 9 or 10 year old children of stars themselves set an example.
However, the regulations of the TikTok network prohibit those under 13 from having an account. But cunning schoolgirls can easily circumvent this rule, lying about their age. Sometimes it is their mother who opens an account for them. A way, they argue, to keep a vigilant eye on the video publications of their offspring. Aged 11, Lindy shares an already famous TikTok account with her mother Amel. The sixth grade student films himself with his phone carrying out his treatments, before posting his sessions on the Internet, twice a week. No less than 30,000 subscribers follow his publications. “I learned to perform this ritual by watching my cousins and videos on YouTube,” explains the little girl. I didn’t think it was going to be so successful! » Without knowing it, Lindy perfectly embodies the era of the “baby face” – this face with smooth and pure skin of which the Sephora Kids are the perfect illustration – which fascinates teenage girls and young women.
Appearance for creed
For journalist Valentine Pétry, author of Make-up, makeup laid barethis uninhibited relationship with social networks is not surprising. “The new generation is very comfortable with screens and is used to following video tutorials,” she explains. In addition, these children have been photographed since birth by their parents, school, friends, etc. Little girls are therefore constantly confronted with their appearance. »They no longer only have their parents as models, but the stars of social networks. Image professionals spreading codes which are now entering the playgrounds of very young people: the way of speaking, of dressing, sometimes of putting on make-up… The little girls thus discover a panoply of physical norms which push them to shape their appearance earlier and earlier, like adolescents.
On her dressing table, Lindy displays a veritable arsenal of a young woman addicted to make-up. She has around fifty products, which her family gives her every Christmas and birthday. Her mother still makes sure to avoid cosmetics based on retinol, hyaluronic acid, or any other anti-aging substance. She does well: these products supposed to combat wrinkles, originally intended for women over 50, are not without risks, particularly for the fragile skin of children. “Some day creams contain UV filters. These are endocrine disruptors which can be harmful to the body,” warns Céline Couteau, pharmacy and cosmetology teacher. “Using these products can cause skin irritation, even burns, or develop allergies. »
Lindy doesn’t think about any of this. She proudly cites the glowing reviews she received from a famous cosmetics company at the bottom of her videos. “My dream would be for a brand to contact me to test products,” she confides. In her head, she is already an influencer with child-like cheeks and a crystal-clear voice. Obviously, the profession, very popular among this generation, does not wait for the number of years.
