The beauty industry has much to be excited about when it comes to Gen Alpha. As we previously reported, Circana data shows that Gen Alpha continues to drive prestige beauty sales among households earning more than $100,000, with kids' households growing at twice the rate of households with no children.
But there are also well-founded concerns about very young consumers adopting high-intensity skin care featuring harsh ingredients that are inappropriate (and unnecessary) for young skin.
Swedish retailer Apotek Hjärtat recently made headlines for refusing to sell anti-aging products to those younger than 15, reflecting growing anxieties about the "Sephora kid" effect.
Now comes news that California's legislature is seeking to "prohibit the sale or delivery to a person under 13 years of age of an over-the-counter skin care product or cosmetic product advertised to address skin aging that contains vitamin A or its derivatives or an alpha hydroxy acid [AHA], and would require an entity that conducts business in California to take specified any of several specified actions to ensure that the purchaser of an above-described product is not under 13 years of age."
Key ingredients under the regulation would include AHA and vitamin A, as mentioned, as well as retinoids and retinol, glycolic acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), citric acid, and other related materials.
This story will be updated as the proposed legislation proceeds through California's legislature.
