A new generation is changing the face of beauty retail. Across TikTok and Instagram, complaints are stacking up about preteens crowding Sephora and Ulta stores, handling luxury skincare, and driving viral buzz around products once marketed to adults. These tweens, often labeled “Sephora Kids,” are becoming a major force in the beauty industry, and their growing influence is now showing up in the numbers.
A Youth Movement in Prestige Beauty
As reported by BBC Worklife, many beauty shoppers have shared frustrations online about their in-store experiences, claiming that kids under 12 are taking over beauty aisles, disrupting displays, and using testers without supervision. Products like Drunk Elephant, known for its premium skincare formulas, have become a favorite among this age group, despite ingredients designed for mature skin.
This isn’t a passing trend. Gen Alpha tweens collectively influenced around $4.7 billion in spending across beauty and skincare categories last year. Their purchasing power is already reshaping how brands position themselves.
Brands Shift Their Focus to Tweens
Major brands are moving quickly to serve this younger market. Bubble, Gryt, and even newer startups like Yawn are developing skincare and cosmetic lines designed specifically for kids and tweens. Bubble’s brightly packaged acne treatments are now available at Ulta and drugstores. Gryt, launched in 2023, markets its line for users as young as eight.
According to Jessica DeFino, creator of The Unpublishable, there’s been a sharp increase in tween-focused launches. These products aren’t being quietly added to shelves – they’re getting full marketing rollouts, influencer partnerships, and store placements that put them front and center for young shoppers.
Social Media’s Role in Shaping Tween Behavior
The explosion of “skinfluencers” under the age of 13 is part of what’s fueling demand. Platforms like TikTok have become both a discovery engine and a sales funnel. Young users mimic routines promoted by creators, many of whom receive compensation from the brands they showcase.
Denish Shah, associate professor of marketing at Georgia State University, points to the pandemic-era spike in screen time as a turning point. Tweens began spending more time online, where algorithms serve up beauty content after only a few searches. This constant exposure has led to increased awareness and curiosity about skincare – regardless of whether the products are appropriate for their age.
Storefronts, Stock Prices, and Soaring Sales
Retailers are adapting too. Chains like CVS and Walgreens have remodeled their layouts to give beauty products more visibility, often including lines designed for or co-branded with children’s entertainment properties. This creates an easy entry point for younger customers, often accompanied by parents, to begin developing shopping habits in the beauty aisle.
Meanwhile, e.l.f. Cosmetics, a brand that has leaned into affordability and tween-friendly marketing, has seen its stock soar. As reported by BBC Worklife, the company’s value has climbed 203% over the past year, driven largely by sales momentum in the youth segment.
A Market That’s Still Expanding
According to Statista, the global baby and child skincare market is expected to reach $380 million by 2028, growing at an annual rate of 7.71%. The number of users is projected to climb to 160.7 million worldwide. These figures don’t even include tween consumers who purchase adult products, which is increasingly common.
Parents, educators, and dermatologists have voiced concern about young skin being exposed to strong active ingredients. But from a market perspective, there’s no sign of slowing down. As Shah noted, even within his own household, the trend is hard to ignore. “My own daughter has been impacted by this. She asked for these products as a gift and she has never done that before, ever.”
The New Reality of Beauty Marketing
Whether or not Sephora and Ulta are ready to embrace their youngest shoppers, the momentum behind tween-focused beauty is growing. From store displays to influencer campaigns, the industry is actively reshaping its strategy to meet this new generation’s appetite for skincare, self-expression, and social validation.
For now, Gen Alpha is here, and they’re not browsing. They’re buying.
