The trend focuses mainly on products from the French brand Sephora, which is why the trend takes its name: doctors warn about the psychological and health consequences for “Sephora Kids”.
In the clips, children aged eight to twelve pose in front of the mirror with their hair tied tightly and imitate makeup tutorials showing off their new cosmetic products. Like prominent beauty influencers, the “Sephora kids” test products from luxury brands, such as moisturizers for $76 (70 euros). “How can these girls spend so much on skin care?” commented a Sephora saleswoman about children's clips on Tiktok.
Products completely unsuitable for children's skin
Dermatologists do not believe in using creams and lotions on children's skin. Ingredients like retinol are completely unsuitable for them. North American dermatologist Danilo Del Campo sees the consequences in his practice. “Visits to the doctor for skin reactions caused by incorrect product use have increased,” he says. “Many of the influencers are more trustworthy than doctors. And most parents are not aware of the risks.”
Warning about psychological consequences
The doctor is not just concerned about damaged skin. Some girls also suffered from low self-esteem. “They think they need to correct cosmetic defects that don't actually exist,” Del Campo says of her experiences with children.
Salespeople at Sephora stores are also not happy with the new young customers. The videos show dressing tables vandalized with spilled products. The company, which belongs to the luxury group LVMH, did not respond to questions from the AFP news agency.
Some mothers view their daughters' videos as a harmless game. Psychoanalyst Michael Stora, an expert in online behavior, accuses parents of using these videos to turn their children into fetishes. The girls in the videos “don’t play with dolls as you would expect at their age – they are the dolls,” he says.
Stereotypical representation of girls and women
In turn, Solène Delecourt, from the University of Berkeley, California, criticizes that the clips “contribute to a very stereotypical portrayal of girls and women on the Internet”. Delecourt researches social inequality and published a study in the journal Nature in February that found that online images increase gender bias, especially against women. The “Sephora Kids” videos worry them even more. “This is not about women, but about girls who are already subject to these strong social pressures,” says Delecourt.
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