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Ever look into your precious child’s eyes and wonder if they could possibly be more perfect? Like, literally. Maybe glowier skin? Softer cheeks? Plumper, skooshier lips? Think outside the Cheerios box and smother your kid — who might not be able to <a href="https://icodeschool.com.au/best-age-to-start-teaching-kids-to-read-5-signs-theyre-ready/">read</a> yet — in sugar scrub from <a href="https://tonymoly.us/products/tonymoly-x-squishmallows-malcolm-mallow-strawberry-sugar-scrub?variant=41594454245443&amp;country=US&amp;currency=USD&amp;utm_medium=product_sync&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_content=sag_organic&amp;utm_campaign=sag_organic&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=22633766287&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADP_k_RgLfTTd7wQqkyVzkUyBRumY&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwj47OBhCmARIsAF5wUEEBka5WkOhUzZMkHM-naNjK1_IzePL_-4J17zduZ-E_n7JBQTRZhF0aAoz4EALw_wcB">Squishmallows x TONYMOLY</a>. 
Like a new car driving off the lot, your baby begins aging the second she’s born. Now, even younger members of Generation Alpha brush off old-school “beauty routines” like the nail stickers and <a href="https://www.lipsmacker.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqbBx7MgfFWoXnR673M0UZP4HTIC0ThtY04prKbIH7IopCUA6wQ">Lip Smacker</a> of their millennial parents, opting instead to hard-launch chamomile, yam, and aloe-infused <a href="https://heyrini.com/products/hydrogel-after-sun-mask">hydrogel face masks</a>. Of course, that’s just entry-level stuff.
Turns out “Toddlers &amp; Tiaras” wasn&#8217;t as over-the-top as it seemed. “Some people think the collagen spray is kind of crazy,” <a href="https://neon.reviewjournal.com/tv/las-vegas-pageant-coach-talks-toddlers-and-tiaras/">pageant coach</a> <a href="https://youtu.be/Nm1p2xXWqwg?t=65">Cambrie Littlefield</a> admitted, spritzing flinching contestants in the face. “But I wish when I was three years old, somebody gave me a collagen spray so I wouldn’t have to worry about getting wrinkles from ‘happy eyes’ all day.”
Showing off a tube of cult-favorite Drunk Elephant sunscreen on <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@giannagravalese/video/7328265135330495790">TikTok</a>, a seven-year-old “Sephora kid” assures her older sister, Gianna Gravalese, “I’m gonna need it for Turks and Caicos.” It goes with the rest of her Drunk Elephant collection, which also includes <a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/virgin-marula-tm-luxury-facial-oil-P392245?country_switch=us&amp;lang=en&amp;skuId=1679315&amp;om_mmc=ppc-GG_17798154149___1679315__9010928_c&amp;country_switch=us&amp;lang=en&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=17790678136&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADnIXb2uZeg8IGAo6fW2o-u27VkK5&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwj47OBhCmARIsAF5wUEHDr6lkun6w1zXM4SEVzAC5NKMB5S5bAIrGtM8DKtE8L07eqRy1v64aAmN_EALw_wcB">Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil</a>, <a href="https://www.drunkelephant.com/collections/cleansers/beste-no.-9-jelly-cleanser-999DE00000101.html?cgid=products-allproducts-skincare-cleansers">Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser</a>, and <a href="https://www.drunkelephant.com/collections/moisturizers/lala-retro-nourishing-whipped-refillable-moisturizer-999DE00000115.html?gclsrc=aw.ds&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=18149217095&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADHI4rRlCUa_pDOmM2Pq_X6kGYJ5e&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwj47OBhCmARIsAF5wUEGP84HokP_xFeFQ8Yk6B7KGBDyafqQBYJmKy6Hn2otz5-8YQ-V4c-MaAkvhEALw_wcB">Lala Retro Whipped Cream moisturizer</a> with five African oils. 
That plus her <a href="https://www.glowrecipe.com/products/glow-recipe-watermelon-glow-ultra-fine-mist">Glow Recipe Watermelon Mist</a>, <a href="https://hellobubble.com/products/level-up-balancing-moisturizer?srsltid=AfmBOopxaaey8S4HQ7BjjF9w83NZWhQkkRwyH7GtaZCRKbkvxsOMxSL6">Bubble Level Up Balancing Moisturizer</a>, <a href="https://soldejaneiro.com/products/brazilian-bum-bum-cream?g_network=g&amp;g_productchannel=&amp;g_adid=767355299019&amp;g_locinterest=&amp;g_keyword=brazilian%20bum%20bum%20cream&amp;g_campaign=account&amp;g_adtype=&amp;g_keywordid=kwd-302259823435&amp;g_ifcreative=&amp;g_ifproduct=&amp;g_locphysical=9010928&amp;g_adgroupid=179055925621&amp;g_productid=&amp;g_source=%7Bsourceid%7D&amp;g_merchantid=&amp;g_placement=&amp;g_partition=&amp;g_campaignid=22757964657&amp;g_acctid=731-989-1784&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=22757964657&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADDl6z5gCAs7aTyDtevGFumt0ai8j&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwj47OBhCmARIsAF5wUEFMTrplV11DgqT9yJTHYU3rCm2m6U-m0AX1MbgF-bTl8qDzB4Z8zf0aAqBfEALw_wcB">Sol De Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream</a>, and multiple <a href="https://www.dior.com/en_us/beauty/products/dior-addict-lip-glow-oil-E000001516.html?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=PCD_PC_USA_PRO_UNI_ALL_OGOING_EC_PLA_GGL_CRD_ENG_USD_NOA_NOA_EXCLUSIVES&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=20844937910&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADyjeu1wo4NdctU4OrGMBXhLnOYG_&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwj47OBhCmARIsAF5wUEGw8GdazdBCJVCocmYQNVGG6IBzeKjlMDd2Z_Ze6-eFF1Gmg6IsCd0aAs91EALw_wcB">Dior lip glosses</a> all clock in around $500. “Why do you think you need skincare when your skin is literally flawless,” Gianna asks. “It’s ‘slay,’” her little sister says. 
If you’re wondering what the heck is going on, the pint-sized beauty market is exploding. With kids younger than 15 years old somehow having <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reels/DWR9ptGCfFx/">$3,500</a> a year to spend on “beauty,” major retailers swoop in to bank <a href="https://ktla.com/news/consumer-business/makeup-for-6-year-olds-kids-beauty-brands-fuel-growing-debate-among-parents/">millions in sales</a>. But these tweens aren’t just obsessed with skincare. Forecasted to pump <a href="https://www.mintel.com/insights/beauty-and-personal-care/how-gen-alpha-is-redefining-the-beauty-industry/">$5.5 trillion</a> into the market by 2029, they’re revolutionizing the industry.   
“It’s a phenomenon where a group of kids … who normally would be indulging in arts [and] athletics … are engaging in what I call consumer aesthetics,” says dermatologist <a href="https://youtu.be/JLt5bBzhpzo?t=59">Dr. Reneé A. Beach</a>. Advising against kids using products made with harsh ingredients like retinol, she adds, “A child is really risking skin irritation, eczema, chemical burn, and none of these things are the outcome that we would want from purchasing a $50 product.”
Spas, retailers, beauty brands, and celebrities want to saturate the <a href="https://nuthatchnaturals.com/news/why-kids-need-their-own-skin-care-products/#:~:text=Children's%20skin%20is%20different%20from%20adults'%20skin,use%20to%20build%20healthy%20skin%20care%20habits">itty-bitty skin cells</a> of your child’s face with their products — as long as they can sneak it into the hands of eight-year-old <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pbg0ERF60as">kidfluencers</a> clicking their fake nails against a can of Poppi before smearing tri-ceramide serum all over their already perfect faces. 
“I’m feeling Vanilla Beige today,” a <a href="https://youtu.be/Pbg0ERF60as?t=144">young girl says</a> in her Get Ready With Me, smooshing all over her mouth <a href="https://summerfridays.com/products/lip-butter-balm-vanilla-beige?srsltid=AfmBOoraOwe6SgwyQlrDZGED4UmhCJcdGKBIqpYCYwZmiiZmIdPLwQbk">Summer Fridays</a> $25 Vanilla Beige lip butter, a product that’s marketed to adults. Notably, she also spritzes the Glow Recipe watermelon face mist seen in many other kids’ beauty routines, calling it, “My favorite thing at Sephora.” Not pictured: the mini <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Mommit/comments/1m8ozm9/my_daughter_asked_for_a_skincare_fridge_is_this_a/">skincare fridge</a> topping every little girl’s wishlist right now.
But “Pretty Little Liars” actor and entrepreneur, Shay Mitchell, faced backlash when she launched <a href="https://heyrini.com/?tw_source=google&amp;tw_adid=782836742290&amp;tw_campaign=23234810294&amp;tw_kwdid=kwd-2450012425579&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=23234810294&amp;gbraid=0AAAABBo7IWnm3p-3Fvj-CMyb2WmjrWCWF&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwj47OBhCmARIsAF5wUEHdfV6gg-oNd_AkFoTaHakrX16GtBS5RIfJGWPBY11qJpcoAPaCANcaAm69EALw_wcB">Rini</a> Beauty, offering four-year-olds a face mask infused with <a href="https://heyrini.com/products/everyday-facial-sheet-mask-panda">white tremella mushrooms</a>, glycerin, vitamin E, and beta-glucan. She explained on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DQuweS9EgdC/?hl=en&amp;img_index=1">Instagram</a> that the project was “inspired by my girls, their curiosity … From birthday parties and face paint to wanting to do ‘what mommy does’ with her face masks.”
Instead of relating to the mommy-and-me self-care vibe, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DQsDKBxklvU/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=82551ed7-4e1b-47a1-be7d-734f5cce16e5">Instagram</a> commenters clapped back with, “I struggle to find the right words to articulate how disappointing and dystopian this is,” and, “How is this even legal?” with broken heart emojis. Another posted, “Yeah cause that&#8217;s just what young girls needed: to be hyper-focused on their appearance even earlier.”
Beyond using a gentle soap, lotion, daily <a href="https://youtu.be/JLt5bBzhpzo?t=115">sunscreen, and getting a good night’s sleep</a>, a viral multi-step skincare routine can actually do real damage to children&#8217;s delicate skin. While formulas from the <a href="https://archive.is/20251111030732/https://www.vogue.com/article/the-sephora-kids-arent-going-anywhere">Bubble</a> brand at Target feature mild ingredients, some kids are dabbling in the clinical-grade stuff.
A Northwestern University <a href="https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2025/06/tiktok-teen-skin-care-routines-are-harmful">study</a> of teen skincare routines posted to social media revealed that only 26% of girls used sunscreen, the one thing they <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3179453/">should be applying</a>. And some used up to a dozen products at once. Pointing out the consumerist slant, university adjunct lecturer <a href="https://youtu.be/emIsUY8EhTo?t=100">Dr. Tara Lagu</a> noted, “A real desire to have more products and more expensive products in a way that, for seven to 14-year-olds, feels really problematic.”
“Many of the ingredients … also carry a high risk of skin allergy,” says <a href="https://youtu.be/emIsUY8EhTo?t=63">Dr. Molly Hales</a>, explaining that applying multiple products with harsh active ingredients — or the same active ingredient — is deeply irritating. “Once you develop a skin allergy to a particular ingredient, [it] can actually endure for the rest of your life and limit the kinds of products that you can apply.”
In one <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/156/1/e2024070309/202103/Pediatric-Skin-Care-Regimens-on-TikTok">TikTok video</a> from the study, the teen creator slathered on 10 products in six minutes and developed a painful rash on camera. “I don’t know what’s happening. But if anybody knows how to get it to stop burning, that would be greatly appreciated, because it actually hurts a lot,” <a href="https://www.powershealth.org/about-us/newsroom/health-library/2025/06/10/advice-in-teen-tiktok-beauty-videos-can-lead-to-skin-damage">she said</a>. 
This intense focus on beauty can also prematurely age kids into the anxious self-consciousness of adolescence. Associate professor of psychology at Barnard College of Columbia University, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-clarity/202409/the-teen-skincare-craze-and-its-impact-on-mental-health">Tara Well, PhD,</a> says, “Skincare routines, often marketed as confidence-boosting, can have the opposite effect when teens don’t see immediate results or experience breakouts. The pressure to achieve ‘perfect’ skin can worsen insecurities.”
Luckily, the solution is simpler than nailing the right order for applying mists, serums, and lotions. But it might not get as many likes or subscribers as that watermelon spritz. 
Yale Medicine dermatologist <a href="https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/when-kids-are-obsessed-with-skin-care-products">Kathleen Suozzi, MD,</a> advises kids and teens to “Celebrate the skin they’re in … For most kids, it’s the best skin they’ll ever have. They don’t need to fix it — they just need to care for it gently and appreciate it.”

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The $500 Skin Care Habit Kids Are Getting Hooked On Before They Hit Middle School