Cosmetic stores are the new toy shops for many tweens, TikTok shows. — Screenshot/TikTok
KIDS are now storming into beauty and skincare retailers, buying up products that were previously primarily targeted at adults.
At least that is what the online social media discourse has been buzzing about lately, with employees and adult shoppers complaining about the presence of young children in such stores, parents filming their trips to buy these products for their children and the children sharing videos of their intensive skincare regime.
Specific brands, in particular, have received an influx of sales from children after celebrities and social media influencers are seen using those brands in their videos.
This has even prompted one particular brand to respond by explaining which of their products are specifically recommended for kids, following backlash from dermatologists about the dangers of children using skincare products meant for more mature skin.
It was reported in January this year that children are not only going into stores to buy these products, but they are also purchasing skincare and beauty items online, boosting an already thriving industry.
Beauty companies are now also making an effort to cash in on this previously untapped demographic, with a host of well-known brands releasing new products with milder ingredients that specifically target children in the past few years.
There have also been brands that have been launched to target children aged as young as 3+.
This seems to be a natural development following the growth of the global organic personal care market, which is projected to reach US$44.77bil (RM212.6bil) by 2030, according to Grand View Research.
In the Aug 2023 report, Grand View Research said skincare was the largest segment of the organic personal care market and is expected to maintain its dominance over the forecasted period.
Meanwhile, Statista data projects that the baby and child skincare market is expected to experience an annual growth rate of about 7.71% until 2028, when it is estimated to reach a global worth of about US$380mil (RM1.8bil).
As millennials - the generation that latched onto the organic personal care movement - transition into becoming parents, companies are hoping that these parents will impart their priority on skincare to their children and thus broaden their demographic of customers.
The trend has even crossed over to Malaysia too with some celebrities promoting beauty products and supplements for (their own) young children.
