Skincare has become the new diet culture, and young teens are the greatest victims of it.

If you’ve been online at all this past month, there’s a strong chance you’ve heard about  “Sephora kids.” First brought up on TikTok, the phrase describes the wave of tweens running into beauty stores, like makeup retailer Sephora, to buy high-priced skincare products, subsequently damaging the displays and retail employees’ patience.

Much like a zombie apocalypse, there are hordes of them. We’re not entirely sure where they came from, and the disease is viral. Yet as easy as it is to make fun of ten-year-olds who buy $40 snail mucin, they’re not little criminals, but rather the beauty industry’s most recent prey.

Senior Victoria Wagner, an Ulta employee of three years, said she has encountered the problem at her own store.

“Ever since young children caught on to skincare trends a year or so ago, displays and testers have never been the same,” Wagner said. “Recently I was tasked with cleaning the Drunk Elephant display, a brand that caters toward young adults and women looking to address skin concerns. Not only were the majority of the testers empty after being out for only a few months, but entire bottles of expensive serums had been dumped all over the display, causing the potent active ingredients to react with the sun and eat away at plastic.”

Products like Drunk Elephant use colorful packaging and cartoon designs, which can easily appeal to a younger demographic. Wagner emphasized how marketing plays a major role in the “Sephora kids” epidemic.

“This brand in particular has drawn in these kids because of their bright colored packaging,” Wagner said. “However, these brands’ potent active ingredients could cause long-term damage to young skin. The only things these children should be using on their skin is cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen.”

While many social media platforms market themselves for ages 13 and older, there’s no real barrier to entry for younger children. This creates an easy pathway for tweens to gain access to untested beauty advice and revolving trends in a way previous generations never have before.

While some online creators may have genuine advice to give, such as accredited aestheticians and dermatologists, oftentimes they’re just trying to sell a product they have a sponsorship with. Even if it’s a quality product, it doesn’t mean it’s the right one for each person’s routine, especially for children with sensitive skin.

Pediatric dermatologist Tess McPherson spoke to BBC News recently about the use of harsh chemicals on young skin.

“A lot of these are anti-aging products,” she said. “They may be suitable for older skin, but they are not suitable for children. They can cause irritation to skin whatever age you are, but clearly for younger skin, they can be potentially dangerous or problematic. For a child with eczema or sensitive skin, they could cause significant problems.”

While a simple moisturizer or zinc oxide-based SPF can be beneficial for any age, products containing exfoliants, Vitamin C or retinol can create more harm than good. Numerous dermatologists, such as New York City-based Ellen Marmur, do not recommend such products until far later in life.

“Your mid-twenties are a great time to start using retinol,” Marmur said in an interview to Vogue. “Many patients who have used it for years swear by it.”

I am no stranger to using skincare at a young age. Since I was 11 years old, I have dealt with acne to varying degrees, to the point of it being cystic in my late middle school years. I can vouch for the fact that bullying makes it that much easier to want a “quick fix,” even if it’s a $40 cream developed for 30-year-olds with fine lines.

My struggle with acne began long before the days of TikTok, so I can only imagine the peer pressure that exists now with social media. My own skincare product trials, even under the watch of a dermatologist, still led to skin barrier damage. While many cannot see it under my makeup, I have semi-permanent blotching and scarring that will take years to fix, if it goes away at all.

I have now found a skincare routine that works for me, but it’s increasingly difficult to research new products as the web grows murkier with advice. My heart aches for the 12-year-olds already obsessed with anti-aging creams, many of whom haven’t even dealt with their first pimple yet.

Consumerism loves to prey on insecurities, and with increasingly younger access to the internet, beauty-conscious tweens are the newest victim. This is not just about middle schoolers wrecking display shelves, but about body image and parents needing to set boundaries.

Our obsession with youth is the Narcissus of our age. Buccal fat removal, “The Wall,” fine lines. How much will it take before we’re stuck staring at our reflection forever, ignoring the world passing by?

When I’m overwhelmed by the stippling on my ruddy cheeks, by the red bumps cresting upon my back, I look to my grandma. Looking at photos of her when she was my age, we could have been sisters. 

Today, she is covered in wrinkles and sun spots, and yet we still call her beautiful. We admire her for the lines on her skin because they tell the story of a lifelong journey. I realize it is okay for my body to tell a story too.

Do not be afraid to grow old. It is a privilege. Especially if you are only 12.