Commentary
How Sephora And TikTok Are Preying On 13-Year-Olds
- by Steven Rosenbaum , Featured Contributor, September 30, 2024
There’s a troubling trend unfolding right under our noses, one that involves major beauty brands like Sephora, social media platforms like TikTok, and a demographic that’s disturbingly young. What was once an industry focused on adults is now directing its gaze at 13-year-olds. The allure? Makeup, beauty routines, and an unattainable standard of perfection that’s warping young minds. This isn’t just a niche issue. It’s a systemic problem that reveals much about where our culture, driven by digital influence and corporate greed, is heading.
Let’s call this what it is: predatory marketing. Sephora, in particular, has capitalized on the social media landscape, where TikTok influencers promote their latest beauty hauls and skincare regimens to millions of followers, many of whom are barely teenagers. It’s a coordinated effort, designed to push products while preying on the insecurities of a generation that is still forming its identity.
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TikTok’s Toxic Influence
TikTok isn’t just the playground of Gen Z; it’s their unpaid workforce. The beauty industry has expertly used this platform to enlist young influencers, and in turn, their younger followers, to do the heavy lifting. These kids are selling products to each other, consciously or not, as they perform makeup transformations, review beauty products, and show off their Sephora hauls.
One particularly worrying trend is how young this culture skews. Kids as young as 9 years old are now recording Sephora hauls and posting them on TikTok. They excitedly unpack their bags, showing off makeup and skincare products that they are far too young to use.
These haul videos are a gateway into consumerism, pushing the idea that beauty products are essential at an age when they should be focusing on self-discovery, not self-alteration. The exposure of such young children to a culture that prizes materialistic beauty sends a dangerous message, making them believe that their value is tied to the products they can buy and display.
Another alarming trend is the promotion of products to young girls that are not only unnecessary but also potentially harmful. For example, it’s becoming increasingly common for girls as young as 13 to seek out products designed for adult skin, such as retinol-based creams, without understanding the potential risks. “When kids use anti-aging skincare, they can actually cause premature aging, destroy the skin barrier and lead to permanent scarring,” says Dr. Brooke Jeffy, a Scottsdale, Arizona, dermatologist who has posted her own social media videos rebutting influencers’ advice.
David Barnhart, counselor and Director of Behavioral Services, explains that the "Sephora kids" phenomenon is rooted in a fundamental aspect of human nature: the desire to fit in and feel accepted by peers. He notes that the pressure to focus on appearance is starting at increasingly younger ages due to these trends, adding that children should not be burdened with such concerns so early in life. "So, if I'm anxious about how I appear and I use a facial cream of some kind in order to enhance my looks, that would reduce my feelings of anxiety, at least momentarily. This produces what we call negative reinforcement," says Barnhart
Makeup Is No Longer a Choice
This is where we’ve landed: makeup is no longer a choice for these kids -- it’s a requirement. It’s become a tool of social currency. If you’re not participating, you’re not in the game. That’s a terrifying message to send to young people who are still figuring out who they are. And the beauty industry knows this. The earlier they get these kids locked into a routine, the longer they can rely on them as consumers.
Dr. Renee Engeln, author of “Beauty Sick,” captures this dynamic perfectly: "When girls as young as 13 are made to feel that their natural appearance isn’t enough, it can set them on a path of lifelong body dissatisfaction." Engeln isn’t exaggerating. Once these habits form, they stick. It’s not just about makeup; it’s about embedding a sense of inadequacy so deep that these girls will spend their lives trying to fix something that was never broken to begin with.
The Financial Toll
It’s not just emotional manipulation happening here—it’s financial exploitation. The products Sephora promotes aren’t cheap. For a 13-year-old to buy into the beauty culture promoted by their favorite influencers, they (or more likely, their parents) have to shell out serious cash. Brands like Drunk Elephant and Dior aren’t exactly drugstore finds, with some items costing upwards of $60.
Dr. Meghan Owenz, assistant professor at Penn State University, notes, "The exposure to media content that glorifies beauty standards can alter a child's sense of self-worth, especially at a developmental stage where peer comparison is central to their identity." And this comparison isn’t just emotional—it’s financial. Kids are learning early that the more expensive the product, the more value it adds to their lives. That’s a dangerous lesson.
Who’s Holding the Mirror?
Let’s be honest. This isn’t just Sephora’s problem. It’s TikTok, it’s the influencers, it’s the entire digital ecosystem that’s making a profit off of kids’ insecurities. But Sephora is playing the lead role, and it’s time we hold it accountable. The beauty industry has always been about selling an ideal, but now it’s turned into a machine that profits off of the vulnerability of children.
At the end of the day, we need to ask ourselves: Who’s holding the mirror up to these kids? And why are we letting a corporate giant like Sephora decide what our children should see?
If Sephora, TikTok, and the influencers they employ don’t change course, we’ll be left with a generation of kids who think their worth is measured by the makeup they wear. That’s not empowerment -- that’s exploitation.
You can watch a few of the teen and tween “Haul” videos here:
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