By Kelly Kim
Correspondent
Over the last few weeks, a new trendy term has been circulating to describe young pre-teens and teens nowadays. “Sephora 10-year-olds” refers to late elementary and middle school-aged girls who walk into various beauty stores, including Sephora, and buy skincare and makeup products marketed towards a much older demographic.
There are many mixed reactions to this new generation of girls. Some criticize parents for allowing unsupervised shopping sprees, while others criticize the girls themselves. However, there is a bigger problem at hand, as such behaviors may signify an earlier end to childhood with young girls desperately attempting to feel and look older.
There are various videos online chronicling very similar experiences of the “Sephora 10-year-old,” who either destroys the tester makeup provided by the store or buys abundant amounts of makeup and skincare from the same few companies that have seemed to grab their attention.
Skincare brand Drunk Elephant has been a catalyzing factor within this epidemic, as it is one of the most popular brands amongst this younger generation of girls. With the Drunk Elephant products, they concoct “smoothies” – a combination of different skincare products into one – and use them on their faces.
One of the biggest concerns about such skincare “smoothies” is that not only are these children unaware of what exactly they are mixing, but they are utilizing skincare products that they do not need to be using at their age.
Products such as retinol, intended for people of older age and skin, should not be in the hands of a 10-year-old. It only damages and harms their skin at an early age.
Though much can be said about this new trend, the main aspect that should be focused on is the worrisome reality this trend reveals about the mindset and behaviors of the next generation of girls.
It is a sad fact that young girls feel the pressure to use such makeup and skincare products to feel older when their childhoods have barely begun. Social media apps like TikTok and Instagram undoubtedly influence what young girls think they should be, have, or act like, but how much exposure is too much exposure? When will we know we have gone too far?
The great thing about childhood is that it is a time for one to fondly look back on, to reminisce on both the good moments and embarrassing memories. Being able to form and live out childhood is part of growing up, and to have it stunted or cut short because of trends that encourage acting older can only do more harm than good.
Understandably, there is a lot of noise surrounding this issue, but there isn’t just one person to point fingers at. People could place blame on these girls alone, however, their actions are a result of different factors, including their parents and social trends.
I think the general tone that can be set forth with this epidemic is sadness – for the young girls who feel as though they need to grow up so quickly, and for older girls who understand what they are going through but cannot seem to help.
In the end, utter frustration and annoyance define these circumstances for girls of all ages.
