Italian authorities have launched an investigation into Sephora and Benefit Cosmetics for allegedly using a “covert marketing strategy” to sell adult cosmetics to children. The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) says the sale of beauty products to minors can increase the obsession with achieving “perfect” skin, known as “cosmeticorexia”, and pose a risk to health.
AGCM calls the LVMH subsidiary’s marketing strategy “particularly insidious.” These brands are collaborating with young micro-influencers, which authorities claim is facilitating “compulsive purchasing of cosmetics” among vulnerable groups, including girls under the age of 10.
Confirmed by LVMH Personal care insights Sephora, Benefit and LVMH P&C Italy have been informed of the investigation proceedings initiated by AGCM. The luxury goods conglomerate insisted that the brand was acting in “strict compliance with applicable Italian regulations”.
“As the investigation is ongoing, Sephora, Benefit and LVMH General Insurance Italia are unable to comment further at this stage, but have expressed their intention to cooperate fully with the authorities.”
AGCM is considering advertising age-inappropriate products such as anti-aging creams, face masks and serums to young girls. The report cited concerns that important information about the safety of the product for use by minors “may have been omitted or presented in a misleading manner.”
Personal care insights We also contacted AGCM, but they declined to comment.
“Cosme Collection”. fuss
The rise of “cosmetic correctoria” is linked to children’s obsession with perfect skin.
An article by the Italian National Institute of Health has been published. dermatology and treatment, He describes cosmetology as “a culturally-reinforced preoccupation or obsession with achieving perfect skin, which can lead to excessive, age-appropriate, or compulsive use of cosmetics, cosmetics, and procedures.”
The article attributes the increasing prevalence of this phenomenon to the growth of the cosmetics market and beauty routine-based content driven by social media platforms that increasingly target younger audiences.
The term is one new iteration of ongoing concerns about the beauty industry’s role in reaching children as a market demographic.
This study is not the first time that cosmetics retailers have stepped in to address the rise in children’s cosmetics use. In 2024, complaints about “Sephora Kids” erupted on social media. This refers to children being found in retail stores using cosmetics and skin care.
Children’s increasing experimental attitude toward cosmetics is causing concern among dermatologists and other skin care professionals. The scientific review “Dermatological Safety of Cosmetics Marketed to Children: Insights into the Sephora Kids Phenomenon” J drug dermatol, cites “notable dermatological problems” when children repeatedly use make-up and skin care products.
This paper investigates the effects of retinol, exfoliating acids (AHA and BHA), and vitamin C on children’s skin. We conclude that current literature and FDA-approved guidelines indicate that chemicals have not been adequately tested on pediatric skin. According to reviews, children who use the product without medical supervision can cause various negative effects on skin health, including skin redness, irritation, increased sun sensitivity, and dermatitis.
In addition to the dermatological risks to adolescent skin, parents and mental health professionals have expressed concern about the long-term effects on self-esteem and personal image.
“The signal it sends to young girls is that they shouldn’t look older, that they shouldn’t look older than eight years. This is so wrong and so harmful to young girls,” said a comment on last year’s launch announcement for Rini, a skincare brand designed specifically for children.
Online discussions highlight the ethically shaky elements of marketing to minors. Some people in the beauty industry are calling for an industry-wide confrontation about the normalization of sales to children.
Legislation of “Sephora Kids”
Concerns about the impact of age-appropriate cosmetics on children’s health continue to grow.
The Italian study is one of a growing number of top-down legislative interventions in the private personal care sector regarding child safety.
Last year, California congressman Alex Lee introduced a bill that would ban the use of anti-aging products by minors, arguing that brands’ bona fide claims were staged.
“Children don’t need anti-aging products. The beauty industry knows this, and some companies acknowledge the problem. But their statements are performative and fall far short of responsible action, as they are not accompanied by any real, meaningful action,” Lee said. Insights on personal care.
Similarly, skincare brand Mantle sought to limit young consumers from purchasing its products by introducing age verification on its website. Meanwhile, Apotek Hjaltat, Sweden’s largest private pharmacy chain, has banned consumers under 15 from purchasing skin care products in its stores.
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