The Sephora Child: Social Media’s Influence on Children and Beauty Standards
The proliferation of cosmetics and the effect of social media have put much pressure on children, one of such is being a Sephora child.
Who is a Sephora child?
A preteen girl who purchases makeup items, typically sold to women and older teens at specialist stores like Sephora or Ulta is known as a Sephora child on social media.
A Sephora child frequently spends a lot of time and money on cosmetics. These young people regularly try various styles and trends and are interested in skincare, makeup, and beauty products. This phrase gained popularity, particularly on social media platforms like TikTok in 2024.
The Sephora child, either shopping alone or in a group, misbehaves while shopping. She uses foul language, acts rudely toward store staff, leaves displays messy, and acts like the world revolves around her.
In addition to being enthusiastic, a Sephora child is knowledgeable about the newest cosmetics products, beauty influencers, and application methods. They swatch products, make wish lists, and tell others about the latest beauty trends while spending hours perusing Sephora stores or online.
Although it originated in the beauty and fashion circles, it is now used widely to refer to young people whose identity is strongly tied to their love of makeup and cosmetics. The phrase is used in a lighthearted or friendly manner, however, some people use it to draw attention to the risks associated with excessive love for cosmetics and its use during adolescence.
But the question remains what could make an adolescent purchase cosmetics meant for older women?
The response is ironic. Many beautiful ladies have equated makeup with beauty and consistently praise makeup and anti-aging products on TikTok.
According to Dr. Brooke Jeffy, a dermatologist in Scottsdale, Arizona, Gen Alpha’s desire to blend in with their peers has made extensive, costly skincare regimens and makeup a status symbol. “Social media filters have produced unrealistic expectations of flawless, poreless skin, which is driving makeup sales to children,”.
Hence the need for anti-aging skincare products is a result of the fear of aging, which parents, friends, and influencers model.
As a result, the Sephora child is a combination of many awful traits, including rudeness, poor manners, products that aren’t fit for her stage of life, and inadequate parental supervision. Despite these traits, she isn’t the main villain of the story. It’s TikTok.
When it comes to purchasing these kinds of items, some of the Sephora children are undoubtedly copying their friends, mothers, sisters, and pop culture. The content children watch on TikTok lures many of them, and social media celebrities aren’t just referred to as “influencers” for no reason.
Children are the most willing consumers when they are constantly being marketed products or beauty standards because they lack the discernment and cynicism that most adults have, moreover, TikTok is there to sell. Although there are many positive aspects of TikTok, it is not without the negative aspects. People complain that their feeds contain sexualized content and are capable of misleading young people.