2 months ago
Italian regulators are investigating Sephora and Benefit Cosmetics complete nan evident usage of “covert trading strategies” to waste beauty products to young girls that mightiness beryllium fuelling an unhealthy skincare obsession called “cosmeticorexia”.
The Italian Competition Authority said it was looking into promotions for skincare products specified arsenic look masks, serums and anti-ageing creams that successful immoderate cases appeared to target girls nether 10.
“These practices are linked to nan broader rumor of ‘cosmeticorexia’ – an obsession pinch skincare among minors,” nan authority said.
The cosmetics brands, which are some owned by nan French luxury group LVMH, appeared to person adopted a “particularly insidious trading strategy”, it said. This progressive utilizing “very young micro-influencers who promote nan compulsive acquisition of cosmetics among young people, a peculiarly susceptible group”.
The watchdog said that its officials, pinch nan thief of nan Italian financial police, had carried retired inspections astatine nan premises of Sephora Italia and different LVMH offices connected Thursday.
Upmarket beauty brands aimed astatine women person surged successful fame among very young societal media users, creating a arena known arsenic “Sephora kids” – a catch-all building for nan aggravated attachment betwixt preteen children and high-end beauty products.
The inclination is driven by skincare contented produced by beauty influencers – galore of whom are tweens and teens themselves. Apps specified arsenic TikTok and Instagram are filled pinch videos of young girls and teenagers talking astir skincare and makeup.
Sephora has antecedently sought to region itself from this inclination pinch Artemis Patrick, main executive of Sephora North America, stating successful a 2024 interview that “we do not marketplace to this audience”.
The inclination has met a backlash from dermatologists who reason that children do not require beauty products and this early attraction connected quality tin create worry astir really their tegument looks. Children’s tegument is much delicate and exposing it to unnecessary chemicals increases nan consequence of irritation and sensitisation later on, they say.
Cosmeticorexia refers to an obsession pinch achieving “flawless” tegument that tin lead to excessive, age-inappropriate aliases compulsive usage of cosmetic products.
“The investigations were opened complete concerns that important accusation – specified arsenic warnings and precautions for cosmetics not intended for, aliases tested on, minors – whitethorn person been omitted aliases presented successful a misleading manner,” said nan regulator.
While not forbidden to waste specified products to underage customers, nan regulator said “the predominant and mixed usage of a wide scope of cosmetics by minors, without due awareness, whitethorn beryllium harmful to their health”.
LVMH said that it, Sephora and Benefit would “fully cooperate pinch nan authorities” but declined to remark further. “All nan companies reaffirm their strict compliance pinch applicable Italian regulations,” it added.
