Are Age-Restricted Beauty Products on the Horizon?
When we think of age-restricted products, it’s often obvious examples such as alcohol and tobacco that come to mind. While these are certainly the most well-known, age restrictions exist for a range of other goods and services, and we’re seeing more products fall under this umbrella all the time.
The beauty industry is one of the most lucrative in the world. Traditionally, it has targeted adult women across a broad age range, but more recently these products are being used by young teenagers and even children. This has been met with some backlash; could we see age-restricted beauty products hit the market? Let’s find out.
The Beauty Industry
Before we dive in, let’s take a look at the beauty industry. According to financial forecasts, the sector is expected to generate upwards of $646 billion in revenue in 2024. The industry has grown significantly in recent years, driven by social media platforms and video-sharing channels. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube have proved particularly effective vehicles for the beauty industry. Influencers and content creators post reviews and tutorials of different products, with these videos generating hundreds of millions of views.
Changing Demographics
As we touched on earlier, makeup companies would traditionally target adult women. However, in recent years there has been a significant uptake in younger people, teenagers and children, interested in beauty products. The recent ‘Sephora kids’ trend exemplifies this perfectly; children are now expressing interest in high-end, often expensive makeup products.
What has driven this change? While the answer is likely complex and multi-faceted, social media has undoubtedly played a major role. Today’s social media influencers have enormous followings, with many young people among their fans. Makeup and beauty influencers are among the world’s most popular creators, which means these products are now targeting much younger demographics.
The Risks of Beauty Products
This shift in demographic has led to calls for age-restricted beauty products. Why is this? On the surface, makeup and other similar products may seem harmless, but they can in fact pose certain risks that young users, and the parents of young users, should be aware of.
As beauty products are designed for adult skin, they can contain certain chemicals that may pose a risk to young, developing skin. Retinol and exfoliating acids, in particular, can be dangerous. They can break down the sensitive skin barrier and can cause a number of issues, including rashes and dermatitis. Other chemicals such as AHA acid can be risky too.
The presence of these compounds in easily available makeup items is the driving cause behind recent calls to introduce age-restricted beauty products.
Could We See Age-Restricted Beauty Products?
The idea of age-restricted beauty products might seem a little strange at first, but after learning about the potential harm makeup can cause, it’s easy to see the reasoning.
In fact, age-restricted beauty products already exist. Swedish pharmacy franchise Apotek Hjartat announced earlier this year that it would prohibit the sale of ‘advanced skincare’ products to customers under the age of 15, citing the potentially harmful chemicals contained within these products.
However, a significant portion of makeup sales are conducted online, where age verification procedures can be more difficult. If we do see widespread introduction of age-restricted beauty products, how can merchants be sure that customers are of age? The answer is by using an age verification solution like AgeChecked. In doing so, merchants can be confident that they are only selling products to adults, and they will be protected against the potential legal ramifications of selling goods to underage customers.
Conclusion
Beauty products aren’t the first thing that comes to mind when we think of age-restricted goods. However, there are legitimate reasons behind the push to introduce such regulations, and it’s something we could see rolled out in the very near future. Merchants and ecommerce stores should be prepared for such an eventuality and should have a comprehensive understanding of how age verification solutions, such as the one offered by AgeChecked, can support them.
