East Bay assemblymember calls for ban on anti-aging products for kids under 13
(Photo by Fabio De Paola/PA Images via Getty Images)
(KRON) — An East Bay state assemblymember is calling on the skincare and beauty industry to do more to protect children from anti-aging products intended for adults. Assemblymember Alex Lee (D-CA) who represents California’s 24th District, co-signed a letter to the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) — the industry’s national trade association — back in May.
That letter, which was signed by 20 California state legislators, took aim at the “Sephora Kids” phenomenon, in which children, pre-teenagers and teenagers influenced by social media platforms are buying anti-aging skincare products. Those products, which contain ingredients like retinols, glycolic acid, and ascorbic acid, are targeted to “adult care concerns,” according to the letter.
The letter, Lee said, “urged the council to curb the alarming trend of kids buying anti-aging skincare.” On Wednesday, Lee issued a statement reiterating his call for the industry to do more to protect children.
“Anti-aging products can be harmful to children’s health, potentially damaging their sensitive skin,” Lee’s statement said. “Even so, the skincare and beauty industry has failed to take meaningful action in preventing kids from purchasing anti-aging products.”
“While the industry has previously acknowledged that they ‘do not support children using anti-aging products,’ PCPC has yet to respond to the letter,” Lee said in Wednesday’s statement. Lee, that statement went on to say, has introduced legislation to “ban the sale of anti-aging products that contain powerful active ingredients like retinol and alpha hydroxy acids to kids under the age of 13.”
“Anti-aging products offer no benefit to kids,” said Assemblymember Lee. “Without knowledge of the potential consequences, children are influenced by social media to use anti-aging products that aren’t suitable for their skincare needs.”
“The multi-billion dollar beauty industry in the U.S.,” he went to on to say, “is profiting off of kids who are buying and using these products. If they’re serious about protecting the health and safety of our youth, the industry should take concrete actions to safeguard kids from the unnecessary risks of anti-aging products.”
Lee represents California’s 24th Assembly District which includes East Bay cities Fremont, Newark, Milpitas, San Jose and the community of Sunol.
According to reports, many summer camps are taking action against the Sephora Kids trend by banning certain high-end skin care products.