Those Damn Kids!

Are 10-year-olds ruining your beauty shopping experience? In recent weeks, reporters and consumers have bemoaned children under the age of 16 running amok at Sephora. As one irate shopper posted on Sephora’s community page:

“10-13-year-old kids are taking so much space at Sephora. They are being disrespectful to the customers and employees. I’ve even heard people being directly insulted by them,” complained the author. “Plus, they are always messing up with testers, emptying them and mixing different products. For people like me, who really want to analyze a product before buying it, it’s really inconvenient.”

To remedy the situation, the author suggests “checking ID to be sure people who enter Sephora, buy the products and have an account on their application, are at least 14 years old.”

Wow! I went through fewer hassles buying beer with a fake ID at 16.

Websites and social media give everyone a platform; unfortunately, too often they’re populated by zealots with too much time on their hands and poor memories. It wasn’t too long ago that retailers were begging people to return to brick-and-mortar stores. And it’s never a good idea to shun young shoppers who, not too far into the future, could become loyal customers.

My biggest worry about kids and cosmetics is that they get obsessed with their outer appearance at a young age. As a father of three girls, I always tried to downplay how they looked and focused more about what they thought. Plus, the last thing 10-year-old skin needs is an exfoliant! A mild cleanser and sunscreen are usually enough for most children. But don’t take my word for it; in this issue, we asked dermatologists and other experts about the latest trends in dermatology and skin care. Also in this issue, are articles on sunscreen regulations, beauty technology and hairstyling.

Getting back to those kids; remember, it can always be worse—they could be shoplifting. When I was that age, I was known to swipe a candy bar or two from local establishments.

At  least these Sephora punks are paying customers!

Tom Branna
Chief Content Officer
tbranna@rodmanmedia.com