Do adolescents need different beauty and wellness products?

With homegrown brands launching beauty products for young adults, how can parents help their children navigate this terrain?

After experiencing the harsh effects of a well-known children’s brand’s Disney-themed lip balm Sandhya Vivek Mohanani ordered online for her eight-year-old daughter during the pandemic, she did more than just be cautious of her future beauty purchases to indulge her tween’s fascination with make-up and skincare. The product made her daughter’s lips more chapped and dry than earlier, leaving behind a stain from the chemical-based pigments.

Addressing a gap in the market

“I found it strange that such dangerous products were being sold over-the-counter for young kids, and further scouting led me to realise that safe skincare and make-up that support skin issues of the vulnerable, sensitive skin of children didn’t really exist in India,” she says. Mohanani eventually launched Evaana Wellness in 2022  after two years of heavy R&D. Meant for children above the age of eight years, the brand currently includes a face wash, toner and moisturiser, and lip glosses and balms for tweens and teens with eco-certified, food-grade pigments. 

For parenting educator Nagaprasanna Vasanadu, who launched her brand Tikitoro in December 2021, too, the need originated through a personal epiphany—after she used magnesium oil to address her magnesium deficiency. “As I began using the oil on my skin, I was amazed to see how effectively it offset my deficiency. This got me thinking about the amount of products that our skin absorbs on a daily basis and how concerning it is that we may be exposing ourselves and our children to harmful chemicals and ingredients.” As a parent, she was unable to find safe and effective products for her son—”while adult products were too harsh, baby products were not efficacious enough for his age.”

What’s common among new-age homegrown brands is their commitment to produce safe, toxin-free, dermatologically tested and FDA-approved formulas suitable for young skin, keeping in mind the structural and hormonal changes one goes through in those years. Bigger establishments are tapping into the niche as well, by extending their portfolio to include a younger target audience and using their resources to understand their behaviour and needs. Forest Essentials’ recent Yuvati First Ritual Mini Kit is their first for girls between the age of 13-15—a ‘self-care ritual that celebrates this transitory phase’—that includes a head massage oil, sun fluid, soap and facial ubtan. But how does introducing skincare and make-up to children affect their perception of beauty? Is it necessary to have a separate category for them anyway, if at all? And what is the right way to initiate them into creating healthy self-care habits? 

THE PROMISE OF A PRODUCT

In a recent market report, India ranked fourth in revenue generation from the beauty and personal care market in 2021, with an expected growth by 3.86 per cent annually and 143 per cent in volume. Aside from the burgeoning demand for beauty and the need for safe skincare, there are a number of reasons why brands are solely focusing on beauty for generation Alpha. Besides the influence of social media—a potent platform for beauty firms to advertise their goods—on young adults, it’s also an age group that’s likely to adopt new trends and products first, as well as develop strong brand allegiances and become devoted consumers, says Dr Pritika B Gonsalves, child psychologist at Humm Care. It is only that much more important for them to stand out in terms of safety, efficacy and a keen understanding of adolescent skin.

“The thickness of skin, pH, body surface area, skin permeability, skin absorption and desorption, pigmentation, internal moisturising factors, as well as the development of sweat glands, all play a part in their skincare needs,” says Vasanadu, adding that kids and teens have delicate skin and hair structures and are more prone to the effects of certain ingredients than adults. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that may interfere with normal hormone functions, often found in personal care products in the form of  parabens, phthalates, bisphenols, triclosan and retinoids. When one is especially protective of their offspring, avoiding any risk-factor is essential. You won’t find toxic ingredients such as parabens, GMO, sulphates, silicones and formaldehyde in Tikitoro products, but natural actives that are certified by FDA, Safe Cosmetics Australia (toxic-free, allergy-certified, cruelty-free, vegan) and dermatologically tested for the specified age categories.

Evaana Wellness’ products are also FDA approved, dermatologically tested for sensitive skin, vegan, cruelty-free, paraben- and sulphate-free. The formulations are based on naturally derived marine ingredients like seaweed, sea mud and seatom SD, each with unique abilities to hydrate, nourish, balance oil production and provide essential nutrients to the skin. Actives are replaced with gentler and natural forms like sugarcane extract, sugar beet, olive leaf extract and ACB fruit mix (containing natural AHAs). 

Besides consulting a panel of experts like formulators and dermatologists to create the right formula, reaching out to focus groups, i.e. parents for feedback helps brands venture into an untapped market in India. “I had a market research team to work for the brand; however I called parents myself to ask if they felt a need for age-appropriate products for kids between 4-10 and 11-16 years. Every single parent said ‘yes, absolutely’.” After confirming that their ingredients met the Environment Working Group (EWG) guidelines and certification by Safe Cosmetics Australia, Vasanadu launched Tikitoro.

THE RIGHT APPROACH 

How you introduce your child to a ‘beauty routine’ is as important as navigating the market to find the right products for them. “So much relies on the child's age, maturity and interests; it's necessary to approach the beauty industry with care  and caution because it can be complicated and have a major impact on a child's self-esteem and body image,” says Gonsalves.

While creating a simple routine can help your child understand their body and develop healthy habits, like keping their skin, hair and nails clean, she advises delaying the introduction to basic skincare or make-up products until your child is at least 8 to 10 years old, “Children  may have unreasonable or unhealthy expectations of themselves, and others, if the emphasis  is only on outward appearance or adhering to limiting beauty standards. It's critical to stress that self-care and personal grooming are individual decisions that ought to be driven by self love and care rather than outside pressure or social expectations.” 

Use beauty as a tool to empower and foster their healthy self-expression. But we all know the negative impact skin issues like acne and pimples have while growing up. In order to build their self-esteem, parents should help their child develop healthy skincare practices, which in turn can result in reduced  frequency and intensity of breakouts. “Encourage them to take part in activities that celebrate their individuality, develop self-compassion by teaching them the importance of being kind with themselves and others, and reframe critical self-talk by placing emphasis on uplifting statements,” Gonsalves concludes.

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