Gen Alpha is the beauty industry’s newest target—but at what cost?

Gen Alpha is fast becoming the target consumers for the beauty industry. Does this newfound shift spell worry for the kids? 

Remember the classic green tube of goopy Boroline, lotions from Vaseline and Nivea, Pond’s ultra-thick cold cream, face cleanser from Clean & Clear, the now-problematic St. Ives scrubs, and Lakme’s eyeliners? For most Indian tweens and teenagers in the 90s, these products pretty much comprised their entire skincare routine. Gen Alpha—those born between 2010 and 2024—however, wouldn’t know what these products are. They’ve even outgrown Cetaphil and Sebamed to whatever is ‘trending’ or ‘viral’ on the Internet today.

Tweenagers following an elaborate skincare routine was unheard of until a few years ago. Today, they’ve embraced the skincare-savvy bandwagon—several brands are now coming up with ‘child-safe’ beauty products New Delhi-based dermatologist Dr Kiran Sethi shares, “Kids as young as seven years and above are extremely interested in beauty and skincare—and I’ve observed this only recently. Overseas, pre-teens have also started celebrating birthday parties at Sephora. Skincare for tweens is becoming a thing now.” The global beauty industry is at its peak today—equal parts overwhelming and lucrative—with Gen Alpha fast becoming its target consumers. But does this newfound shift come with worrying consequences for naive, uninformed kids? 

The rise and rise of Gen Alpha as beauty consumers 

Just two years ago, Gen Z was the prime focus for every beauty brand—kitschy packaging, eye-grabbing product names, quirky photoshoots, and a strong social media game. But there’s another up-and-coming prospective group that can be persuaded by the exact marketing efforts—Gen Alpha.

Sometime in 2023, a phenomenon called “Sephora Kids” entered the mainstream, making its presence felt all over the Internet. With billions of posts on TikTok, the ‘it’ poster child of beauty trends, and over thousands of posts on Instagram, Gen Alpha swiftly made it to numerous headlines, albeit, for not-so-great reasons. From entering stores in packs to vandalising beauty shelves at Sephora, and from littering brand kiosks to ruining product testers, Gen Alpha has been notorious for doing it all. Brands barely flinched, courtesy of Gen Alpha’s multiplying purchasing power, which, according to Mintel, is projected to reach an astounding $5.5 trillion by 2029—and that’s hard to ignore. 

Several factors are driving this shift. For starters, Gen Alpha are mostly the children of millennial mothers—the same generation that kickstarted the skincare craze, notes Jessica DeFino, a Los Angeles-based beauty journalist. “They’re raising their children to be obsessed with skincare products too—much like the ‘Almond Moms’ of the 1990s and early 2000s who enforced diet culture on their millennial and Gen Z daughters. It is a very natural impulse for children to mimic the behaviours of their parents, especially when it comes to beauty routines. Historically, haven’t young girls always played with their mothers’ make-up, hairbrushes, and skincare products? What’s different today is the scale and intensity of the beauty industry’s influence.”

The biggest driver of this development? Social media. From education to entertainment, young kids are glued to their screens, with 42 per cent of children in India below the age of 12 years spending up to four hours a day on devices. “Gen Alpha is growing up online even more than Gen Z did,” says beauty editor and content creator Komal Basith. “They’re far more exposed to faces on screens via YouTube [or Instagram], so they would be more attuned to facial features in the long run. Additionally, children have always enjoyed consuming content that is targeted to an older audience—who really read Seventeen when they were 17?”

In a landscape where Instagram reels heavily influence one’s beauty purchases, content from influencers, industry experts, and celebrities easily convinces impressionable minds that they absolutely need that new serum, cream, or blush. Even if half of Gen Alpha genuinely wants it, the other half often caves into it because of FOMO.

Sethi, who describes social media as “word of mouth on steroids” warns, “One person has the strength of a million through the strange algorithm of likes, shares, and saves, whether it’s truly accurate or not. With fake bots, paid influencers, and people incentivised to increase engagement, information is increasingly warped but exponentially more persuasive. It’s alarming.” She furthers, “Marketplaces are taking advantage of these platforms to create demand and then supply it.”

The blurred lines between adulthood and childhood have distorted Gen Alpha’s perception of beauty, erasing the distinction between what they need and what they want. “The collapse of traditional media plays a role here,” says DeFino. “In previous generations, there were clear distinctions between content for kids, teens, and adults. Today, with social media and streaming services, those distinctions have blurred,” she adds. This means young girls are exposed to the same beauty messaging as adults, fuelling an early focus on anti-ageing and an unexpected familiarity with complex cosmetic chemicals—even before they hit their teens.

Brands are tapping into this young demographic more aggressively than ever, even if they don’t openly admit it. “Drunk Elephant recently endorsed her products for teenagers, while Charlotte Tilbury used Disney Princess-themed marketing to appeal to younger audiences. It makes [capitalistic] sense—the earlier you capture a customer, the more profitable they will be over time,” points out DeFino. 

Mumbai-based dermatologist Dr Madhuri Agarwal adds, “E-commerce platforms make anything and everything easily accessible with no limitation of age, and target a younger audience if that means profit.” No wonder tweens and teens—who barely even need hyaluronic acid—are now using chemical active ingredients like retinoids, which are hyper-intense for their tender skin.

Why Gen Alpha’s growing beauty consumption is alarming

Across cultures, beauty rituals have been traditionally seen as the domain of adult women—not children—which explains the rising trepidation over Gen Alpa’s obsession with beauty products. But for  dermatologists,  the concern isn’t just cultural—it is clinical. The most pressing question then is: Do kids even need what they’re using? Or is it just a domino effect of the increasing consumption of beauty products, especially among Gen Z? 

“The structure of the skin up to about the age of 12 years is different from an adult’s skin,” explains Agarwal. “Generally, when girls hit puberty, their skin and hair changes due to hormonal influences. In boys, there are similar changes because of the rising levels of androgen and testosterone. In younger kids, the skin has a neutral pH with thinner skin and lesser lipid content and, therefore, low activity of oil glands,” she adds.  Using products with potent actives like retinol or chemical exfoliants, she warns, can lead to irreversible skin barrier damage, hormonal disruptions, premature ageing, and even prolonged cell damage. 

Celebrity dermatologist Dr Jaishree Sharad echoes this concern: “Frequent exposure to fragrances, preservatives, and chemicals [in beauty products] triggers contact dermatitis or allergic reactions. Furthermore, endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in skincare and beauty products disrupt hormonal balance, worsening hormonal acne and potentially posing long-term reproductive health risks. Prolonged exposure to EDCs increases sun sensitivity and sun damage. Chemical hair products and excessive heat styling cause hair thinning, breakage, scalp irritation, and dandruff.”

But the damage isn’t just skin-deep. “As a mother, I worry that instead of nurturing healthy skin, we’re introducing problems too soon,” says Ritcha Verma, a communications professional, content creator and mother to a 10-year-old daughter. She isn’t just referring to the physical effects—there’s a significant mental health cost too. Explaining the mental health and beauty standards connection, psychologist Sanam Devidasani says, “Gen Alpha is constantly online, where how they look isn’t just a part of social life—it feels like a performance under a spotlight. The fact that children are interested in products meant to ‘correct’ skin issues suggests that they are being introduced to self-criticism much earlier than the previous generations. When kids engage in self-care rituals traditionally meant for adults, it leaves less room for carefree exploration and self-discovery. So self-worth is becoming more conditional—tied to external appearance rather than inner confidence.” 

Devidasani warns that such early experiences can have long-lasting consequences. “The constant pursuit of an idealised version of beauty can contribute to body image concerns, eating disorders, low self-esteem, and even anxiety/mood disorders. As adults, they may struggle with self-acceptance. This can lead to the need for perfectionism in relationships—always trying to ‘be enough’ rather than feeling secure in who they are. They might also seek validation from partners in unhealthy ways, making emotional intimacy harder to build. In friendships and social circles, they may rely heavily on externalvalidation, making genuine, deep connections difficult.”

Gen Alpha will continue to be more invested in beauty—but it doesn’t always have to be worrisome

Before jumping to conclusions, it is imperative to realise that while kids are undeniably influenced, they’re neither  victims nor culprits. “The ‘Sephora Kids’ phenomenon has emerged because of several market forces: brands, social media algorithms, and sometimes even parents, who may unknowingly reinforce standards around appearance,” says Hansika Kapoor, a psychologist with Monk Prayogshala. 

While the usage of beauty products by young kids can seem precarious, it doesn’t always have to be so. “Nowadays, parents bring kids with acne to me, especially from ages 11 onwards—a constantly increasing trend. This is good because preventative care with gentle recommendations is better than kids self-treating off TikTok or Instagram and making things severe,” shares Sethi. What's striking, she adds, is how many pre-teenagers are already purchasing skin care—whether it’s Caudalie or Hailey Bieber’s latest drop—long before they genuinely need them. “My daughter is 10, and her beauty routine is simple—washing her face, applying moisturiser or a hydrating spray, and using a lip balm, all from very child-safe brands,” shares Verma. “Sometimes for a party, she dabs on a little shimmer just for the thrill of it. But it would be from a natural ingredients-based brand.” 

According to Basith, some beauty products genuinely meet the needs for this age group. “A deodorant (children sometimes need it as early as 7 or 8), body wash, and sunscreen are the basics.” Teaching kids to incorporate these  hygiene essentials is about instilling basic self-care habits.

“It only starts becoming a red flag when it stems from a feeling of lack—thinking you need make-up to look appealing versus something that’s fun to play with, or using anti-ageing actives like retinol—that’s when you know the beauty industry has gotten to them,” says Basith.

While international brands like Indu and Bubbles cater to tweenagers, homegrown names like Tikitoro, that recently made an appearance on Shark Tank India, and Y Play Z are leading the charge in India. Vidhya Madhavan, founder of Y Play Z, explains, “The demographic of tweenagers and early teenagers makes up a fair bit of our consumer base, especially for products like our aluminium-free deodorant sticks or acne-specific range. Millennial parents like myself are becoming more proactive in addressing their kids’ personal care needs, and kids themselves are increasingly aware of what they put on their skin. They want to be independent when it comes to their self-care. It is only fair and natural to have specifically curated products for them.” 

Netijyata Mahendru, founder of Broadcast Beauty Consultancy, a do-it-all firm that helps develop and scale homegrown beauty brands, agrees, “Unlike previous generations, Gen Alpha is still forming its worldview, and brands that engage with them now will play a critical role in shaping their perspectives.” 

Madhavan’s team even conducted focus groups with tweens in the ninth and tenth grades to understand their self-care habits. As a parent herself, she tests the products on both herself and her son, emphasising the need for active parental involvement. 

“Parents and schools play a crucial role in guiding self-care habits [among children],” adds Mahendru. “Unlike the past, where schools often reprimanded students for taking care of themselves, today’s educators need to foster a more supportive environment. Teachers and guidance counsellors could know students better than their parents, given the time spent in school. At the same time, a bit of tough parenting is necessary to ensure that children don’t always get what they demand.” 

“Gen Alpha is growing up in a world where beauty trends are just a scroll away. But just because they’re interested, it doesn’t mean that we buy them what they want,” says Verma. “Seeing people around me and their buying patterns for their kids, I do wonder whether we are letting kids be kids, or are fast-tracking them into an industry that thrives on insecurities. People need to understand that there is a fine line between encouraging self-care and pushing unnecessary products on kids.”

Sethi agrees, suggesting, “Parents should restrict social media for children as much as possible; they should explain that they don’t need actives in their skincare. And in case their child doesn't believe them, let their doctor tell them. Unless prescribed by a doctor, do not buy them fancy skincare products.” 

Accountability starts at home, adds Agarwal.  “In India, fairness is an obsession, and I often see parents of kids as young as 6-8 years consult for fairness and tan (both boys and girls). This leads to a negative body image and eventually resorting to wrong practices.” According to her, a gentle cleanser, a simple moisturiser, and a broad-spectrum sunscreen are enough. 

Gen Alpha is embracing beauty and self-care like never before, and this is just the beginning. The trend comes with its share of good, bad, and ugly. “If the consumption is influenced by gender essentialism—like the idea that girls should care about being ‘pretty’—or is aimed at cosmetically manipulating the body for the sake of meeting oppressive beauty standards like poreless, spotless, ageless perfection, then it’s worrisome for kids,” says DeFino. “But in that sense, it’s worrisome for adults too.”

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