On a Thursday night in February, more than 200 moms and tweens packed into Townhouse, a speaking venue in Greenwich, Connecticut, for a talk by esthetician Nicole Caroline. Over the past year, an influx of Caroline’s clients had come in asking for skincare recommendations for their Sephora-obsessed kids: is the Drunk Elephant Retinol A-Passioni that my 12-year-old wants safe for her? What about the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Toner? That kids as young as eight had access to enough funds to purchase luxury skincare (the Drunk Elephant retinol costs $74; Glow Recipe’s toner is $35) wasn’t the issue. This is Greenwich, after all.
Instead, Caroline’s talk was about how moms could redirect their Gen Alpha tweens’ Sephora spending towards products that were right for them, now that they were obsessed with skincare. Some of the tweens realized the flaws in their previous Sephora hauls. After the talk, Caroline says, “some of the moms came up to me and said, ‘Oh my God, my daughter just returned $400 worth of products,’”
Tweens have long been excited by makeup trends–lip smackers, Dream Matte Mousse, and MAC Lipglass each had their heyday. But interest in prestige skincare from brands like Drunk Elephant, Rare Beauty, and Glow Recipe is a new phenomenon.
In its semi-annual survey of teens, investment banking company Piper Sandler reported that beauty spending is up among teens across categories. And it’s not just older teens who are shopping. According to a recent report from market research firm YPulse, nearly half of 8 to 12-year-old girls use makeup. YPulse also found that a majority of them watch skincare tutorials, and more than a third have bought a beauty product after seeing it on social media. Meanwhile, a new study from PR firm DKC of parents of 8- to 12-year-olds found that these tweens have a lot of money to spend: on average $45 a week or $2,340 per year.
The tween frenzy has helped supercharge beauty sales, but the companies that tweens are seeking out—like Drunk Elephant, Sol de Janeiro, and even Sephora—need to walk a fine line: develop a good relationship with Gen Alpha consumers and acquire their loyalty for life, while not looking like they are taking advantage of children. We spoke to executives at some of the most popular tween brands along with tweens themselves—to understand the new playbook for companies marketing to emerging consumers.
The TikTok ‘aesthetic’
Eleven-year-old Ava, who lives in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, likes to head to Sephora on the weekend or after school. When she’s navigating the aisles, it’s the products that she’s seen on Youtube shorts that frequently catch her attention. (Like many parents, Ava’s are wary of TikTok; for their kids, YouTube is the short-form video platform of choice.) Ava and her friends say that when a product goes viral, and gets reviewed or featured many times on social media, tweens are more likely to think it’s “high-quality.”
Ava describes the “get ready with me” videos that influencers post showing off their skincare routines. “A lot of skincare and makeup videos are aesthetic,” she says, “which makes all the brands that [influencers] use really appealing.”
The word “aesthetic,” used as an adjective by Ava and her peers, refers to content that is beautiful, well-arranged, and aspirational. The instantly recognizable, bright packaging of products from popular brands like Glow Recipe, Drunk Elephant, and Sol de Janeiro helps them stand out in these videos. In many ways, Ava and her friends describe being drawn to products as lifestyle, rather than simply skincare, enhancements.
On TikTok, “shelfies” (photos and videos of products on bathroom shelves) proliferate from creators like beauty influencer Leanne Page. A video of her arranging a collection of Drunk Elephant products, stacking the blocky containers together and matching their colors, has racked up more than 102,000 views and nearly 1,500 comments, along the likes of “omg luckyy.”
Sol de Janeiro, which grew sales by 199% and hit a billion dollars in revenue in 2023, has hit a particularly sweet spot with these Gen Alpha consumers. CEO and cofounder Heela Yang says that younger customers are attracted to packaging of her company’s scented body sprays: “[They’re] affordable and in fun colors, which makes them collectible,” she says. The body sprays come in oversized bottles that cost $38 for eight 240ml, which lets tweens (who are not known for their moderation) layer on the scent. The strategy is well-timed: Piper Sandler reported that, among teens, spending on fragrance saw an outsize growth this year, up 23% year over year.
A retail education
How do retailers and higher-end brands talk to Gen Alpha shoppers without looking like they’re marketing to them? By focusing on educating both tweens and their parents and purse-holders.
In December, amid spiking interest in her brand, Drunk Elephant founder Tiffany Masterson jumped onto Instagram to answer the question, “Can kids and tweens use Drunk Elephant?”. In her post, she wrote “Yes! Many of our products are designed for all skin, including kids and tweens. First, I would say stay away from our more potent products that include acids and retinoids—their skin does not need these ingredients quite yet.” She recommended products more appropriate for younger skin, including Drink Elephant’s F-Balm face mask (which costs $54) and B-Hydra serum ($49).
Glow Recipe, meanwhile, has a page on its blog giving advice to teens on the products they should use to tackle their acneic skin. It advises them to use products with salicylic acid, such as the brand’s Strawberry Smooth BHA + AHA Salicylic Serum ($42). The company also reposts videos from younger creators, like Shanayah who showcases her hauls on TikTok and posts “Get Ready With Me” videos of her routine while talking about her school schedule.
Sephora North America CEO Artemis Patrick described the role that her store’s sales associates play in educating tweens, on a recent episode of Fast Company’s ‘Most Innovative Companies’ podcast. She says the company invests in educating and training these ‘beauty advisors’ so that they have “the tools they need to interact with this new consumer. We want our shoppers, no matter the age, to continue to make informed decisions when buying products that best meet their individual needs.”
Younger consumers are also attuned to the environmental attributes and social mission of brands. As a result, companies like Sephora and Ulta have found ways to direct shoppers toward brands that fit their values. Both Sephora and Ulta use Novi Connect to vet brands and assign them in-store designations, like “Clean” and “Black Owned.” Younger consumers “have an expectation of proof” that a brand is environmentally and socially responsible, says Novi Connect founder and CEO Kimberly Shenk.”It’s not a nice-to-have.” It’s essential.
Guilt-free shopping
It’s no surprise that categories taking off among tweens–like body sprays, scents, and glow drops–are less likely to make parents uncomfortable as these products don’t radically alter tweens’ appearances or make them look more mature.
One of those categories is sunscreen, which also plays into tweens’ obsession with anti-aging—and can be marketed like makeup. Prestige sunscreen brand Supergoop, for instance, sells eyeshadows, primers, and highlighting fluid, all containing SPF ingredients that doctors recommend for consumers of all ages.
Britany LeBlanc, Supergoop’s chief marketing officer, says that the company’s strategy of offering mini versions of its products has helped it take off with younger consumers, adding that shoppers often trade up for the full size in their next purchases (Sephora’s Patrick notes that Sephora’s strategy of offering mini versions of products near the counter has been a key part of appealing to tweens with less pocket money to spend). Around the holidays, Supergoop also markets gift cards that parents might feel more comfortable buying for their kids than other beauty products. “Moms feel good buying it for their daughters for Christmas,” LeBlanc says. The strategy can also help parents discover new products to purchase for themselves.
The sunscreen playbook has also been adopted by Sol de Janeiro, which launched an SPF collection last month scented with its signature sweet fragrances. To promote it, the brand tapped Gen Z influencer Sofia Richie Grainge. A video for the campaign on the brand’s TikTok page garnered more than 500,000 views and more than 900 comments. Sol de Janeiro likely has another hit on its hands.
Additional reporting by Eleanor Woodsworth
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