Sephora isn’t my first go-to for beauty products, but when you have a teen for a granddaughter, it’s her “Happiest Place” on earth. My goal in this blog is to inform, educate, and ultimately support the health and welfare of young girls and mom’s as well.

I decided to use the experience as a teachable moment. I said, let's search for some products on the “Clean” side. I did go to one of the associates and asked if they had any chemical-free products. The answer was no, but that didn’t stop us from searching the aisle for the elusive chemical-free product. So, we picked up products and looked at the ingredients. First, they have about forty-two ingredients, and most are unpronounceable. Even if there were only a few chemicals, there were enough to make their products potentially harmful to young people.

I did my best to explain the issue with the chemicals that were in the products she used and how they could potentially cause hormonal issues. I’m unsure if our excursion made any difference, especially since TikTok has more influence than me.

I decided to research whether this was an actual phenomenon or a fad. I went on Google, and numerous articles on Sephora Kids showed up. I read many articles about the issue but less about what parents could do.

So, what is the Sephora Kids effect? While searching for information on the phenomenon, I came across Melody Mulugeta, an Intern at Loyola College. Her blog nails it even more than all the professional outlets who have written about this problematic issue. Instead of paraphrasing Melody, I will let her blog speak for itself—Melody Mulugeta’s blog.

What Can a Parent Do?

• Get informed!!!!!

• Watch some of the TikTok videos.

• Educate yourself about harmful chemicals (EWG.org)

• Take a trip to Sephora or Ulta, look at the products, and read the labels. Note: if it’s a long paragraph and words that are unpronounceable, it’s probably not a good product for your child to use on their body.

• Have open-ended, non-judgemental conversations with your child about what they see on TikTok and if it’s real.

• Have similar conversations about what beauty is and whether TikTok or YouTube should be dictating what you should look like.

• Take a look at your own language and are they picking up on that?

Throughout history, women have been told how they should look, dress, act, and remain silent. I believe this issue is a perfect platform to empower young women. That being said, young men are also influenced by what they see on social media, so having conversations with them is just as important.


Explore the entire article here: National Geographic - Sephora Kids: Mental Health & Aging.

Summer is a great time to address the “uncomfy” of puberty, periods, and sexual topics!

Book A Summer Class Now!