Alpha- approved
Eight dermatologist- approved products for the Gen Alpha skin care lover.
The Sephora kids have arrived.
Thanks in part to the ever-growing prominence of beauty discourse on social media, a growing wave of tweens have found their way to the skin care aisle — and it's safe to say many have mixed feelings about beauty's fresh-faced new entrants.
On one hand, says Louisiana-based dermatologist Dr. Mamina Turegano, “it's great that preteens are interested in taking care of their skin and developing a routine, which can be a way for them to learn a form of self care.” On the other, she says, “extensive skin care use at an early age can cause problems; certain products and ingredients are not necessary — or even potentially harmful — to the skin of a preteen.”
So how should this demographic approach building a skin care regimen?
First, ideally under the guidance of an adult-aged loved one. And second — “focus on your three basic steps — cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen,” says Dr. Suchismita Paul, founder of Balanced Skin Dermatology and Aesthetics. “After that, additional steps should be based on your underlying problems.”
On the whole, products containing harsh exfoliating acids, antioxidants and most retinols are a no-go for this age group, Turegano says. Similarly, those that emphasize preventative or antiaging benefits — even those that come in adorable, neon-orange packaging — also aren't suitable.
“We shouldn't be starting these tweens from m a place where they think that something is wrong with h their skin, or they're already internalizing that something g needs to be ‘fixed,'” says Dr. Corey Hartman, founder and nd medical director of Skin Wellness Dermatology.
Rather, a no-frills routine that targets the age e group's most common skin concerns — which Paul pinpoints points as hormonal acne and hydration — is Gen Alpha'ss best bet.
Here, eight tween-friendly options that fit the thhe criteria. $ 25 at sephora.com, us. laneige.com
While Dr. Hartman considers Laneige’s facial skin care assortment as suited to a Gen Z and older consumer, the brand’s murumuru seed butter- infused lip mask, he says, is a fit for tweens who want in on the K- beauty favorite.