Tweens are enamored with skincare

It’s near impossible to browse modern social media without stumbling across a “get ready with me” video.

And this experience isn’t unique to adults—GRWM clips are also drawing massive viewership from tweens (kids aged 10-12), fueling a recent surge in beauty spending among that age group.

Peeling back the layers

Households with children 12 and under spent $2.4 billion in 2023 on skincare and makeup—up 27% on an annual basis and more than that of households with teenagers, according to the latest Nielsen data.

• Social media is widely seen as a major driver of the trend, with popular teen influencers like North West and Penelope Disick often seen using beauty products in brightly-colored packaging with names like strawberry smoothie and bubblegum cleanser.

Why target tweens? Experts say their brains are still very much in the development stage, making them less able to recognize ads and targeted content compared to teens or adults. The problem is exacerbated by online creators, especially teen influencers, routinely failing to tag their skincare and makeup posts as advertising per a recent CBS News analysis.

In semi-related news: E.l.f. Beauty, which has seen its growth skyrocket over the past few years amid a popular TikTok marketing campaign targeting younger consumers, yesterday acquired Hailey Bieber’s skincare brand Rhode for $1 billion in a bid to reach more higher-income beauty shoppers.