Key Takeaways:“Sephora teens” made people aware that kids were buying into skincare, but often unsuitable anti-aging products, opening up an opportunity for teen-specific brands.Sephora has embraced young consumers by merchandising Sincerely Yours at launch.Teen-centric brands are redefining skincare as a form of self-care, offering gentle and effective products. It was only a matter of time after “Sephora teens” first made headlines in 2023 for young kids buying anti-aging products that the beauty industry would adapt. Now, a plethora of teen-centric brands have launched, offering products purportedly better suited to this demographic.Since the beginning of the year, new brands like Erly, Sincerely Yours, Pour Tous, and Yes Day have popped up, all with Gen Z and Gen Alpha customers in mind. According to Boston Consulting Group, there’s a need for teen-centric brands: US teenagers now begin buying beauty products at an average age of 12, about a year earlier than teens just a decade ago. And with that comes more opportunities for sales. Teens already represent about 10% of the US consumer beauty market and in 2023, teen beauty spending grew 23% year over year—more than double the growth of the overall beauty market then, which rose just 9%.What’s different about the teen skincare brands from their more mature counterparts, however, is how they market their brand purpose and product functionality. You can’t exactly talk to teens about anti-aging products, how to revive “tired” skin, or any other subliminal beauty standard messaging.