Skincare brands have captivated teens and tweens with their packaging, applications, and social media content, and Gen Z and Gen Alpha are becoming skincare afficionados, able to dive into efficacy and ingredients. In fact, market research companies peg the teen and tween skin-care market at over $200 billion by 2030. And, according to NielsenIQ, in the U.S, households with teens and tweens are outspending the average consumer when it comes to skin care and spending money on treatment, toner, moisturizer and cleanser.
Source: NielsenIQ, Beauty Trending Insights: Gen Alpha Skin Care, March 2024; Omnishopper Panel Total US latest 52 weeks ending 12/30/2023. Households with tweens: kids 6-12, Households with teens: 13-17
Gen Alpha – children born between 2010-2024 – are expected to reach 2.2 billion consumers worldwide by the end of 2024, according to marketing agency Razorfish.
according to a Morning Consult, 49% of Alphas own a tablet, but they spend the most time on desktop computers and VR headsets. 65% of those ages 8-10 are spending up to 4 hours a day on social media, which is similar to what younger Gen Z consumers report doing.
According to a Razorfish research, Gen Alpha’s most preferred mediums for learning are hacks, how-to videos, and DIY, while their top methods for learning are through games and interactive experiences.
According to Cosmetics Business Skin Care Trend Report, in the UK 66% of 12-14 year old beauty users who use social media say that it helps them discover new brands or products to try. According to the report “or Gen Alpha, beauty is a gamified, collectable experience that starts with the thrill of the acquisition and is followed by sharing and a sense of connection”.
A CivicScience survey found that among U.S. adults with children of all ages, 44% have purchased beauty products (skincare, makeup, hair care, and perfume) for their children in the last three months. The number is slightly higher for parents with younger children (aged 6-11 years old), where 46% have purchased skincare products over the last three months for their children.
The top beauty brands parents purchased were e.l.f, Sol de Janeiro, Rare Beauty, Drunk Elephant, Bubble, Tarte, Milk Makeup, Glow Recipe, and Summer Fridays. Drunk Elephant, acquired by Japanese giant Shiseido in 2019, caters to parents’ concerns on social media:
ELF Cosmetics said it is the number 1 most purchased skincare brand among Gen Alpha consumers. The brand is positioned around affordability, efficacy and a tongue-in-cheek approach, relying on multiple surprising collabs that create conversation and buzz among consumers. They are also available in teens and tweens’ favorite US retailers, like Ulta and Target – and they boast a rewarding loyalty program that draws many consumers to buy directly from the brand via ecommerce. The brand uses social media, as well as gaming platforms like Roblox.
Source: elf Q4 earnings presentation
Bubble, another teen favorite, has risen to fame via TikTok and Instagram, with an emphasis on education, formats and formulation, as well as collabs (including a recent Inside Out 2 cobranding). Importantly, skin care and beauty are not restricted to any one gender, and Bubble acknowledges this as well.
Some of the more established / mature brands, like L’Oreal, are making an effort to engage younger consumers using digital media, and gaming with a big side of AI.
Source: L’oreal, Capital Markets Day, Nov 2023
Motivations and Jobs to be Done
The major interest in skin care among teens and tweens can be attributed to the most basic psychological and sociological needs: belonging, control, power and self esteem.
In a recent interview to Glamour magazine, Kelly Atterton, Co-founder of Rile skincare said “The confessional ‘get ready with me’ trend that took hold over the last year and a half—it’s a sign of teenagedom, it’s a sign of taking control of your life… At a certain stage kids start to feel like they’re becoming who they are. They want to take control over their life in the little measures that they’re allowed to.”
Rile “Skin care and personal care products for young teens”.
The Dove brand, for one, begs to differ. The brand recently launched the #TheFaceof10 campaign, focusing on “young girls’ societal pressure to adopt unnecessary anti-ageing skincare regimens before they’ve even grown up”. According to the brand, this might lead to premature appearance anxiety in young girls, which can negatively impact their self-esteem.
As part of the campaign, Dove offers “The Gen A Anti-Ageing Talk”, a free resource on how to talk to young people about anti-ageing and beauty anxiety, and TikTok content aiming show how young faces should be treated (=with glitter and stickers instead of products).
Skincare brand Kiehl’s also launched a campaign focusing on what kids routine should look like, with sand instead of exfoliating, mud instead of masks and ice-cream instead of eye-cream.
What can the Skin Care phenomenon teach us?
The opportunity in the skin care market is huge – it’s not even a fraction of the sampling, promotion, and outreach invested in the adult market. It’s also an example of the purchasing power Gen Z and Gen Alpha have today, and how any industry is missing out if you’re not considering them, or if you are underestimating how judgmental they are about quality.
- If we look at skin care from the “Jobs To Be Done” perspective, where consumers “hire” a product or service to fulfill certain needs, there is a lot to learn from skincare. Schieber Research has long advocated brands to adopt the “Stress Free” agenda – understanding how tactics like playfulness, pampering, solutions, gamification and rituals help consumers mitigate the stress of everyday life. In this market, using social media and gaming to teach, advocate, and experiment, is an important takeaway as well.
- Some of the key positioning claims in the skin care category, that are winning with Gen Z and Gen Alpha, can be used by brands in other categories as well, including cruelty-free; clean; effective.
- It is also important to note the use of social media, collaborations, and gaming platforms, with a fun attitude.
- As in everything else with these generations, it is time to set your gender assumption aside.
- Last but not least, affordability is key. Play with pricing, sizing, rewards and loyalty, kits, subscriptions and bundles, to insure you are within reach of this important demographic group.