This article was originally published in the Cosmetics Business Skin Care Trend Report. Receive your copy here.
Gen Z may still dominate mainstay beauty, but it’s Gen Alpha that has stolen the limelight in recent months.
From the reports of 10-year-olds having a multi-step Drunk Elephant routine, to the ‘Sephora kids controversy’, and concern of a social media-driven anti-ageing skin care product craze among this youngest cohort, Gen Alpha’s beauty industry debut has not been a positive one.
But while their extreme passion for skin care and luxury millennial brands has been met with a sense of astonishment, Gen A’s hyper-engagement in the category is actually not so surprising.
With the oldest of this cohort now 14, this is a generation that has constant access to information and influence, so when it comes to their interests – such as beauty and skin care – their discovery knows no bounds.
Mintel data reveals that 66% of 12-14-year-old beauty users who use social media say that it helps them discover new brands or products to try.
“Gen Alpha are growing up faster than previous generations,” says Emma Chiu, Global Director of VML (formerly Wunderman Thompson).
“They are not just learning about what the brand is saying about their products, they are learning what influencers are saying, they’re learning from customer reviews and they’re learning from experts.
“Then they are also looking to their millennial parents and Gen Z siblings for more information or even access to products.”