Beauty product launches target Gen Alpha as industry weighs responsibility
Key takeaways
- Gen Alpha is emerging as a consumer group shaping beauty trends and purchasing behavior.
- Brands are launching age-specific, safety-focused products, but face ethical scrutiny over marketing to children.
- Regulatory actions and market pushback highlight growing concerns around youth exposure to mature skin care products.
Generation Alpha — largely designated as children born between 2010 and 2025 — is increasingly becoming targeted as the primary demographic for some cosmetic launches.
While the generation may present untapped market opportunities, product launches and marketing campaigns targeting children are often met with backlash, bringing into question the ethics of selling chemical ingredients potentially harmful to young people.
Fiabila, a specialist brand in water-based nail polish, is repositioning to include all ages. The brand has introduced two new water-based collections appealing to Gen Alpha children. The brand uses 100% natural, vegan ingredients, claiming to offer safe alternatives to traditional options.
The company reported that, according to its consumer panels, 95% of parents valued the formula’s odor-free functionality and its easy removal.
Simultaneously, PDC Brands has launched Sunryz, a body care brand created for Gen Alpha tweens. The brand aims to balance skin-safe and barrier-supporting formulas with dense textures and sensoriality that young teens prefer.
“Gen Alpha is entering the beauty category with unprecedented awareness and influence,” says Tarun Malkani, CEO of PDC Brands.
“We see this as a long-term growth opportunity that brings with it a responsibility to raise the bar for what young people put on their skin. Sunryz reflects our strategy to build brands that are scientifically crafted and held to the highest standards, delivering innovation, quality, accessibility, and integrity at scale.”
The brand features four layerable body products — a mist, cream, moisturizer, and oil — in three signature scent profiles — Amber Sol, Golden Sugar, and Petal Splash.
“Gen Alpha isn’t just observing beauty culture. They are actively shaping it through shared routines and product discovery with their friends,” adds Madie Starvel, director of Strategic Growth Initiatives and Platforms at PDC Brands.
By Gen Alpha
The rise of Gen Alpha beauty is driving both innovation and industry debate.
The youngest daughter of luxury skin care brand owner Victoria Beckham is following in her mothers footsteps and has launched her own K-beauty-inspired brand, Hiku. The 14-year-old’s “by Gen Alpha for Gen Alpha” branding centers on beauty routines as a path to self love for teens.
Earlier this year, kids’ skin and hair care brand Evereden expanded into the US market by entering Sephora. Originally launched as a baby brand, the Canadian company amounted to over US$100 million in sales in 2024.
“Sephora US for us is more than just a retail launch. It’s a cultural signal. It’s saying that Gen Alpha is no longer a niche. It’s the next growth engine in beauty,” says Kimberley Ho, CEO and co-founder at Evereden.
The brand further rooted its Gen Alpha positioning by giving equity in the company to three Gen Alpha creators as part of its Generation E campaign.
Downsides and concerns
While the personal care industry adapts to the emerging presence of younger buyers, the TikTok generation’s attention can come with a price.
Earlier this year, Drunk Elephant refocused its branding toward older consumers and long-term credibility. The move followed a 65% sales nose-dive in Q1 of 2025. Some industry analysts tied the decline to a tarnished reputation, as the brand’s popularity with young teens associated it with the “Sephora Kids” discourse online.
Governments and associations are also reacting to safety concerns regarding kids’ cosmetic use. Last year, California Assembly member Alex Lee introduced a bill to ban anti-aging product use in minors.
“Kids don’t need anti-aging products. The beauty industry knows that, and some companies have acknowledged the issue. But their statements — absent real and meaningful action — are performative and fall short of responsible behavior,” Lee told Personal Care Insights.
Similarly, skin care brand Mantle moved to restrict younger consumers from buying its products by introducing an age check on its websites. Apotek Hjärtat banned consumers under 15 years old from purchasing skin care products in stores.
