Grupo Boticário tackles Gen Alpha’s skincare obsession with new product label
Brazilian beauty conglomerate Grupo Boticário has launched a comprehensive initiative addressing the growing trend of children using skincare products that aren't age-inappropriate.
The company's research, conducted through its Women's Research Center, revealed striking patterns among Brazilian girls aged 8 to 14: 95% maintain skincare routines, with 53% applying products daily. More concerning, six in ten are using or want to use anti-aging products, driven by social media influence. Over 40% have purchased or requested products unsuitable for their age, while 74% can't identify the ingredients they're applying to their skin.
The Pacto Skincare Responsável introduced by Grupo Boticário centers on three pillars. The company has committed to a portfolio entirely free of substances classified as endocrine disruptors, in accordance with WHO definitions and European safety standards. Starting in November 2025, it will create an educational hub featuring expert content across multiple consumer touchpoints, while implementing "Recommended for Adult Skin" labels on social media posts and e-commerce platforms for products containing active ingredients designed for mature skin.
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Algorithmic culture (TikTok, YouTube, Instagram) has blurred the boundary between adult and youth beauty culture, creating a generation of children who mimic influencer routines without fully understanding risks and benefits. While regulatory frameworks lag rapidly evolving digital beauty trends, brands with deep consumer relationships are positioned to fill the education gap.
Grupo Boticário's approach recognizes that product reformulation alone won't solve behavior shaped by social media. Meaningful intervention requires meeting young consumers where they are and learn, with clear guidance that respects their autonomy while protecting developing skin. As concerns about youth mental health and body image intensify globally, expect more beauty companies to shift from passive age recommendations to active education. It's a cultural stewardship play — a bet that future loyalty will come from transparency, responsibility and protection, not from fueling aspiration and anxiety.
