A bill in California that sought to ban the sale of anti-aging skin products to young kids failed to advance through the California State Assembly on Thursday.
The bill, introduced by Assemblymember Alex Lee, prohibited kids under 13 from buying over-the-counter anti-aging items containing vitamin A or its derivatives, including retinol or retinoids, or an alpha hydroxy acid like glycolic acid.
If passed, the bill would have required skin care product companies to take various "reasonable" steps to prevent the sale of products to children under 13. Some of the proposed steps included placing a "prominent notice" next to the physical product alerting consumers that it is not available to children under 13 or requiring consumers to provide a date of birth or confirm their age before purchase.
It follows a widespread social media trend in which children and tweens are purchasing and using adult skin care products, in a craze often dubbed the "Sephora Kid." The trend made national headlines after some kids were reported to be fighting with adult shoppers over products in stores or leaving store displays disorganized and messy
Dermatologists have expressed concerns over where these children — sometimes as young as 8 years old — are purchasing the products and how product use and cause damage, including rashes or allergic reactions.
The legislation died after it was brought forward at a state Assembly Appropriations Committee meeting Thursday, Lee's office confirmed to The Hill.
"Although I’m disappointed in today’s result, I’m committed to protecting children from the unnecessary harms of anti-aging products," Lee wrote in a statement.
Lee was among 20 California state legislators to send a letter to the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC), the national trade association that represents 600 cosmetics and personal care companies across the globe.
The state lawmakers "are calling on the industry to share what concrete actions they plan to take to address the issue of children buying anti-aging products."
"The multibillion-dollar beauty industry has the responsibility to take meaningful action on this problem," he added.
The PCPC, in an April statement, said Lee's legislation "falls short of addressing the real issue," calling it a "hastily drafted attempt to use legislative force to stop a social media trend."
Lee's bill, according to the PCPC, posed a risk of overregulating essential products like sunscreens, moisturizers, and cleansers.
The Hill reached out to the PCPC for further comment.
