Ten-year-olds are walking into Sephora holding anti-aging serums, and Italy just launched a formal investigation into it. There's now a name for this trend: cosmeticorexia. In this episode I break down what's actually being marketed to our kids, what the research really says, and what you can do about it without the overwhelm.

I'm Andrea Dahr, your non-toxic point person. I help women and busy parents figure out what's actually safe to put on their bodies, and their kids' bodies, without the fear-mongering.

Scan any product and instantly see what doesn't belong, with the Switch Natural app: https://switchnatural.onelink.me/uZpY/sw1

In this episode:

- What Italy's regulators are calling "cosmeticorexia"

- Why anti-aging products are being marketed to kids

- What the 2024 Pediatrics study actually found

- Why adult formulas (retinol, acids, benzoyl peroxide) don't belong on kids' skin

- The quieter long-term concerns: phthalates and puberty

- Why "clean for kids" isn't regulated

- What you can actually do

SOURCES

Italy's Competition Authority (AGCM) investigation: https://en.agcm.it/en/media/press-releases/2026/3/PS13110

"Pediatric Skin Care Regimens on TikTok," Pediatrics (2025): https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/156/1/e2024070309/202103/Pediatric-Skin-Care-Regimens-on-TikTok

Valisure, benzene in benzoyl peroxide products: https://www.valisure.com/valisure-newsroom/valisure-detects-benzene-in-benzoyl-peroxide

Skin care products and phthalates in children (ECHO-FGS), Environmental Health Perspectives (2024): https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/EHP13937

Personal care product use during puberty and breast cancer, Environmental Health Perspectives (2024): https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/full/10.1289/EHP13882

Connecticut AG's agreement with Sephora: https://portal.ct.gov/ag/press-releases/2026-press-releases/attorney-general-tong-announces-sephora-to-adopt-safeguards

California bill to restrict anti-aging sales to minors: https://lee.asmdc.org/press-releases/20250430-bill-protect-children-anti-aging-products-passes-key-policy-committee

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