The Italian Competition Authority has launched investigations into Sephora and Benefit Cosmetics for allegedly encouraging the use of adult skincare among children.
The authority says the investigations center on possible unfair commercial practices linked to the premature use of adult cosmetics among children and adolescents (including those under 10) by encouraging the “compulsive” purchase of face masks, serums and anti-aging creams. It adds that these practices are linked to the broader issue of ‘cosmeticorexia’ – an obsession with skincare among minors”.
The investigations were launched due to concerns that vital information – such as warnings and precautions for cosmetics not intended for, or tested on, minors – may have been omitted or presented in a misleading way, both online and in Sephora stores. The authority highlights the Sephora Collection and Benefit Cosmetics lines in particular.
In addition, the authority says that the companies appear to have employed what it calls a “particularly insidious marketing strategy”, involving very young micro-influencers who promote the purchase of cosmetics among young people, which it describes as an especially vulnerable demographic.
In a statement, the authority warns that “the frequent and combined use of a wide range of cosmetics by minors, without proper awareness, may be harmful to their health”.
The authority’s officials carried out inspections at the premises of Sephora Italy, LVMH Perfumes and Cosmetics Italy and LVMH Italy, assisted by the Special Antitrust Unit of the Italian Financial Police.