Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/1523489
70 ASCP Skin Deep Summer 2024 Tweens are driving 49 percent of mass-market skin care growth, with the following mass- market skin care product categories being the top five in year-over-year dollar-sales growth: • Facial treatments: +38.3 percent • Eye skin care (noncreams): +19.8 percent • Facial cleanser: +13 percent • Day facial moisturizer: +7.8 percent • Eye cream: +7 percent 2 This consumer group is predicted to have an economic footprint of $5.46 trillion by 2029 (almost as much as Gen Z and millennials combined) and shows no signs of slowing down when it comes to purchasing skin care products, particularly those targeting skin aging. POPULAR TRENDS WITH GEN ALPHA AND GEN Z In attempts to obtain perfectly chiseled facial features and maintain flawless skin, more 20-somethings than ever are opting for injectables. According to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery's most recent survey, close to 75 percent of facial plastic surgeons report increases in the number of patients under 30 years old requesting cosmetic surgery or injectables. 3 My mother, an esthetician with 20 years of experience, has never had injections and relied on the pillars of esthetics knowledge: sunscreen, facial massage, hydration, exfoliation, and tools such as galvanic and microcurrent. The estheticians of today are more open-minded to Botox and fillers than they were in my mother's time, and so are our clients. While it's common to start injectables in the late 30s, younger people are seeking "preventive" Botox. People as young as 17 have started using the neurotoxin to "prevent" forehead lines. In fact, the 18–34 age range had 2.2 million Botox treatments in 2022, which includes younger millennials and Gen Z. The 17-year-old or younger category saw the lowest number of Botox administered, with 55,329 in total. 4 There are also plenty of popular, noninvasive esthetic treatments that prevent premature aging. Teens have substantial spending power, and their parents gladly pay for results-driven treatments and products if they deem them essential. Expert Experience To get to the bottom of the current Gen Alpha and Gen Z trends, I sat down with Maria Ramos, a popular esthetician and the founder of "The Money Making Esthetician" Facebook group that has more than 100,000 members. Ramos has been a practicing esthetician for the last seven years. Most of her clients in Valley Village, California, are women ranging in age from 30 to 50, but she does see teens and Gen Z clients. Her clients who are moms tend to bring their teenagers in for treatments. Ramos says she sees too many young clients who come in with TikTok-intense routines, using retinol, glycolic acid, and other actives that target skin aging. This isn't a problem to be taken lightly. Dove conducted multidisciplinary research in 20 countries in November and December 2023 and discovered that nearly one in two young girls aged 10–17 said they are anxious about their appearance as they age. 5 The brand started a campaign with the hashtag #TheFaceOf10, urging people to reconsider teens and children diving into adult skin care routines to protect their self-esteem in the tough social media epoch. Dove's statement explains that actives like retinol are for adults and should not be a part of a 10-year-old's regimen—this mission resonates with my beliefs. Like me, most estheticians agree that young clients with normal skin don't need more than a cleanser, a light moisturizer, and sunscreen. UNSAFE SKIN CARE FOR YOUNG CLIENTS There are several issues estheticians should be mindful of when working with older Gen Alpha and younger Gen Z clients. Here are a few.