1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:05,000 AMNA NAWAZ: It's the latest craze among some preteens. Ask many tweens what's at 2 00:00:07,066 --> 00:00:10,266 the top of their wish list, and there's a good chance the answer will be skin care products. 3 00:00:12,266 --> 00:00:15,200 Special correspondent and Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell has the story 4 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:19,100 about the growth and concerns around this boom. 5 00:00:19,100 --> 00:00:24,000 CATHERINE RAMPELL: One of Emma Scott's must-have skin care products is her glow recipe toner. 6 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:26,533 EMMA SCOTT, 10 Years Old: And if you smell it, it smells, like, really good. 7 00:00:26,533 --> 00:00:28,800 CATHERINE RAMPELL: Oh, yes. Sort of fruity? 8 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:30,700 EMMA SCOTT: Mm-hmm. 9 00:00:30,700 --> 00:00:32,333 CATHERINE RAMPELL: The 10-year-old's preferred body butter, Sol de Janeiro. 10 00:00:32,333 --> 00:00:36,400 EMMA SCOTT: This one is like a creamy consistency. 11 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:38,000 CATHERINE RAMPELL: In her skin care fridge. 12 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:41,033 EMMA SCOTT: I really like this Laneige sleeping mask. 13 00:00:41,033 --> 00:00:44,200 CATHERINE RAMPELL: And for lip care, Summer Fridays' butter balm. 14 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:48,233 EMMA SCOTT: Because it's like a limited edition. And I was like, oh, I really want this. 15 00:00:48,233 --> 00:00:53,200 CATHERINE RAMPELL: Scott does a multistep skin care routine every morning and every evening. 16 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:58,166 EMMA SCOTT: In the morning, I will do a face wash, a toner, a moisturizer, and my ELF-tinted SPF. 17 00:01:00,866 --> 00:01:02,500 CATHERINE RAMPELL: Why do you do it every day? 18 00:01:02,500 --> 00:01:04,466 EMMA SCOTT: Because I feel like it's really hydrating 19 00:01:04,466 --> 00:01:08,433 for your skin and it feels good on my skin. Normally, when I first wake up, 20 00:01:08,433 --> 00:01:13,433 I look like a really -- like a white ghost. So, I like being a little bit tanner and glowier. 21 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:19,900 CATHERINE RAMPELL: Move over, Barbie. Today's tweens are obsessed with expensive skin care, 22 00:01:19,900 --> 00:01:24,533 products usually marketed to a much older, wealthier clientele. 23 00:01:24,533 --> 00:01:29,533 Households with tweens, aged 6 through 12, spent almost $2.5 billion facial skin 24 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:34,833 care last year, an annual spending increase of 27 percent, more than double the average. 25 00:01:34,833 --> 00:01:37,500 GIRL: I like that it's like kind of watery. 26 00:01:37,500 --> 00:01:40,866 CATHERINE RAMPELL: This is Scott's skin care crew, a group of friends and fellow 27 00:01:40,866 --> 00:01:45,833 skin care enthusiasts who meet daily, usually online, to bond over their beauty regimes. 28 00:01:47,033 --> 00:01:49,000 GIRL: I'm going to moisturize my hands. 29 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:52,200 CATHERINE RAMPELL: The girl's parents are still getting up to speed. 30 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:57,166 AMY SCOTT, Mother: I don't really use a whole lot of anything, so it's been very eye-opening for me. 31 00:01:58,433 --> 00:02:00,300 CATHERINE RAMPELL: Amy Scott is Emma's mother. 32 00:02:00,300 --> 00:02:04,133 AMY SCOTT: Sometimes, I get her leftovers, so I have started using 33 00:02:04,133 --> 00:02:08,033 a gel moisturizer that she has turned me on to. 34 00:02:08,033 --> 00:02:10,600 CATHERINE RAMPELL: And you got her leftovers because she didn't like it? 35 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:15,600 AMY SCOTT: No, she was just sick of using it. She always is looking for the newest thing. 36 00:02:19,333 --> 00:02:20,900 GIRL: Get ready for the day. 37 00:02:20,900 --> 00:02:22,966 CATHERINE RAMPELL: The newest thing, as seen on social media. 38 00:02:22,966 --> 00:02:25,566 GIRL: First, I'm going to use these bronzer drops and then the oil. Let's do it. 39 00:02:25,566 --> 00:02:29,833 CATHERINE RAMPELL: YouTube and TikTok teem with so-called skinfluencer content. 40 00:02:29,833 --> 00:02:31,700 GIRL: We're going to do a pump of that like this. 41 00:02:31,700 --> 00:02:34,633 GIRL: And then I go in with a little bit of this (INAUDIBLE) moisturizer. 42 00:02:34,633 --> 00:02:37,866 CATHERINE RAMPELL: There are get ready with me videos of step-by-step routines. 43 00:02:37,866 --> 00:02:42,866 GIRL: I love that stuff. It makes my skin feel so good after putting that stuff on. 44 00:02:44,866 --> 00:02:48,433 CATHERINE RAMPELL: Unboxing videos and P.R. hauls showcase the latest products... 45 00:02:48,433 --> 00:02:52,466 GIRL: Glow recipe. Look how this box opens. Very unique. 46 00:02:52,466 --> 00:02:55,466 CATHERINE RAMPELL: ... sent to influencers by brands for promotion. This is the 47 00:02:55,466 --> 00:03:00,466 actual Plum Plump moisturizer. Fabulous. Thank you, Glow Recipe. 48 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:05,866 AMY SCOTT: She sees this person opening this product and it's like, oh, I have to try that. 49 00:03:07,933 --> 00:03:11,233 It's very expensive. So it's trying to say, let's talk about this. Is it really worth it? 50 00:03:13,033 --> 00:03:16,933 CATHERINE RAMPELL: The most popular place to shop for skin care, Sephora. 51 00:03:16,933 --> 00:03:18,500 ALLIE ROSS, Influencer: First thing first, 52 00:03:18,500 --> 00:03:21,600 we need to see if they have the new Sol de Janeiro body cream. 53 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:26,600 EMMA SCOTT: There's this girl that I watch, Allie Ross. And she goes to Sephora a lot. 54 00:03:27,766 --> 00:03:29,733 ALLIE ROSS: Oh, my God. You're kidding me. 55 00:03:29,733 --> 00:03:32,333 EMMA SCOTT: And she will, like, buy all these products. 56 00:03:32,333 --> 00:03:36,033 CATHERINE RAMPELL: The retailer is now notorious for packs of young shoppers 57 00:03:36,033 --> 00:03:41,033 or Sephora kids looking for viral skin care products. Emma Scott goes at least once a week. 58 00:03:42,900 --> 00:03:47,133 How much do you think Emma has spent this year? 59 00:03:47,133 --> 00:03:48,533 AMY SCOTT: It's got to be hundreds. 60 00:03:48,533 --> 00:03:50,900 GIRL: Do they have the pink one? 61 00:03:50,900 --> 00:03:53,566 CATHERINE RAMPELL: We tagged along with the skin care crew on a recent 62 00:03:53,566 --> 00:03:58,533 visit as they browsed, tested, counted their money, and spent. 63 00:03:59,733 --> 00:04:01,900 EMMA SCOTT: Thank you. 64 00:04:01,900 --> 00:04:06,133 Amy Scott insists Emma use her own money or gift cards from her birthday and other 65 00:04:06,133 --> 00:04:11,133 holidays. While this trend is certainly a boon for Sephora, others aren't totally sold. 66 00:04:12,833 --> 00:04:14,833 DR. NAVA GREENFIELD, Schweiger Dermatology Group: We're seeing 10-, 67 00:04:14,833 --> 00:04:17,500 11-, 12-year-old girls bringing a shopping bag of their 12-step routine that they're 68 00:04:17,500 --> 00:04:22,166 doing in the morning and their 10-step routine that they're doing at night. 69 00:04:22,166 --> 00:04:25,566 CATHERINE RAMPELL: Nava Greenfield is a dermatologist in Manhattan. 70 00:04:25,566 --> 00:04:27,700 DR. NAVA GREENFIELD: They might say, I want beautiful, flawless, 71 00:04:27,700 --> 00:04:29,866 perfect skin and I'm looking at them thinking, 72 00:04:29,866 --> 00:04:33,966 you already have that. There are a few times in life where a skin is going to be more beautiful. 73 00:04:33,966 --> 00:04:38,966 GIRL: Next up, my Glow recipe Firm Serum. Got to keep those wrinkles away. 74 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:42,633 CATHERINE RAMPELL: Greenfield blames influencers for convincing tweens 75 00:04:42,633 --> 00:04:46,733 that they need lotions and potions containing anti-aging agents like 76 00:04:46,733 --> 00:04:50,400 retinol and other active ingredients that can be harmful to young skin. 77 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:53,433 GIRL: Ever since I told my mom's retinol and started using it, 78 00:04:53,433 --> 00:04:57,533 I swear I'm aging backwards. I look so young. 79 00:04:57,533 --> 00:05:01,000 DR. NAVA GREENFIELD: Just like adults will use Dr. Google to talk to me about their 80 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:05,700 skin and about what they think is going on with their rash, adolescents do too. 81 00:05:05,700 --> 00:05:07,933 CATHERINE RAMPELL: So, it's Dr. TikTok instead of Dr. Google. 82 00:05:07,933 --> 00:05:09,133 DR. NAVA GREENFIELD: Exactly, yes. 83 00:05:09,133 --> 00:05:10,900 GIRL: My friend's skin is gorgeous. 84 00:05:10,900 --> 00:05:12,366 CATHERINE RAMPELL: Greenfield says it's not just 85 00:05:12,366 --> 00:05:15,066 young girls who think they need extensive skin care. 86 00:05:15,066 --> 00:05:18,400 DR. NAVA GREENFIELD: I have adolescent boys coming in and asking about Botox. 87 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:19,300 CATHERINE RAMPELL: Really? 88 00:05:19,300 --> 00:05:20,566 DR. NAVA GREENFIELD: Yes. 89 00:05:20,566 --> 00:05:22,433 CATHERINE RAMPELL: What do you tell them? 90 00:05:22,433 --> 00:05:24,433 DR. NAVA GREENFIELD: I tell them, you don't need Botox. I'm very direct. 91 00:05:24,433 --> 00:05:26,600 (LAUGHTER) 92 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:28,366 DR. NAVA GREENFIELD: And I tell the girls too. I say, you have perfect skin. I can't help you. 93 00:05:28,366 --> 00:05:30,533 SONIA RODRIGUES, Rutgers University: I think it's mostly just wanting to 94 00:05:30,533 --> 00:05:34,733 fit in and feeling connected to their friends and being a part of the new trend and craze. 95 00:05:36,933 --> 00:05:39,966 CATHERINE RAMPELL: But psychotherapist Sonia Rodrigues says the high cost can be a stressor. 96 00:05:39,966 --> 00:05:42,733 SONIA RODRIGUES: This is a huge issue because a lot of parents can't afford 97 00:05:42,733 --> 00:05:47,233 this, and the kids feel like, I can't keep up with my friends. 98 00:05:47,233 --> 00:05:52,200 CATHERINE RAMPELL: Post-pandemic tweens are also hyper aware of how they look on camera. 99 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:57,200 SONIA RODRIGUES: A lot of kids were able to hide behind masks, and now there's no masks 100 00:05:59,166 --> 00:06:02,800 and there's also so much happening on their phones with their face front and center. 101 00:06:04,566 --> 00:06:06,433 CATHERINE RAMPELL: Do you think that there's more focus on physical 102 00:06:06,433 --> 00:06:10,233 appearance today than was the case when you started out practicing? 103 00:06:10,233 --> 00:06:15,233 SONIA RODRIGUES: Yes, absolutely. I think now, with social media and the pressure 104 00:06:17,066 --> 00:06:21,600 that kids are constantly feeling with all of the products that they're seeing, 105 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:26,600 how people are looking, the airbrushing, there's so much pressure on kids to look a certain way. 106 00:06:28,566 --> 00:06:32,166 CATHERINE RAMPELL: Emma Scott says her primping routine is just a hobby. 107 00:06:32,166 --> 00:06:37,133 EMMA SCOTT: Doing with my friends, it's really fun and I feel like it's really relaxing, 108 00:06:37,133 --> 00:06:42,133 and I can sit up here and, like, watch a movie and just have a face mask on to do all that fun stuff. 109 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:45,400 CATHERINE RAMPELL: Emma says she avoids ingredients that are bad 110 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:49,666 for young skin. Mom Amy keeps tabs on Emma and the rest of her crew. 111 00:06:49,666 --> 00:06:52,733 AMY SCOTT: For all of them not to, like, compare themselves to 112 00:06:52,733 --> 00:06:56,633 these digital influencers, because a lot of them are very pretty, and, 113 00:06:56,633 --> 00:07:01,300 from my standpoint, always being involved and knowing that it's OK to say no. 114 00:07:03,266 --> 00:07:05,800 CATHERINE RAMPELL: Amy makes sure her daughter carefully weighs each purchase. 115 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:07,533 AMY SCOTT: She will say, this is at Sephora, 116 00:07:07,533 --> 00:07:11,033 I want to go see what it is or I want to buy it. Well, 117 00:07:11,033 --> 00:07:16,033 why would you want to buy it? Because so-and-so has it. Well, that's no reason to buy something. 118 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:20,633 CATHERINE RAMPELL: Dr. Greenfield admits there are some benefits to the skin care craze. 119 00:07:20,633 --> 00:07:24,333 DR. NAVA GREENFIELD: It's wonderful from my perspective that people are thinking about their 120 00:07:24,333 --> 00:07:29,333 skin and people are taking the health of their skin very seriously, more so than we ever used to. 121 00:07:31,266 --> 00:07:35,866 But it's important to strike a balance. If their goal is to have healthy skin, 122 00:07:35,866 --> 00:07:38,000 well, then that's really just about a cleanser, 123 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:40,800 moisturizer and sunscreen. You really don't need anything more than that. 124 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:43,433 CATHERINE RAMPELL: Despite what you might hear from Dr. TikTok. 125 00:07:45,233 --> 00:07:49,000 For the PBS "News Hour," I'm Catherine Rampell in Greensboro, North Carolina.