Kids' Skincare Is Trending — But Should It Be?

When I saw the launch of Dew Lily, a new skincare line marketed toward kids, I honestly thought: Cute, my girly 6-year-old daughter would love this. 

Dew Lily is objectively adorable. The whimsical line features three products—a cleanser, moisturizer, and face mist—all packaged in pastel colors with bubble cap tops and flower motifs. It’s genius branding with names like Plushpuff Moisturizer, Flutterfluff Cleanser, and Coolcloud Hydrating Mist. Each product comes with a collectible charm (a smiley face, a heart, and a key), and if you buy the set, you get a dainty gold chain so the charms can be worn as a necklace.

After being the guinea pig for this story, my daughter asked her younger sister to sniff her cheek.

“It smells like birthday cake, right?!” she exclaimed.

The little one (who is 4) skipped applying the products but loved wearing the necklace and charms. It’s pretty spot-on marketing for this age group, and my crew is probably on the younger end of the spectrum that they’re targeting.

What’s fascinating about this line is that Dew Lily actually acknowledges that this age group doesn’t need skincare. The brand’s founder, Jen Quinn, shared the sentiment with me via email, and it’s printed on the site and packaging, which states, “Our goal is to build healthy habits, not fix ‘flaws.’”

“But curiosity is real,” Quinn adds. “It’s important that their first experience with it feels gentle, playful, and positive. Skincare for this age should never be about ‘fixing’ anything—it should be about nourishing.”

As Quinn tells it, the inspiration for the brand started in her own bathroom, watching how curious her daughters were about skincare. So she set out to create products they could play with that felt age-appropriate and worked for sensitive skin (like her own).

“I wanted my girls to have something that was not only safe but also kept them innocent and joyful,” she shares. “Beyond the packaging, which was truly designed with these age groups in mind, the collectibility of the charms also helped to make Dew Lily feel light, fun, and age-appropriate.” 

This is relatable. As a beauty writer, my daughters have caught on that Mom receives a lot of samples to test. Boxes of lotions and potions arrive weekly.

“Why do you always get presents instead of me?” my kindergartener often asks.

While I never include my children in my beauty routine, they tend to hover in my bathroom while I’m getting ready, watching me move from the first layer of essence to the face roller and the moisturizer that seals it all in. They want to play, too.

When Dew Lily arrived at our house, it gave my daughters age-appropriate products to experiment with. And if it gets my daughter to actually scrub off the day’s sweat and sunscreen (especially after camp, IYKYK), then I’m not mad about it.

In Good Company

Dew Lily is in good company. It’s not the first brand in the category, and it certainly won’t be the last. There’s a growing boom in beauty brands marketed toward kids, tweens, and teens. Research suggests the demand is real: a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that about 70% of children in the United States have used cosmetics or personal care products at least once.

Some brands on our radar include Evereden, which features everything from prenatal products to Gen Z favorites. We’re talking a cleanser and moisturizer for kids (including a recent Barbie collaboration), hair and body fragrance mists, and teen acne collections. 

Then, there’s Sincerely Yours, a small Gen Alpha skincare brand created by teen YouTuber Salish Matter and her father Jordan Matter. Last year, it debuted at Sephora. 

And we can’t forget about Rini, the kids’ skincare line launched by actress and entrepreneur Shay Mitchell. The brand’s sheet mask for kids nearly broke the internet with backlash when it debuted. 

These brands are packaged in ways that appeal to kids and are typically formulated with dermatologists. They feature gentle formulas (free of parabens and the like), generally avoiding stronger actives like vitamin C or exfoliating acids that are common in adult skincare.

Still, not everyone is supportive of the trend. There’s a real question about whether it could send the wrong message or feed into early consumerism. A 2025 study published in Pediatrics analyzed skincare routines promoted by young influencers on TikTok and found that many included multiple products with potentially irritating ingredients. Plus, the routines promoted by content creators ages 7 to 18 cost an average of more than $150. We can all agree: this seems unnecessary and excessive.

While the brands mentioned above avoid harsh ingredients, they still raise the broader question of whether kids need skincare products at all. There’s no perfect answer, and it often comes down to parenting style and the messaging we give our kids around beauty and self-care.

Expert Advice

When I need someone to cut through the noise, I call Dr. Doris Day, MD, FAAD. The board-certified dermatologist in New York City is known not only for her expertise but also for telling it like it is.

“It’s mostly good marketing, and there’s definitely a component of hype behind it,” Dr. Day explains. “But the reality is that teens and preteens are buying products that are inappropriate and unnecessary for their age and skin. Many of the products they bring in to show me in the office are based on anti-aging and wrinkle prevention.”

Dr. Day agrees that helping adolescents develop a healthy approach to skincare—and access to simple products—can be a positive thing. What we, as parents, need to avoid is framing skincare as a way to “fix” problems.

Teens and tweens do have legitimate skin concerns, such as acne or eczema, Dr. Day notes. Those conditions are best managed with the guidance of a dermatologist who can recommend appropriate products rather than chasing whatever trend is circulating online.

The good news is that some brands in this category, like Evereden, do offer gentle products that can help address concerns such as acne, with a bit of style. And if all else fails, there are tried-and-true brands like CeraVe and Avène that dermatologists, including Dr. Day, have long recommended.

Helping Kids Build Healthy Skin Habits

As with almost anything in parenting, there’s no set prescription for when kids should develop a skincare routine. According to Dr. Day, it can vary widely depending on maturity levels.

“Some children can start as young as 2 years old by helping their parents apply moisturizer,” she says. “Think of it as getting into a routine, in the same way as teaching children to brush their teeth—we help them understand the concept, but we do most of the work for them until they’re capable of doing it independently.”

Obviously, as kids blow out more birthday candles, they can start to take on these habits themselves. When it comes to tweens and teens, Dr. Day advises reinforcing the importance of consistency, especially when it comes to proper cleansing and applying daily SPF.

In general, a teen skincare routine should be very simple, says Dr. Day. That 12-step K-beauty regimen? Unnecessary.“The basics include proper cleansing, moisturizing as needed, and using sunscreen.” Parents can help guide the conversation toward maintaining healthy skin rather than correcting imperfections.

When it comes to acne, additional steps may be necessary, and that’s where a dermatologist can help. Dual board-certified dermatologist and psychiatrist Dr. Amy Wechsler noted in our teen acne deep dive that 90–92% of teens experience some form of acne. Teaching teens how to properly wash their faces and giving them access to products that treat acne can make a dramatic difference in their confidence

The Bottom Line

On this point, everyone seems aligned, from Dew Lily to Dr. Day. “We need to be especially careful not to make preteens and teens feel like they are filled with ‘flaws’ that need to be fixed or that wrinkles are something they need to prevent,” the dermatologist says. “Instead, we should focus on helping them develop good habits so they can maintain healthy skin throughout their lives.”

Will I take my daughter’s Dew Lily products away? No. But I will be thoughtful about how I talk about them with her. As a beauty-loving mom, that’s my takeaway.