For skin care

Swedish pharmacies introduce age limit

A large pharmacy chain in Sweden has now introduced an age limit for certain skincare products (symbolic image).(Bild: stock.adobe.com/Iakov Filimonov)

As more and more young people are using unnecessary skin care products, a large pharmacy chain in Sweden has now introduced an age limit of 15 years. This affects, for example, serums against skin ageing and products with vitamin A or C.

Products with the active ingredients AHA and BHA will also only be sold to customers aged 15 and over. However, there are exceptions for children and young people who have permission from their parents or can provide a medical certificate. "Today, young people are using skincare products in an unhealthy and unnecessary way (...) and we want to be the voice that says 'stop'," said Monika Magnusson, head of the Apotek Hjärtat chain.

"Worried about the trend"
Her company is "worried about this trend". "The use of products for wrinkle reduction is not something a child needs," said chief pharmacist Annika Svedberg. The age limit should encourage "important conversations between parents, in families and in society about ideals and norms". Around 390 stores and online retailers are affected by the new regulation.

On the online platform TikTok, eight to twelve-year-olds are already demonstrating new cosmetics and skincare products in clips, particularly from expensive brands. Dermatologists and psychologists are reacting with concern.