Sephora sued over 1,600 skincare products marketed to tweens without age warnings

On September 4, 2026, a San Diego parent and a 13-year-old girl suing through a guardian filed Vettel v. Sephora USA, Inc. in the Northern District of California (No. 3:26-cv-09653). The suit alleges Sephora built a youth market for skincare through its Sephora Squad influencer program — a TikTok creator incubator launched in 2023 — gifting products to young creators and selling ingredients dermatologists advise children to avoid with no age warnings at the point of sale. It quotes the chief executive saying in 2024 it was 'not by accident' that TikTok-trending brands were Sephora exclusives.

The complaint groups the ingredients it calls unsuitable for children into six categories: alpha-hydroxy acids such as glycolic and lactic acid, beta-hydroxy acids such as salicylic acid, vitamin C derivatives, retinoids, peptides and certain chemical sunscreen filters. It says 62% of the skincare on Sephora.com contains at least one, names brands like Drunk Elephant and Glow Recipe, and cites an October 2025 American Academy of Dermatology advisory plus Sephora's own online Tweens and Teens Guide, which says these ingredients 'may not be necessary or appropriate for younger skin'.

In April 2026 Sephora had already reached an agreement with Connecticut's attorney general after an investigation: brands must supply warnings about suitability for children under 13, shown on product web pages; staff who help customers are to be trained to spot unsuitable products; and a related resource stays on the site. Sephora said the agreement was not an admission of liability. The new complaint argues those steps fall short because they apply online rather than on store shelves and cover under-13s but not teenagers.

The proposed classes cover purchases from September 4, 2022 to the filing date — one for buyers for children 12 or under, one for teens aged 13 to 17. The only claim is under California's Unfair Competition Law, seeking restitution and changes to how the products are sold and labeled, not ordinary damages. No class has been certified, Sephora has not yet answered, and none of the allegations has been proven.

No fines; an April 2026 Connecticut agreement obliges Sephora to carry under-13 warnings and train staff; the suit seeks restitution of purchases since September 2022

Per the complaint, Sephora sold acids and retinoids that dermatologists advise children to avoid while its own guide said they may not suit younger skin — with no age warnings at the point of sale.

The youth pipeline was deliberate, the suit argues: the Sephora Squad creator program, gifting to young creators and exclusive TikTok-trending brands pulled teen shoppers in.

The April 2026 Connecticut agreement covered only online pages and children under 13, leaving the two gaps — physical shelves and teenagers — that the new complaint targets.

Sephora's own guide said the ingredients 'may not be necessary or appropriate for younger skin'. Publishing the caveat while skipping the warning where people buy is the gap the lawsuit is built on.

Sephora had not responded to the claims in court as of October 2026 and no class has been certified; the court has admitted several out-of-state lawyers for the plaintiffs. The case is unrelated to Sephora's earlier closed $1.7 million settlement over sales tax on Missouri orders. Connecticut's agreement remains in force while the federal suit presses for restitution on behalf of purchasers since September 2022.