Skin care product sales: age verification.

Assembly Member Lee's legislation would prohibit retailers from selling over-the-counter anti-aging skin care and cosmetic products containing vitamin A derivatives or alpha hydroxy acids to individuals under 18 without age verification. The bill responds to findings that document rising use of these products among minors, with a 2023 NielsonIQ report indicating consumers under 14 drove 49 percent of drugstore skin care sales.

The measure establishes three permissible methods for age verification: examining government-issued identification documents, implementing digital age verification systems, or verbally confirming the buyer's age. These requirements mirror existing California protocols for age-restricted items like spray paint and etching cream. The bill's findings cite medical reports from institutions including UCLA Health and the Connecticut Children's Medical Center documenting skin irritation, burns, and potential long-term damage among young users of these products.

This approach follows Sweden's 2024 policy establishing age restrictions on anti-aging products in pharmacies. The bill notes that neither the FDA nor European Medicines Agency requires testing of anti-aging cosmetics on children, as these products are not intended for pediatric use. Under the proposed law, violations would constitute misdemeanors, consistent with penalties for selling other age-restricted items.