Apotek Hjartat restricts sales of skin care products to people under 15 years old

Swedish pharmacy store Apotek Hjartat will restrict the sale of certain skin care products to people under 15 years old in a bid to combat unhealthy beauty standards among young people.

Monika Magnusson, CEO of Apotek Hjartat said: "Today, young people are using premium skincare products unhealthyly and unnecessarily, and we want to raise our voice to stop this practice. As a major retailer and dispensary of skin care products, we want to take responsibility for the use of skin care products as needed."

Inspired by social media influencers, more and more children are turning to anti-aging products, the company said. As a link in the healthcare chain and a skin care product retailer, Apotek Hjartat is concerned about the growing trend of children using or being encouraged to use premium skin care products. 

The products involved are mostly anti-aging products and are listed on the pharmaceutical group's website. They include products containing AHA (alpha hydroxy acid), BHA (beta hydroxy acid), vitamin A and vitamin C. To purchase these products, customers must be at least 15 years old and have parental permission or be able to produce a medical certificate justifying their use.

Annika Svedberg, chief pharmacist at Apotek Hjartat, emphasizes the importance of choosing skin care products based on needs rather than beauty ideals. "Skin care needs are highly individual and depend on skin type and condition, not age," she said in a statement. "Using products designed to reduce wrinkles and even skin tone is not what children need."

The age restriction is currently being rolled out online and at Apotek Hjartat's approximately 390 pharmacies in Sweden. "We hope this age limit will give more people pause for reflection and spark important conversations around ideals and norms within families and in society," Magnusson said.