Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 27, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 27, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleItaly’s competition regulator AGCM has launched two investigations into LVMH‑owned companies in Italy—Sephora Italia, LVMH Profumi e Cosmetici and LVMH Italia—over potentially unfair commercial practices tied to promoting adult cosmetics to minors and conducted inspections with the financial police.
March 27 (Reuters) - The Italian competition authority AGCM has launched two investigations into LVMH-owned Sephora and Benefit Cosmetics over possible unfair commercial practices linked to the marketing of products for adults to children and adolescents, it said on Friday.
AGCM said it was concerned the brands were using very young micro-influencers on social media to encourage premature use of adult cosmetics and compulsive purchasing of face masks, serums and anti-ageing creams, habits linked with "cosmeticorexia" - an obsession with skincare among minors.
LVMH, Sephora, and Benefit Cosmetics did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
"The investigations were opened over concerns that important information – such as warnings and precautions for cosmetics not intended for, or tested on, minors – may have been omitted or presented in a misleading manner," AGCM said in a statement.
Frequent use of a wide range of cosmetics by minors without proper awareness may be harmful to their health, the regulator said.
AGCM officials and the Italian financial police carried out inspections at the premises of Sephora Italia, LVMH Profumi e Cosmetici Italia and LVMH Italia on Thursday, the authority said.
(Reporting by Enrico Sciacovelli and Helen Reid, Editing by Jan Harvey and Barbara Lewis)
The Italian competition authority is investigating LVMH and Sephora for alleged unfair commercial practices linked to the premature use of adult cosmetics among minors.
The entities involved are Sephora Italia, LVMH Profumi e Cosmetici, and LVMH Italia.
The inspections at the premises took place on Thursday, prior to the announcement on Friday, March 27.
The Italian financial police assisted the AGCM during the inspections.
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