Gen ‘Zalpha’ Skincare Will Be the Biggest Beauty Trend Next Year—Meet the Tween Founder Leading the Pack
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, StyleCaster may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
It feels like only yesterday tweens were blending their Drunk Elephant bronzing drops with moisturizer, whipping up an expensive concoction full of ingredients their skin didn’t even need. Now, new brands are rolling out products more appropriate for Gen Zalpha (yes, Zalpha: a blend of the youngest members of Gen Z and the oldest members of Gen Alpha). The latest brand, Yes Day, out October 1, was dreamed up by a teen and tested on tweens and teens, so parents can relax knowing it’s free from ingredients that are too harsh for young skin.
Thirteen-year-old Coco Granderson, with help from her parents of course, partnered with Ron Robinson—the award-winning chemist behind BeautyStat and Hailey Bieber’s Rhode—to bring the line to life. The challenge? Make something safe for kids 9 to 14, but cute enough they actually want to use it. StyleCaster chatted with Ron and Coco to learn more about the line and how it’s making skincare fun, safe, and glow-worthy for the next generation.
StyleCaster: Ron, how did you decide to formulate Yes Day when you have so many projects?
Ron Robinson: I was so impressed with Coco—her maturity, her ability to present what she thought was missing in the skincare market. She’s a huge product junkie, she’s tried everything, and she’s savvy with ingredients and knows what she should not be using. I was blown away by her passion for seeing a white space and bringing her vision for this skincare brand to life. We connected immediately, and I said, let’s do this.
SC: Coco, what did you feel like you couldn’t find?
Coco Granderson: I could find some skincare that’s for teens but not a whole brand. And if I find a whole brand, it doesn’t tick all the boxes. It might have good products but it doesn’t have good packaging. It might have good packaging but not good products. So we wanted something that was everything.
SC: Did you have any situations where you used the wrong products for your skin?
CG: Yeah, I was in my mom’s drawers a lot, so I was just grabbing anything that looked cute or looked cool. So I used a lot of toners, a lot of retinols that were not good for my skin and I have eczema, so it was really bad. It dried my skin out a lot. And then I tried to fix that with other products that were even worse. So it just kept piling on.
SC: Ron, while some teens might be prescribed retinol for acne, generally, young people should stay away from these harsh products, right?
RR: Exactly. The insight into this young consumer is so unique. Her skin’s full of collagen, her cell turnover is normal. She doesn’t need products to stimulate that. What she needs are products that address stress, hormonal changes, and environmental factors that cause irritation, dryness, and skin that acts up. With Yes Day, I wanted to give Coco products that hydrate and deliver the glow she was looking for. That’s really what tweens and teens need—hydration, protection, and radiance. We do that through the Yes Day complex, a blend of antioxidants, squalane, and probiotics that feed the skin and support its health.
SC: Coco, what are your favorite products from the line?
CG: Inner Beam Hydration Mist is one of my favorites. The name is so cool. It goes with volleyball, like inner beam, inner strength.
RR: All the products are great on the go. Coco is active like many tween and teen young ladies. They want products that are easy to carry. Something that’s easy, fun and beneficial for the skin.
CG: The Whip Dream Moisturizer is also one of my favorites. It has a little spoon on the top so you don’t need to get your hands all [messy].
RR: It’s for all skin types. It’s a lightweight gel cream format and it really just gives that skin a glow and helps repair the skin’s barrier.
SC: And then there’s the foaming cleanser and we can’t forget about the lip balm. I know you worked hard getting that one right.
GC: That took a long time. I wanted it to be really thick. [I didn’t] want it to be silky, and I wanted it to be really sweet. I brought the lip to school for one day, and by the time of lunch it was gone, the whole tube was gone.
SC: Coco, I know you use your own line but what other products make it into your skincare routine?
CG: It changes a lot but on top of Yes Day products, I use the CeraVe acne one and I put Aquaphor all over my body everywhere.
SC: How has it been working on this project with your mom?
CG: At first I thought I was going to be super bad, but now it’s actually getting better. I am learning stuff from her. She’s learning stuff from me, so it’s great. And it’s fun to be on the same journey as her.
Yes Day launches October 1 and retails for $15 to $32 at yesdayworld.com
