The new obsession for teen boys: high-end cologne

Products traditionally catered to adults are being consumed by adolescents at record rates. While some tween and teen girls are busy stocking up on luxurious skincare products from stores like Sephora and TikTok shops, some boys are buying up popular brands of cologne from the likes of Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani and Paco Rabanne.
If you have a teen or tween boy at home, chances are you can smell them coming — the cologne craze has many parents and teachers utterly perplexed.
Jatin Arora, also known as “The Real Cologne Boy” on TikTok, has grown a following by reviewing colognes like Jean Paul Gaultier’s $1,000 bottle.
“I’ve always loved fragrances growing up,” Arora told “Nightline.” “When I was around 16 is when I asked my mom, ‘Can I please buy my first fragrance, I really want to get one.’ And I took her to Costco. And instead of getting one, I tricked her [in]to getting me three fragrances.”
Arora, who recently turned 18, has become a wildly successful influencer with 1.9 million followers on TikTok.
Despite its popularity, the law does not require firms to list individual fragrance or flavor or their specific ingredients. Which means people may not be able to determine from the label if chemicals like phthalates are used in the product.
A 2022 study of medical literature found that allergic reactions are the most common risk associated with fragrance. Some colognes may contain chemicals like phthalates and parabens that could be associated with reproductive health issues, though the study noted that more research is needed.
Ashley Fell, an expert on cultural trends, has been studying teens’ and tweens’ buying fads for over a decade.
“I think with this trend, we are seeing a broader reflection of Generation Alpha’s desire to experiment with their identity and to stand out in a world and to communicate that identity online,” Fell said.
Daniel Schütz, also known as “Jeremy Fragrance,” is among the biggest influencers in the fragrance industry, with over 13 million followers on TikTok and Instagram.
Originally from Germany, “Jeremy Fragrance” found his calling when he came to America at age 19.
“I was in the Abercrombie & Fitch store, and back then it was more radical — the sexy six pack guys, the intense smell and the loud music,” Schütz told “Nightline.” “There, I shifted in terms of, okay, this is it. I’ll become this kind of Arnold Schwarzenegger of the fragrance industry. It’s a pretty big business.”
To tween and teen boys, that contagious excitement may lead to an expanding collection of colognes, but it can also lead to financial strain. Generation Alpha is currently the largest demographic and is influencing household spending, according to Fell.
“They’re being listened to by their parents,” Fell said, before highlighting a prediction that “by the end of 2024, when the entire cohort will have been born, an estimated US $5.39 trillion will be spent annually on this emerging demographic.”
Regardless of whether it’s directly targeting teens, the trend shows no signs of slowing down, as many parents’ nostrils can attest to “He opens his bedroom door and it’s like a wave coming down the stairs,” mom AJmagnifica18 posed on TikTok.