Teenage TikTok Skincare Regimens, Labeled as Fanciful, Offer Unrecommended Skincare Practices for Adolescents
Skincare Don'ts for Gen Alpha Kids: A Warning From TikTok
Let's face it, our generation (Gen X and Millennials) weren't exactly skincare connoisseurs back in the day. But thankfully, cosmetic science has advanced, and we can all rejoice that scrubbing our faces with actual fruit seeds is no longer the in thing for acne treatment... or so we thought.
A new generation of tween influencers seems to be taking skincare routines to the extreme, causing concern among parents, dermatologists, and researchers. The oldest Gen Alpha kids are barely out of middle school, yet they're slathering on product after product, creating costly routines that might do more harm than good.
Researchers at Northwestern Medicine took a closer look at this phenomenon by creating TikTok accounts posing as 13-year-olds. After watching 100 unique skincare videos, they found that the average routine for young girls contained as many as 12 products. With an average cost per routine of $168, some routines even topped an eye-watering $500.
"It's problematic to show girls devoting this much time and attention to their skin," commented corresponding author Dr Molly Hales in a statement. "We're setting a very high standard for these girls."
More isn't always better when it comes to skincare. It's easy to be seduced by flashy packaging, compelling marketing claims, and intriguing ingredients, but those ingredients may not always play nice together.
In one of the videos the researchers watched, the content creator applied 10 products to her face in a mere six minutes. "As she's applying the products, she begins to express discomfort and burning, and in the final few minutes, she develops a visible skin reaction," said senior author Dr Tara Lagu.
The researchers' main concerns revolve around the use of multiple active ingredients, such as hydroxy acids, and the potential for unwittingly reapplying them in multiple formulas. Chemical exfoliants like glycolic acid can be beneficial for certain skin conditions, but they come with clear usage instructions that should be followed.
The videos with the most views contained an average of 11 potentially irritating ingredients. Previous research has shown that the overuse of such ingredients can lead to allergic contact dermatitis, a condition that could limit the types of skincare and hair products young users can use in the future.
The researchers were dismayed to find that sunscreen was notably absent from most routines. Only 26 percent of daytime regimens they saw contained sun protection. Beyond the risk of skin damage, the researchers were concerned by some of the messaging in the videos.
"We saw that there was preferential, encoded racial language in some cases that really emphasized lighter, brighter skin," said Lagu. "I think there also were real associations between use of these regimens and consumerism."
"The pursuit of health has become a kind of virtue in our society, but the ideal of 'health' is also very wrapped up in ideals of beauty, thinness, and whiteness," added Hales. "The insidious thing about 'skincare' is that it claims to be about health."
The study is published in the journal Pediatrics. To keep young skincare enthusiasts safe, experts recommend adopting simple, gentle skincare routines that include a fragrance-free cleanser, moisturizer, and mineral-based sunscreen. Open conversations about social media and skincare trends are also encouraged.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7513183/[2] https://research.childrensmercy.org/tnics/about-tnics/[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29025458/[4] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31856670/[5] https://academic.oup.com/clinicalthera/article/37/1/12/192327/Ingredient-characteristics-of-skin-care-product
- The advancements in cosmetic science have led to increased interest in skincare among the newest generation, Gen Alpha kids, but researchers are concerned about the extreme skincare routines involving numerous products that these kids are adopting.
- In their study published in the journal Pediatrics, researchers found that the average skincare routine for young girls contained as many as 12 products, with an average cost per routine of $168, and some routines even exceeding $500.
- The researchers' main concern is the use of multiple active ingredients such as hydroxy acids, and the potential for unintentionally reapplying them in various formulas, which could lead to allergic contact dermatitis.
- Sunscreen is notably absent from most Gen Alpha kids' skincare routines, and the researchers are concerned about the messaging promoting lighter, brighter skin and the association between skincare and consumerism. Experts recommend adopting simple, gentle skincare routines that include a fragrance-free cleanser, moisturizer, and mineral-based sunscreen.
