A recent study published in Pediatrics reveals that children as young as seven are diving into pricey skincare routines promoted on TikTok, but these trends might be doing more harm than good.
On average, these regimens cost about $168 and often include ingredients that can irritate sensitive young skin.
To understand what kids are actually seeing, researchers created TikTok accounts pretending to be 13-year-olds and tracked the skincare videos recommended to them.
The results showed that many of these viral routines are complicated, expensive, and rarely include sunscreen. Instead, they often feature multiple products packed with active ingredients that can cause allergic reactions, irritation, or increased sun sensitivity.
Dr. Molly Hales, a dermatologist involved in the study, explained that the problem is not only the harsh ingredients but also how many are used simultaneously, sometimes unknowingly applying the same ingredient in several products at once. She emphasized that this layering significantly raises the risk of skin irritation.
Only about a quarter of the products featured sunscreen, which is critical for protecting young skin. The average regimen used in these TikTok videos included around six products, many containing up to 11 potentially irritating components.
Parents are noticing the effects, too. One mom shared with CNN how she found a $300 anti-aging cream in her teenage daughter’s room and was concerned about the inappropriate marketing aimed at youth.
“It’s troubling to see kids, especially girls, investing so much time and money into their skin at such a young age,” Dr. Hales said in a statement. She pointed out that the idea of “health” in skincare is often tied up with unrealistic beauty standards, including thinness and whiteness, which can be harmful.
TikTok, responding to the study, said that while this type of content is common across all media, it also offers teens opportunities for self-expression and community building. The platform enforces age restrictions and has taken down millions of accounts for false age declarations, but underage users still appear in the videos studied.
The viral skincare content reached millions of viewers, but researchers stress that these routines provide little real benefit to kids and could potentially cause more harm than good.
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