The creams, the peels, the blemishes – and the risk of causing serious skin damage!
More and more children and teens are copying elaborate beauty routines on TikTok and Instagram. Dermatologists are sounding the alarm: the expected treatment could be too Skin irritation, allergies and permanent damage lead.
“Children and teens develop lifelong contact allergies to substances such as fragrances, which will impact their use of personal care products throughout their lives,” Canadian dermatologist Dr. Sandy Skotnicki warned in the New York Post.
TikTok: Lots of impact – but often wrong
One current study by US researcher Molly Hayes from Northwestern University in Chicago supports Dr. Skotnicki: Girls between the ages of 7 and 18 present grooming routines with an average of six products in viral videos. Sun protection almost never happens.
Very worrying: The product in the most-watched video contains up to 21 potentially irritating ingredients. Some of them can be found in official lists of allergenic substances such as the one in Allergy Information Service.
Other consequences are even more drastic Study by dermatologist Li Jie Helena Yoo from Tallaght University Hospital in Dublin, Ireland. He examined 200 social media posts for children between the ages of 9 and 12 and found irritating substances such as artificial fragrances and fruit acids in more than 70 percent of the products.
Warning? Almost not. Only one in five social media posts contains a reference to risk. The consequences are sometimes enormous: skin irritation, disruption of the skin barrier, chemical burns – and in the worst cases, scars.
The best for the skin’s natural protective layer
Therefore, Dr. Skotnicki recommends a simple routine: cleanser, moisturizer and sun protection — that’s what kids’ skin needs. There is more to it than the natural protective layer. “If you overload it with too many ingredients, it will break down,” says the dermatologist.
