TikTok skincare routines may cause more harm than good

More and more kids are posting skincare routines on TikTok. These videos can be a playful and fun way to express oneself. But many of the routines might be more harmful than helpful, a new study shows. The majority of the regimens shown are costly, have harmful ingredients and lack sunscreen. Most don’t offer benefits for young skin. And they may lead to skin damage.

This study suggests that young people are getting a lot of health information from TikTok instead of more reliable sources such as doctors, parents or skincare specialists, says Nusheen Ameenuddin. She’s a pediatrician at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Pediatricians and dermatologists are worried about the message these videos are delivering. Namely, they give possibly harmful skincare advice, wrapped up with troubling messages about unrealistic and unhealthy beauty standards.

Scrolling for skincare

When healthcare researcher Tara Lagu asked her 11-year-old niece what she wanted for Christmas, her niece handed her a list of expensive skincare products. According to Lagu’s sister-in-law, all the girl’s friends were taking part in this trend. Lagu was shocked.

Lagu recounted this to Molly Hales. She’s a dermatologist at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, Ill. She also studies how culture and medicine intertwine. Lagu asked Hales if she’d be interested in exploring this skincare trend. Hales jumped at the opportunity.

To start, Hales and a colleague each made TikTok accounts. They reported that they were 13 years old. Then they scrolled through their “For You” pages until they had seen 100 skincare routine videos. As they watched, the researchers noted information on the content creators, the products and the cost of each regimen.

Most of the videos were pretty popular. They had an average of more than a million views each. Because the creators’ ages weren’t specified, the team assigned age ranges based on appearance and context clues. For example, in one video a creator said, “Get ready with me for the first day of sixth grade.” Most creators used an average of six products, which on average cost a total of $168.

Then the researchers dug into the products and their ingredients.

Molly Hales and Tara Lagu talk about the some of the problems they see in popular TikTok skincare videos aimed at teens.

Risky ingredients

Overall, the team found that the products had three main skin risks: skin allergy, irritation and sun sensitivity.

More than half of the products had fragrance. Many scents are contact allergens. That means they can cause an allergic reaction when they come in contact with skin. They are one of the most common things people develop a skin allergy to, says Hales.

Plus, the 25 most-viewed videos had an average of 11 potentially irritating active ingredients. These can cause an itching, burning, tingling or prickling sensation.

The most common of these ingredients were alpha-hydroxy acids. These chemicals exfoliate skin, removing surface layers. They’re common in anti-aging products because they can smooth fine lines and wrinkles and improve skin texture. They’re also used in some products to prevent acne. But they can irritate and damage young skin.

Creators used products with alpha-hydroxy acids an average of three times per video and as many as seven times in one regimen. This is harmful because the chemical becomes more irritating the more you layer it.

Alpha-hydroxy acids also increase the skin’s sensitivity to the sun. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends staying out of the sun and using sunscreen with these products. But on average, only 26 percent of the TikTok videos included any type of sun protection. So these regimens would boost the risk of sunburn and other sun damage.

Though not part of the study, pediatrician Molly O’Shea was distressed by the findings. “The majority of the products that were being shown and demonstrated weren’t designed for young skin,” says O’Shea. She practices in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Many of the products had abrasive features, such as retinols, scrubs and beads, that can damage the skin. These types of products are usually meant for people whose skin has begun to show signs of aging, says O’Shea. “When you’re young, using products that are designed for older skin can actually damage your skin.”

The impact on self-image

Beyond risks to the skin, the team also had concerns about potential psychological and social risks.

The videos place high importance on physical appearance, Hales says. And much of the content showed creators in large, expensive, private bedrooms and bathrooms. They had drawers stuffed with high-priced skincare products.

The products seemed to be used as status symbols, says Hales. “That may make someone feel bad if they don’t have the money or they’re not in a position to be able to afford that kind of skincare routine.” Studies have shown that comparing yourself to others who seem “better” can have big drawbacks, especially for teens. “It can have a harmful effect on your self-image,” says Hales.

The study didn’t look at who was consuming this content, says Hales. But this type of media could pose a risk of adverse mental health outcomes for kids and teens who view it, she notes.

The team also paid attention to skin tone. In the United States, beauty standards traditionally have been linked to ideals of whiteness. The researchers wanted to see if the videos idealized white skin.

Explainer: What is an algorithm?

The majority of content creators they viewed had light skin. But since TikTok’s feed is driven by an algorithm, the researchers don’t know how well what they saw reflects the whole platform. The early videos they saw and engaged with may have prompted more videos from creators with light skin to appear in their feed.

Some popular terms used in these videos, such as “glowy,” could be seen as coded racial language, they note. While “glowy” is not as overt as “white” or “light,” when something glows, it gets brighter and lighter, says Hales.

Next, the team would love to study more videos by non-white creators. “How much content is there from darker-skinned content creators?” asks Hales. “Are the messages and beauty ideals more affirming? Is there anything problematic in the messages that these girls are getting?”

Daily sunscreen is important for kids and teens to protect their skin against sun damage.davidf/E+/Getty Images Plus

What should you use?

For pre-adolescents who don’t have any known skin condition, Hales recommends just one product: a daily sunscreen. If the skin becomes oilier during adolescence, she suggests adding a gentle cleanser once or twice a day.

If teens are struggling with acne, some over-the-counter products can be helpful, she notes. However, it’s important to choose products that target the right problem. At that point, she advises teens to talk to their doctor. “Pediatricians are usually very equipped to manage mild to moderate acne,” says Hales. If it’s anything more severe, she recommends seeing a dermatologist.

For kids who enjoy watching skincare routines online, Hales notes three steps to be a savvy consumer. First, she says, make sure you’re putting on sunscreen every single day. Second, read the labels of the products you’re using and see what kind of active ingredients they have. Third, look for fragrance-free products, since fragrance is the most common cause of skin allergy.

Hales sees no harm in spending money on safe products that you put on from time to time because it feels luxurious or you enjoy it. But know that you don’t need elaborate skincare routines to take care of your skin. “In most cases,” she says, “those products are probably making the skin less healthy, rather than more healthy.”