Are Trendy Skincare Products Harmful to Children’s Skin?

By Brooke Leary, APRN with Elliot Pediatrics at Bedford.

There are countless memes and jokes floating on social media, teasing the differences between parents when they were younger and teenagers today. Lululemon vs our oversized sweatshirts and “skinny jeans,” Stanley Cups vs us not drinking water until our early-20’s, and most recently, the upward trend of using expensive facial washes and skin care lines when most of us don’t remember even washing our face in high school.

While this growing trend of young children using skin care products may seem harmless, (who doesn’t love a good skincare routine), dermatologists are warning against the use of harsh products containing acids and retinols that may be damaging to young skin leaving them with irreversible skin damage.

Kids and teens are watching videos on sites like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram which encourage buying cleansers, creams, exfoliators, and sometimes even anti-aging products with retinol and glycolic acid to have perfect, blemish, and pore-free skin. These products are sold in bright, fun packaging, they smell good and when you push down on the tops of the bottles the product comes out shaped like a flower.

Many dermatologists are now seeing patients younger and younger who are interested in starting a complex skincare routine. Dr. Christopher Mancuso with Nashua Dermatology Associates says, “A child’s skin is about as healthy as it gets. The cosmetics and over-the-counter skin care regimes out there are aimed at adults trying to approximate what kids have naturally.”

“Unless they have a treatable diagnosis like acne or eczema, anything marketed for kids is just a money-making scheme. The best things you can do for your kids’ skin are to teach them to: avoid unnecessary sun exposure, wear SPF 30 or higher, eat a healthy diet, and avoid smoking, as these things have been proven to be linked to premature aging and poor skin health,” said Mancuso.

While there are downsides to the trend of using expensive facial products, some good has come out of the trend – kids want to wash their faces and take care of their skin! So, the question remains, what is recommended and okay to use? The answer is simple: Less is more.  A gentle face wash, such as Cetaphil or CeraVe, sunscreen, a gentle moisturizer only as needed, and lots of water…. But only if in a Stanley Cup.

If you have questions or concerns about what types of skincare your child should use, contact their primary care provider. Looking for a new provider? Call our SolutionHealth Provider Match line at 866-906-1279.

Brooke Leary is a board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner with Elliot Pediatrics at Bedford.