If you’re not a regular TikTok user, you may not be aware that there is increasing content on TikTok about skin-care regimens for children, with children as young as elementary-school age demonstrating their skin-care regimens.
Dr. Molly Hales and colleagues from Northwestern University wanted to know if these regimens were safe, as many products can be irritating or result in contact allergies. Their findings are being early released this week in a Pediatrics article, entitled “Pediatric Skin Care Regimens on TikTok.” (10.1542/peds.2024-070309)
The authors each created a new TikTok account, reporting that they were 13 years old. They used the “For You” tab to find content recommended by TikTok. In April and May 2024, they liked and saved videos portraying skin-care regimens for youth, until they had collected 100 unique videos from 82 different content creators.
Each video was viewed, and the authors used the Pediatric Baseline Patch Test Series (a list of 38 ingredients commonly used in patch allergy testing) to identify potential contact allergens among the active and inactive ingredients for each product.
In the 100 videos:
- One-third were created by children 13 years and younger.
- 260 products were featured, with an average of 6 products per video.
- The regimens are often complicated and time-consuming. Some videos showed girls waking up as early as 4:30 am so that they could complete their skin care before school.
- The regimens cost an average of $168 (range: $20–$621).
- Only one-quarter of videos included a sunscreen.
- The top 25 most-viewed videos had an average of 11 and up to 21 potentially irritating active ingredients, most commonly citric acid.
- 19 of the top 25 videos had at least one contact allergen, most commonly fragrance and surfactants.
We need to be aware that our young patients may be purchasing (sometimes at great cost) and using these products that generally do not benefit their skin. And many of these products may increase the rates of sun damage, allergy, and contact dermatitis in the users. The other potential harm is of course the pursuit of the elusive ideal of beauty and perfection, which could amplify adverse mental health outcomes.
This read is a must for anyone who cares for school-aged and adolescent patients. This article demonstrates the power of social media on our patients’ health.
