Children use anti-ageing products – with consequences

The rise of “skinfluencers” on social media has triggered an alarming trend. Younger and younger children are replicating their skincare routines and use adult skincare products, raising health concerns among experts who warn of potential risks.

Children as young as primary school age proudly share their beauty routines on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, showing the meticulous process of facial cleansing, serum application, and the use of anti-ageing cream. These products are deemed unnecessary and unsuitable for their delicate, young skin.

According to Karsten Kilian, a professor of Brand Management at the Würzburg-Scheinfurt University of Applied Sciences, this trend is more pronounced in the United States. However, it has also found traction in countries like Germany and Switzerland, where increasingly, younger girls are using skincare products they don’t need and that aren’t designed for them.

This trend has resulted in the emergence of a new kind of “demand zone” in drugstores. While children previously clamored for sweets, they now want beauty products. Consumer advocate Kerstin Etzenbach-Effers has expressed particular concern over ingredients commonly found in these products such as retinol, fruit acid, and vitamin C. These substances can cause skin irritation, inflammation, and eczema in children.

The skin of children is fundamentally different from adults. Their skin barrier is weaker, and their immune system is still developing. This renders the young skin more susceptible to external irritants, environmental factors, and allergens. Some anti-ageing creams even contain UV filters, which are suspected to impact the hormonal system adversely.

Dermatologist Christoph Liebich advises parents that children’s skincare should follow the rule of ‘less is more’. Unless a child has a skin disease, their skin does not require any care. The use of rich anti-ageing skincare products in adolescence can exacerbate conditions like acne by encouraging pimples.

Christiane Bayerl, a dermatologist and editor of the specialist journal “Aktuelle Dermatologie”, concurs. Anti-ageing products are not only unnecessary for children’s skin but also potentially harmful. During puberty, overzealous skincare and poor makeup removal can cause blemished skin.

More than the potential deterioration of skin appearance, there are other dangers associated with this trend. The excessive focus on outward appearance perpetuates traditional stereotypes enhancing the risk of distorted self-image, lack of self-confidence, and low self-esteem.

Children’s increasing obsession with beauty products promotes an incorrect definition of beauty, denting their self-perception. This concern is augmented by the fact that individuals with skin blemishes or minor imperfections are rarely featured on social media. Heavy makeup use, image editing, and optimal lighting paint a picture of an unrealistically flawless appearance, causing individuals to perceive minor skin issues as severe problems.

Worryingly, when an acne product does not work as envisaged, the young individuals despair more quickly and show greater trust in information gleaned from platforms like TikTok than the advice of a skincare specialist. Bayerl especially criticizes DIY face cream tutorials on the internet. Lack of preservation in these home-made creams can lead to rapid infestation with germs.

As a solution, Consumer advocate Etzenbach-Effers suggests promoting positive self-perception. Children need to learn that they are perfect as they are. Their self-worth should not be linked to the use of cosmetic products. Beauty is not a mere physical attribute, but much more and it is high time to embrace the natural in its truest sense.