When discerning the growing interest in children's skin care products, it is essential for parents to understand that although the products can work wonders for adults, they can also have a detrimental effect on children's skin.
Dr. (Senior) Gurveen Waraich Garekar, Garekars MD Dermatology Clinic shares whether it is advisable for children to use adult skin care products
The rise of social media trends in recent years has fueled the growing appeal of adult skin care products among children. Popularizing the trend of adopting a skincare regimen as part of their daily routine, children today are actively seeking out expensive skincare products. Children ages 7 and 8 are experimenting with adult skin care routines, giving rise to a phenomenon called “Sephora Kids.” The term is used for children heavily influenced by TikTok and Instagram videos that harbor the urge to try adult skincare brands and products.
When discerning the growing interest in children's skin care products, it is essential for parents to understand that while the products may work wonders for adults, they can have a detrimental effect on children's skin. Children's skin differs structurally from that of adults, where they have thinner skin and lack the full development of protective barriers. Adult skin care products that contain active anti-aging ingredients such as retinoids, AHAs and BHAs, peptides, etc., to name a few chemicals, can cause eczema, allergies and dehydration problems in children. By removing natural oil from the skin, chemicals have a powerful effect that can damage the protective barrier of children's skin.
Responsible for skin irritation, harsh chemicals can cause rashes and breakouts in children. Therefore, before meeting children's skin care demands, parents must make them see that their skin is working perfectly. All the mechanisms that exfoliate the skin without the need for sophisticated skin care products are implemented.
In case children are indulgent in their skin care, they can follow a basic and hygienic skin care routine consisting of cleanser, moisturizer, sunscreen and lip balm. Routine is enough for healthy skin and anything beyond this is unnecessary and can damage the skin. Parents should also be careful when exposing children to aromatic products. Using these products at a young age increases the risk of developing atopic eczema or causing dermatitis later in life, culminating in blistering, oozing, crusting or peeling of the skin.
Furthermore, the repercussions of this trend are not only limited to skin problems, but go further and have a detrimental impact on the mental health of children. The influence of social media can cause children to worry too much about their appearance and the aging process. By creating a biased perception of beauty, you can place an unnecessary burden on them to meet beauty standards that are trending on social media platforms.
Therefore, to prevent children from being carried away by the whims of beauty trends, parents and children should be educated about the risks associated with using adult skin care products on young skin. It is essential to educate them about age-appropriate skin care routines that prioritize the health and safety of their skin.
