As we see a surge in interest in skincare products among children, it's important for parents to understand that while the products may work wonders for adults, they can have detrimental effects on children's skin.
Dr. Gurveen Waraich Garekar of Garekars MD Dermatology Clinic shares why it is advisable for children to use adult skincare products.
The rise of social media trends in recent years has led to a surge in the appeal of adult skincare products among children. As the trend of making skincare a part of everyday life has become more popular, children these days are actively seeking out expensive skincare products. A phenomenon called ‘Sephora Kids’ is emerging as children as young as 7 to 8 years old are experimenting with adult skincare routines. The term is used to refer to children who are heavily influenced by TikTok and Instagram videos and harbor the urge to try adult skincare brands and products.
As we see a surge in interest in skincare products among children, it's important for parents to understand that while the products may work wonders for adults, they can have detrimental effects on children's skin. A child's skin is structurally different from that of an adult: the skin is thinner and its protective barrier is not fully developed. Adult skincare products containing active anti-aging ingredients such as retinoids, AHAs, BHAs, peptides, etc. can cause eczema, allergies, and dehydration issues in children. Chemicals that strip the skin of its natural oils have far-reaching effects that can damage a child's protective skin barrier.
Strong chemicals that cause skin irritation can cause rashes and rashes in children. Therefore, parents must ensure that their child's skin is functioning perfectly before following their child's skin care requirements. It has all the mechanisms in place to exfoliate your skin without the need for fancy skincare products.
If your kids are interested in skin care, they can follow a basic, hygienic skin care routine consisting of cleanser, moisturizer, sunscreen, and lip balm. A routine is enough for healthy skin; anything beyond that is unnecessary and can potentially harm your skin. Parents should also be cautious about exposing children to scented products. Using these products at a young age may increase your risk of developing atopic eczema or dermatitis later in life, which causes skin to blister, ooze, crust, or peel.
Moreover, the impact of this trend is not limited to skin issues – it is having a detrimental impact on children’s mental health beyond that. The influence of social media can cause children to become overly concerned about their appearance and the aging process. Having a distorted perception of beauty can place unnecessary pressure on people to meet the beauty standards trending across social media platforms.
Therefore, to prevent children from being swayed by fickle beauty trends, parents and children need to be educated about the risks associated with using adult skincare products on young skin. It is important to be aware of an age-appropriate skincare routine that puts the health and safety of the skin first.