February 21, 2024 – Mary Margaret Gorman is not any stranger to teen skincare trends.
A mother of two teenage daughters, she said she noticed a number of years ago that face masks had turn out to be popular birthday gifts and presents amongst her daughters' friends.
Her daughters, now 13 and 16, had expensive skincare products on their Christmas list this 12 months.
“They all probably have three times as many skin care products as I do,” said Gorman, who lives in New Orleans.
Especially due to viral videos on social media, elaborate skincare routines have turn out to be a trend amongst teenagers and even older children. TikTok videos guide people through 12-step routines, which regularly include applying products intended for adult skin. However, experts warn that younger people specifically must be wary of facial treatment fads.
Deirdre Hooper, MD, a dermatologist at Audubon Dermatology in New Orleans, said she has seen her preteen and adolescent patients and her own daughter adopt two most important routines. One of them is the every day use of sunscreen, which she says is “fantastic.”
“The second trend is complex, multi-step therapies promoted by social media rather than board-certified dermatologists,” she said.
In the worst case scenario, complex skincare routines can do more harm than good. At best, the products are mostly a waste of cash, Hooper said.
Hopper's daughter received a present certificate to a big cosmetics retailer for Christmas two years ago. The dermatologist let her teenager shop for whatever she wanted and got here home with several products that, despite having different names, all did the identical thing – mostly moisturize. Both Hooper and Gorman said the products most engaging to children had a good time names like “Drunk Elephant” or vague marketing terms like “Glow.”
Some may view the routines as simply fun or a ritual that makes children feel more grown up. But the obsession could cause real harm, in keeping with Amina Ahmed, MD, a pediatrician at Stanford Children's Health South Bascom Pediatrics in Los Gatos, California.
“I'm definitely seeing a lot more teenagers proactively wanting perfect skin,” she said. “The expectations of how flawless they should look at a young age have really increased. There’s a lot of pressure on social media to take the perfect picture.”
Ahmed has also noticed that more teenagers are using more makeup, including for contouring and elaborate designs, “which can lead to other problems such as dermatitis or irritation due to harsh products.”
More harm than good
Many adult skin products are also too effective for younger people. Hooper said most teens should avoid thick moisturizers in addition to most retinol and hydroxy acids.
Products that contain hydroxy acids, including popular ingredients like glycolic acid or lactic acid, are chemical peels which might be intended to exfoliate older skin but are too harsh to make use of on youthful skin. Hooper compares the products to the tough exfoliating face wash that was popular as a teen, just like the legendary St. Ives facial scrub.
Most retinol can also be not medically essential or appropriate for people under 20, as these products are intended to construct collagen to scale back wrinkles, which isn't an issue for many teenagers. However, if an adolescent is combating pimples or blackheads, Hooper recommends seeing a dermatologist who can determine whether a prescription retinol treatment may help resolve the issue. The only over-the-counter retinol she recommends is adapalene, but with one caveat.
“It can be irritating, and if you don't know how to deal with that annoyance, it can make things worse,” she said, emphasizing that families can save money and time by going to a health care provider as a substitute of themselves first to maintain the condition on your personal.
While some products are too harsh for younger skin, others, including moisturizers for older skin, are too thick and may easily clog pores in teenagers, who naturally produce more sebum as a consequence of hormonal changes, Ahmed said. Layering products can have the identical effect.
Many of Ahmed's patients also suffer from conditions reminiscent of perioral dermatitis, which appears as a red rash on the face and may be the results of a disruption within the skin's microbiome.
“Sometimes all these products mess up your natural pH and microbial balance, which can make you more susceptible to things like dermatitis,” she said, noting that the dermatitis often goes away while you stop using too many products.
Antioxidants like vitamin C serums may help protect skin from pollution and sun damage, but are simply not essential for young skin, Hooper said.
“If you try an antioxidant and it doesn't irritate your skin, I'm fine with it as a morning routine. But the ones that I know work are expensive and I don't think I would recommend them to kids because they don't need them,” she said.
What Skin Care Products Should Teens Use?
Both Ahmed and Hooper emphasize that skin care, like most things health-related, is not a one-size-fits-all solution. The skin is also an organ that changes over the course of life and requires different care.
“Many patients think: If it works for my friend, it should work for me too. But every skin type is different; You may be using something that causes more acne on your face,” Ahmed said.
There are some general guidelines that teens should follow.
“When you're young, your skin has such good natural protection and resilience that you just don't have to buy quite a lot of products,” Hooper said.
Ahmed said everyone should apply sunscreen in the morning and wear it throughout the day, especially when children are playing sports outside. “Most sun damage happens while you're young,” she said.
And teens can use a gentle cleanser—but only one.
Twelve-step routines “typically have multiple cleansers. They don’t need to do any of that, they just need a mild cleanser to remove excess sebum and dirt from their faces,” said Ahmed.
Hooper said if skin is dry, children and teens can only wash their face at night and use a light moisturizer. If you're struggling with acne, Hooper says you should see a doctor.
Ahmed said parents should appreciate that their child cares about the health of their skin and develop a skin care routine that focuses on health rather than beauty.
“It’s not a bad thing to take care of your own skin,” she said.