Tweens and Viral Trends

Influencers, or in this case “skinfluencers,” are fueling the trend of filming each step of a skincare routine and uploading it to social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. The “Get Ready With Me” trend has become increasingly popular among young girls, who are selling out pricey skincare products that are generally not intended for gentle skin. Aside from the hefty price tag, children—and their parents—may not realize that some of these viral beauty products’ active ingredients include chemical exfoliants such as alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs).¹ Dermatologists are seeing an increase in preteen patients experiencing dermatitis from irritation caused by adverse reactions to layering too many products on the skin in pursuit of a flawless, poreless look known on social media as “glass skin.”¹

Preteens and young girls can be easily influenced by the likeable, relatable social media personalities they are following, but they often don’t understand that every product is not going to work for their skin type, which causes concern. Modern Aesthetics® caught up with pediatric dermatologist Dr. Lisa Swanson to discuss the tween skincare craze.

HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED A SURGE IN PRE-TEEN AND TEENAGE SKINCARE ROUTINES WITH THE EXPLOSION OF SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS POSTING “GET READY WITH ME” VIDEOS?

I have definitely observed this trend in my patients who come in with skincare routines that are much more complex than my own at the age of 45. They’re doing all this stuff and it’s amazing to me in some ways. I think it’s great to put that emphasis on quality skincare. In some ways, I applaud the awareness that the influencers on social media are bringing to taking good care of your skin. That’s always a really good thing, but I do sometimes get a little bit worried about potentially irritating properties of some of the products that are being talked about on social media. I worry about the expense of some of the products and routines that are being advertised, in a way, by these influencers. Because you can have good-quality skincare without breaking the bank, without using things that are super fancy. While on one hand, I applaud the efforts to encourage young people to take good care of their skin, I’m also wary of some of the products that are being marketed to the younger generation in terms of their cost and their irritation potential.

WHAT ARE SOME DANGERS CHILDREN FACE WHEN USING PRODUCTS WITH PROPERTIES NOT MEANT FOR YOUNG, GENTLE SKIN?

There are two major concerns I have with patients using products that they might hear about on social media. First is really cost. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have good-quality skincare. I worry a little bit that they’re simply spending too much money on some of these products that might not have anything to benefit them above and beyond our normal, gentle skincare products that are quite affordable.

The second concern I have is contact dermatitis. There are so many products out there with ingredients that might cause an irritant contact dermatitis, or even an allergic contact dermatitis.

HOW DO YOU HANDLE CONVERSATIONS WITH PEDIATRIC PATIENTS EXPRESSING INTEREST IN TRYING A PRODUCT THEY’VE SEEN ON SOCIAL MEDIA?

First, I ask what they’ve heard about it. I’ll see if I recognize any of the product names, and if I can provide any insight. I’ll often Google the product in the exam room so that I can see what its ingredients are and perhaps give them a good education about the ingredients. I’ll explain what is a good fit for their skin versus what might not be a good fit.

My general recommendation is if you start a new product, and your skin is telling you that it’s irritated, that it’s dry, that it’s red, that it’s angry—stop. Stop right there because the more you use a product that is causing a contact dermatitis, the worse that contact dermatitis is going to get. At the first sign of danger or irritation, stop using the product.

I’ll also encourage patients to do a use test on their upper inner arm, especially if they have a history of sensitive skin issues. A use test is when you put a little bit on your upper inner arm once or twice a day for a week or two and see if anything happens. Any irritation that occurs in that area lets you know it’s not a good product to test on your face.

INFLUENCER VIDEOS PROMOTING PRODUCTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA OFTEN DON’T FEATURE ANY MARKETING DISCLAIMERS. IS THAT SOMETHING YOU MIGHT WANT TO SEE CHANGE?

Over-the-counter products that social media is promoting and talking about are so unregulated, and the claims they can make on the bottle aren’t regulated, either. So, they can talk about being gluten free, vegan, organic, natural, but a lot of these terms don’t really have a well-defined meaning, and nobody is really evaluating to determine if the products truly meet the criteria. It’s the Wild West out there in the world of over-the-counter skincare products.

There are organizations that will help certify certain products as being safe in certain patient populations. The National Eczema Association will place their seal of approval on certain products that have been tested in patients with sensitive skin and are deemed to be appropriate for those with sensitive skin. The organizations are actively looking at these products and evaluating their ingredients, and seeing a seal of approval from one of these organizations can certainly be a good boost of confidence that a product will be safe for the patient to use.

HAVE YOU TREATED ANY PRETEENS EXPERIENCING AN ADVERSE REACTION TO A PRODUCT THEY WERE INFLUENCED TO USE?

I see irritant contact dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis in so many of my patients who are exploring the internet to discover new things to apply to their skin.

I constantly tell my patients that if you look at the skincare products a dermatologist uses for themselves, you’re going to see a very boring skincare routine because all day, every day, we see these horrible rashes and irritations from over-the-counter products. Because of this, we keep our personal skincare super boring.

Often, I will share a personal anecdote. When I was younger, I was dealing with acne and I would basically go to Walgreens once a week and buy several things each visit to try on my skin, and I have very sensitive skin. It was a bad idea from the start. Sure enough, I tried two or three products at the same time, and I got a horrible irritant contact dermatitis that got secondarily infected, and I had to go on antibiotics. That experience had a big impact on me when I was in medical school, and from that point forward, I kept my skincare routine really simple and anti-fancy.

WHAT STEPS DO YOU TAKE WHEN TALKING WITH PARENTS AND PATIENTS TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THE DANGERS AND CONCERNS OF USING CERTAIN PRODUCTS?

I explain to them that, sometimes, over-the-counter products that are being talked about on social media can have some irritating potential, and that I want to try to avoid that. I’ll ask them the names of the products, or even better, to bring the product they want to try to the visit with them. This way, I can see the ingredient list right there and decide on if I think it is safe for them to try or if they should avoid using it. I’ll make sure they understand the ingredient that is in the product and the concerns if they use it.

If they start using products that cause irritation, or they notice dryness, burning, and stinging redness, I tell them to stop right away. The use test is really convenient. It does delay the patient’s ability to use it on their face for a couple of weeks, but it helps ensure that the product is going to be tolerable for them.

The other thing I do is provide them with a list of products that I think are the best. It’s called “Dr. Swanson’s Favorite Things.” It has a list of the products that I know to be safe for people to use, and that I have personally used myself. The products on the list are well made and good quality. I give them the list so they don’t have to go explore to find quality products.

DO ANY SPECIFIC PRODUCTS POSE A GREATER RISK OR CONCERN FOR GENTLE SKIN?

There are two products I see tweens and teens experimenting with: masks and blackhead strips. Masks, depending on their active ingredient, can be very irritating. That’s a category where you really want to be cautious. I would probably encourage a use test before putting a mask on your entire face. I would also make sure to read the instructions appropriately in terms of how much to use and how long to leave it on, so that would be a special category where I really want to advise caution.

Then, there are these blackhead-removing strips that are sold by a couple of different skincare lines that are particularly geared toward the nose; you’re supposed to stick them on there and then tear it off, and it tears the blackheads off with it. I have seen a lot of damage from those where people have basically stripped off a layer of their skin.

Those two products are worth giving some extra thought before using on your skin.

WHEN ADVISING CAUTION TO PATIENTS REGARDING FACE MASKS, ARE YOU REFERRING TO CHEMICAL PEEL MASKS, OR IS THAT A GENERAL ADVISORY FOR ALL MASKS ON THE MARKET?

That’s a great point. There are so many kinds of masks. What is the goal of the mask? If it’s a hydrating mask, chances are that’s going to be OK because chances are there aren’t irritants and things in there that are going to dry out or irritate your skin because it’s aimed to hydrate. A hydrating mask wouldn’t make me nearly as concerned as an acne mask, cleansing mask, or anti-aging mask. Those are products that are likely to have some ingredients that would potentially cause some irritation to your skin and if you apply it all over and let it sit for several minutes before taking it off, you could end up with a big, bad rash covering your face.

1. Social media is fueling a tween skin care craze. Some dermatologists are wary. NPR. Published July 12, 2024. Accessed August 28, 2024. https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/07/12/nx-s1-4990677/teens-skin-care-social-media-tweens-tiktok-influencers