Revealed: The impact dangerous skincare routines are having on young Aussie kids

Doctors are warning parents about a worldwide social media craze after children as young as eight have sustained facial burns. See why and what you can do.

EXCLUSIVE

Doctors are seeing kids as young as eight with facial burns, eczema and premature acne after using anti-ageing products on their skin.

They’ve issued warnings about a worldwide social media craze among tweens who are copying complicated skincare routines promoted by influencers on TikTok and other platforms such as YouTube Kids.

Many of the products being promoted are expensive and include active ingredients such as retinol, not suitable for young skin.

Dermatologists said these products are damaging the delicate skin barrier on young faces leaving children with irritated, dry or itchy rashes, and in some cases burns.

 

Dr Li-Chuen Wong said the tween skincare and #GRWM (Get Ready With Me) trend, where people post videos of themselves doing their skincare or makeup routine for school or work, on social media, has really taken off in the past year.

Some tween influencers boast millions of followers and multiple paid partnerships.

“All these pharmaceuticals are causing significant serious eczema and acne flare ups,” Dr Wong said.

“Some of them are far too irritating and harsh for their skin.

“I’m starting to see children as young as eight with these problems.”

She has also seen some children with burns, often due to using products containing retinol. “They are all in love with retinol, so the influencers must be saying how wonderful it is,” Dr Wong said.

“Influencers have more influence than parents.”

She said some kids are using $200 serums, when in fact children don’t need multi step skincare routines or expensive lotions.

They only need to wash their face twice a day with a soap free product and use a fragrance-free moisturiser and sunscreen.

Body image experts have also issued a warning about the #GRWM trend saying young girls are being made to feel they’re not good enough without these expensive products.

 

Helen Bird from the Butterfly Foundation, which offers support for people with eating disorders and body image issues, said all these social media trends come down to the same thing, “that our bodies are something that we need to control or fix”.

“It takes us further and further away from that idea of sort of accepting and appreciating and being grateful for what our bodies do,” Ms Bird said.

“It encourages perfectionist thinking, that we need to be fearful of ageing. We need to always be fresh faced and youthful.”

She said the skincare trend was setting kids up for a lifetime of feeling like they need to control their appearance.

Ms Bird said if parents go online they would be “really shocked at the toxic content that’s out there”.

Beauty retailers such as Mecca and Sephora have seen a rise in younger shoppers coming to their stores.

Mecca’s head of skincare Maia Bryant said with the rise of TikTok, customers have access to more information, beauty hacks, tips and tricks than ever before.

“As a result, we’re seeing customers of all ages coming into store to try out new products and brands that they’ve seen online,” Ms Bryant said.

“Our store hosts are highly educated in beauty. They always aim to spend time with each customer to understand their needs and share their knowledge to help them make the best decisions for their skin.”

She recommended parents accompany their child to one of their stores.

Mecca also said it does not engage in any paid activity with influencers under the age of 18.

For support with eating disorders or body image concerns, call Butterfly’s National Helpline on 1800 ED HOPE (1800 33 4673), chat online or email [e-mail] butterfly.org.au

Originally published as Revealed: The impact dangerous skincare routines are having on young Aussie kids