A disturbing trend has emerged on social media recently. Ever younger children and teenagers are almost obsessed with skin care products, despite their young age, writes BBC.
Children as young as 7-8 show off their complex, expensive and extensive skincare routines on TikTok. A number of experts now warn that several of the ingredients are not intended for children.
– More children use far more skin care products than they ever did, says dermatologist and skin care influencer Aamna Adel to the BBC.
«Sephora Kids»
The phenomenon has given life to terms such as “generation alpha influencers” and “Sephora kids”.
– We are the generation of alpha influencers. Of course we are obsessed with skin care, says a six-year-old girl surrounded by expensive skin care products in a Tiktok video with several million views.
According to the child’s mother, the video was made for fun. She claims that it does not reflect their “real life”. Nevertheless, a number of content creators on the platform have stated that the message is extremely problematic.
Problem in Norway
According to the report, the disturbing trend has also gained a foothold in Norway NRK.
– It has become a new trend which is very negative, says dermatologist Michael Zangani in January.
In the past six months, he has experienced that several children come to him with questions about skin care products, both at work and in their free time. They not only wonder what is best, but also what best prevents ageing. He himself has worked as a dermatologist for 15 years.
BECOME A THING: Children as young as 9 seek out Zangani for tips on how to look younger. Photo: Dagbladet Show more
– I have never heard the makan. It has become a thing where they sit and discuss what kind of skin products they should use, and why they should use them, says Zangani.
The cosmetics chain Kicks also confirms to NRK that demand from young people has increased recently.
Irritation and hormonal disturbances
– One of the problems is the products are not made for their age group, says Aamna Adel to the BBC.
– They contain ingredients such as retinol, vitamin c and exfoliating acids which are meant to treat wrinkles, pigmentation and large pores, which children do not have. It can do more harm than good, she continues.
– Such products can cause irritation regardless of age, but for younger skin they can potentially be problematic and dangerous, especially for children with eczema or sensitive skin, explains dermatologist Tess McPherson in another BBC article.
According to Forskning.no several of the products may contain hormone-disrupting and allergenic substances, which children should preferably avoid.
Is it dangerous?
– It is not directly dangerous, but it can have many complications. If you imagine a twelve-year-old girl using products on a large scale, someone could develop an allergy. There will also be some who get eczema and maybe acne, says professor and senior physician Jørgen Serup at the Bispebjerg Hospital skin clinic to Forskning.no.
He refers to it as “madness” for children to use such products and strongly advises against it.
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To NRK, Michael Zangani points to yet another problematic aspect of the skincare trend:
– If the 12-year-old is preoccupied with wrinkles and staying young, this can have consequences for self-image and psychological well-being. Strong products should not be applied to young skin. It can lead to other skin disorders in the long term, says the dermatologist.
According to the health library Moisturizers for children should be free of allergenic substances such as perfume and parabens. Most skin care products intended for children are made especially for delicate and delicate children’s skin.
2024-03-02 20:51:33
#Madness
