Beware of Harmful Skin Care Products: Advice for Young People

Though they can irritate youthful skin, hydroxy acids and retinoids are popular ingredients in fashionable skin care products.

TFD – Protect Your Skin: Expert Advice for Young People on Skincare

Leora, 13, noticed redness and dryness on the skin around her lips a few days after starting a new skin care routine that included toner, moisturizer, serum, and facial spray.

The rash turned yellow and crusty a few days later.

“I was touching it because it was really itchy, and then I think it got infected,” Leora said. Because she is a juvenile, her family asked that her last name not be used for privacy concerns.

Leora was given a prescription by a dermatologist to reduce discomfort. She was also told to discontinue her skin care regimen and apply petroleum jelly until the rash went away.

At Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, Dr. Alexis Young, Leora’s dermatologist, said, “We got into a whole conversation about this new fad of preteens interested in using a lot of anti-aging products and things that they are learning about on social media.” This led to a conversation that dermatologists claim is becoming more and more common.

According to Young, preteens “generally layer product upon product and aren’t really told how to use them.”

In recent months, tweens and early teens have been flocking to Young’s and six other dermatologists’ clinics with red, dry, bumpy, and itchy rashes from using skin care products they don’t need. Dermatologists report seeing these patients on a monthly or weekly basis, while others report seeing them many times a day.

Youngsters between the ages of 7 and 13 are deluging makeup stores with hundreds of dollars spent on anti-aging creams, moisturizers, and acne serums from colorful and trendy brands like Glow Recipe, which just seven years after its founding surpassed $100 million in revenue in 2021, and Drunk Elephant, which sells one Protini Polypeptide Cream every 40 seconds, according to the brand’s website.

Social media, where up-and-coming producers post videos of their multi-step skin care routines that occasionally receive millions of views, has contributed to the trend. (In the meantime, some adults have vented on social media about children taking over makeup stores.)

When used as directed for their intended purpose, Drunk Elephant and Glow Recipe goods don’t have any inherent hazardous properties, and both brands produce products that tweens can use. However, experts noted that some of them contain chemicals that can irritate young skin.

As said by board-certified dermatologist in Arizona Dr. Brooke Jeffy, “It’s a lot for parents, certainly kids, to wade through.” “It’s challenging because they might not have the knowledge to know what is safe.”

Bright pink, orange, or teal packaging is a common feature of Drunk Elephant and Glow Recipe products, which may draw in younger consumers. In fact, a Drunk Elephant advertising film features a line of travel-sized products that seem like animated cartoon characters.

The product labels for these goods typically don’t indicate the target age range, similar to many other beauty products. Rather, they enumerate the anticipated outcomes. The T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum from Drunk Elephant, for instance, claims to “resurface dull, congested skin, dramatically improving the appearance of skin’s tone and texture, fine lines, wrinkles, and pores.” In contrast, Glow Recipe claims that its Strawberry Smooth BHA + AHA Salicylic Serum can “gently smooth texture, clear breakouts, and refine pores, while calming skin.”

Both of those products contain exfoliating acids, which are among the most troublesome components for young people, according to the dermatologists consulted. They are also included in retinoids. According to UCLA Health dermatologist Dr. Jayden Galamgam, both kinds of chemicals are meant to treat conditions like wrinkles, acne, and hyperpigmentation. But they might be too abrasive for young skin that is problem-free, he noted.

Galamgam stated, “It’s miserable for them. We have a handful of patients that get these recurrent rashes around their mouths and around their eyelids.” It itchiness is intense. Occasionally, it keeps them awake at night. They keep scratching it until it gets bloody, and they feel really ashamed since their friends can see it on their face.

“Anyone with skin can use Drunk Elephant,” according to a spokesman for the company, although “different products are appropriate for different ages.”

“We always advise parents/guardians to give their kids guidance, especially when introducing new routines,” the statement read. “Generally speaking, we advise our younger fans not to use products with a high concentration of active ingredients.”

Despite repeated attempts for comment, Glow Recipe did not reply.

According to Young, Leora’s rash was probably brought on by over-exfoliating her skin and a combination of irritating substances. Leora claimed that her friends and YouTube were the sources of her interest in skin care.

She claimed that her classmates desire the newest merchandise from Glow Recipe and Drunk Elephant in order to feel “preppy” and show off their social standing.

“Purchasing such expensive items demonstrates your wealth,” Leora remarked. People are envious of other people, and trends are always prevalent because that is just the way things are. However, I suppose now it’s skin care.

NBC contacted YouTube to inquire about scenarios similar to Leora’s, wherein videos on the platform encourage minors to purchase potentially harmful skin care products. YouTube pointed NBC News to the company’s guidelines on content about dangerous drugs and false medical advice in a statement.

Videos promoting Glow Recipe and Drunk Elephant items are also widely available on TikTok, a platform with a predominantly youthful user base. Concerning minors exposed to such content, the corporation did not respond to inquiries.

Which components might be dangerous for children?

Retinoids, a group of chemical compounds derived from vitamin A, commonly cause issues for tweens and young teens who don’t need them, dermatologists said.

Retinol, which is used to lessen age indications and is frequently available in over-the-counter medicines, is included in this category. It speeds up the rate at which living skin cells replace dead ones and encourages the synthesis of collagen. Acne can also be treated with retinoidoids.

However, Jeffy said that tween skin naturally produces a lot of collagen. She went on, “Young skin cells turnover about every 20 days, but adult skin can take up to twice as long.” Because retinol can irritate and damage the skin barrier, which serves as the body’s first line of defense, it is often unnecessary for teenage skin that is not prone to acne. Additionally, according to Jeffy, it may result in retinoid dermatitis, a dry, itchy, red or brown rash.

She told the story of a tween patient who used a Drunk Elephant retinol treatment and got a rash around her eyes: “The sad thing is, she didn’t need a retinol.” She is getting this rash from it and it isn’t helping at all. It might not completely go away for a few months.

Regarding the story, Drunk Elephant directed NBC News to both their statement and the “Younger Fans” segment of their website’s FAQ page.

The Food and Drug Administration claims that exfoliating hydroxy acids encourage the formation of new cells by causing the skin’s outer layer to peel. However, because youthful skin regenerates quickly, these acids may weaken the skin’s protective layer, leading to blistering, irritation, rashes, and UV sensitivity.

Dermatologist Dr. Claire Wolinsky of Spring Street Dermatology in New York City reported that her niece, 11, had red, sensitive skin following the use of a Watermelon Glow toner from Glow Recipe, which contains beta-hydroxy and polyhydroxy acids.

“Your regimen will just become irritated if you use multiple chemical exfoliants,” Wolinsky added. “It seems like a poor decision for a child with flawless skin.”

How can parents shield their children’s skin?

Pediatric dermatologist and UCLA assistant professor Dr. Carol Chen advised kids without skin problems to stick to a basic regimen of a mild cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen.

She remarked, “I wouldn’t fix it if there was nothing to fix.”

Parents should stay away from exfoliating hydroxy acids and retinol if their child is insistent about using more products. Both chemicals may be listed under different names on labels: citric, lactic, or glycolic acid for the latter, and retinyl acetate or all-trans retinoic acid for the former.

Chen advised contacting a dermatologist or pediatrician if you have any questions concerning a product.

“Don’t try to go out and try to find something wrong with your skin,” she advised young people.