A new study by Northwestern Medicine warns of the harmful effects of TikTok-promoted skin care routines on teens, revealing a high risk of skin irritation and urging the importance of sunscreen.
In a new study published June 9 in the journal Pediatrics, researchers from Northwestern Medicine have examined the skin care routines promoted by TikTok influencers and found alarming results.
Girls aged 7 to 18 are using an average of six different skin care products, with some applying more than a dozen in their daily routine.
The study highlights that these products, which are heavily marketed to younger demographics, pose a substantial risk of skin irritation and allergic reactions.
Each routine costs, on average, $168 per month, with the potential to exceed $500.
Despite these costs, only 26% of daytime skin care routines included sunscreen, the researchers emphasized. Sunscreen is not only crucial for general skin health but particularly vital for younger skin.
The research shows that the most popular TikTok skin care videos contain, on average, 11 active ingredients that could potentially irritate the skin. This exposure increases the risk of developing not only sun sensitivity but also allergic contact dermatitis, which can severely limit future product choices.
“That high risk of irritation came from both using multiple active ingredients at the same time, such as hydroxy acids, as well as applying the same active ingredient unknowingly over and over again when that active ingredient was found in three, four, five different products,” corresponding author Molly Hales, a postdoctoral research fellow and board-certified dermatologist at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said in a news release.
In one video, the creator applied 10 different products within a span of six minutes, resulting in noticeable discomfort and a visible skin reaction.
“As she’s applying the products, she begins to express discomfort and burning, and in the final few minutes, she develops a visible skin reaction,” added senior author Tara Lagu, an adjunct lecturer of medicine and medical social sciences at Feinberg and a former Northwestern Medicine hospitalist.
Beyond Skin Damage
The study also pointed out deeper issues related to the skin care routines promoted on TikTok.
“We saw that there was preferential, encoded racial language in some cases that really emphasized lighter, brighter skin,” Lagu added. “I think there also were real associations between use of these regimens and consumerism.”
The researchers concluded that the videos offer minimal benefits for young audiences. With TikTok algorithms making it challenging for parents or pediatricians to monitor viewed content, the risks remain largely unchecked.
“It’s problematic to show girls devoting this much time and attention to their skin,” added Hales. “We’re setting a very high standard for these girls. The pursuit of health has become a kind of virtue in our society, but the ideal of ‘health’ is also very wrapped up in ideals of beauty, thinness and whiteness. The insidious thing about ‘skin care’ is that it claims to be about health.”
Investigating the TikTok Phenomenon
For the study, Hales and a fellow researcher created new TikTok accounts, listing their age as 13.
They compiled and analyzed 100 unique videos by examining the demographics of the content creators, the types and costs of products used, and the active and inactive ingredients involved. Ingredients were assessed for their potential to induce allergic contact dermatitis.
Source: Northwestern University