Skincare products available at a Sephora Store. Photo courtesy of Genesis Aviles.
Editor’s Note: Digmari Vieras quotes were originally given in Spanish and translated into English.
Dermatologists say products with active ingredients can cause lasting damage to young skin.
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By Genesis Aviles
TAMPA, Fla. — As children spend more time on social media platforms, dermatologists and parents are concerned about the rise of minors using adult skincare products not formulated for their skin.
According to a 2025 analysis compiled by Clean Skin Club, Generation Alpha begins engaging with skincare and beauty products around age 8, five years earlier than Gen Z, driven largely by TikTok trends. Seventy-nine percent of children aged 7 to 17 have asked a parent to buy a beauty product they saw on social media, and 68% follow a skincare routine regularly. In 2023, households with Gen Alpha children between the ages of 6 and 12 spent $2.4 billion more on skincare than households without children in that age group, driven in part by social media content from celebrity-adjacent creators.
Dr. Alexander Dane, a double board-certified dermatologist and reconstructive surgeon based in Tampa, said he has seen the effects firsthand. “There is a trend of preteens using anti-aging products or other skincare products with more robust active ingredients that are meant for anti-aging or fading brown spots, which most preteens do not have,” Dane said.
Medical research supports his concern. A study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that the most-viewed TikTok skincare videos contained an average of 11 potentially irritating active ingredients, such as alpha hydroxy acids, which increase the risk of skin irritation, sun sensitivity and allergic contact dermatitis.
The same study found that only 26% of daytime skincare routines shown in those videos included sunscreen, something Dane said is among the most important skincare habits to build early.
“Around 25% of our total UV exposure in our lifetime occurs before age 18,” Dane said. “Protecting your skin with SPF 30 or higher is crucial, not only to help protect against future skin cancer, but also skin health in general.”
Dane said the most common mistake he sees among young patients is over-complication.
“Using retinols or high-strength glycolic acids or strong chemical peels or even vitamin C at higher concentrations can actually adversely impact your skin and irritate it more.”
For parents navigating product decisions at home, Dane offers a straightforward guideline.
“You can help with your kids’ skincare selection by looking at what the product is designed for,” Dane said. “If it’s for anti-aging or brown spots or discoloration and brightening, that may not necessarily be right for your child.”
The influence social media has on these purchasing decisions is not limited to what children see, but also shapes what they request. Digmari Vieras, a 37-year-old Miami mother of a 14-year-old, said social media creates pressure that is difficult to counter at home.
“It is a constant battle; she wants many products that are not appropriate for her age,” said Vieras, whose daughter has requested multiple products she saw on social media.
Only 4% of dermatology-related Instagram accounts are managed by board-certified dermatologists, meaning most skincare content reaching children online comes from unverified sources.
Leika Georges, 21, a Tampa resident, said she began noticing the shift in recent years while shopping at stores like Sephora and Target.
“I’ve seen really young kids, like middle school age or even younger, buying products that are usually marketed to adults,” Georges said. “They weren’t just buying simple face wash or moisturizer; they were getting things like lip liners, some expensive skincare brands.”
Georges said platforms like TikTok play an essential role in driving those purchases.
“A lot of kids spend hours watching content from influencers who recommend certain products or show their skincare routines,” she said. “The algorithm also keeps showing similar content, so it can make it seem like everyone is using these products.”
Beyond skin health, Georges said she worries about the psychological toll on younger users.
“If they feel like they need a complicated skincare routine at such a young age, it might make them think there’s something wrong with their natural skin,” Georges said. “That could affect their confidence and make them focus too much on appearance.”
She added that while skincare can be a healthy form of self-expression, the pressure to follow adult beauty standards can push children to grow up faster than they should.
“I think there should be more awareness about age-appropriate skincare so kids can still enjoy it without feeling like they need to follow adult beauty standards,” Georges said.
As the skincare market continues to expand, projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7% through 2035 in North America, dermatologists say the solution does not require an elaborate routine.
“For a preteen, just remember: cleanse, moisturize, protect,” Dane said. “You don’t need a 10-step skincare routine.”