{"id":5051,"date":"2024-03-01T14:15:21","date_gmt":"2024-03-01T06:15:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=5051"},"modified":"2024-03-01T14:15:26","modified_gmt":"2024-03-01T06:15:26","slug":"tweens-are-getting-rashes-from-some-skin-care-products-popularized-on-social-media-dermatologists-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=5051","title":{"rendered":"Tweens are getting rashes from some skin care products popularized on social media, dermatologists say"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A few days after she began her new skin care regimen \u2014 toner, moisturizer, serum and facial mist \u2014 the skin around 13-year-old Leora\u2019s lips became red and dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A couple days later, the rash turned yellow and crusty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was touching it because it was really itchy, and then I think it got infected,\u201d said Leora, whose family requested her last name not be published for privacy reasons, given that she is a minor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A dermatologist prescribed Leora a medication to alleviate irritation and advised her to stop her skin care routine and apply petroleum jelly until the rash cleared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then came a discussion that dermatologists say is increasingly common: \u201cWe 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,\u201d said Dr. Alexis Young, Leora\u2019s dermatologist at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn general for the preteen population, they\u2019re layering product upon product and not really being told how to use them,\u201d Young said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Young and six other dermatologists told NBC News that in recent months, tweens and young teenagers have been showing up at their offices in droves with red, dry, bumpy and itchy rashes after using skin care products they don\u2019t need. Some dermatologists said it happens monthly or weekly; others said they see such patients multiple times per day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kids ages 7 to 13 are clearing the shelves at makeup stores, spending hundreds on anti-aging creams, moisturizers and acne serums from trendy and colorful brands like Drunk Elephant \u2014 which sells one Protini Polypeptide Cream every 40 seconds, according the brand\u2019s website \u2014 and Glow Recipe, which surpassed $100 million in revenue in 2021, just seven years after its founding, CNBC reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trend has been driven, in part, by social media, where young creators\u2019 videos about their multistep skin care routines sometimes garner millions of views. (Some adults, meanwhile, have taken to social media to vent about makeup stores becoming overrun with children.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drunk Elephant and Glow Recipe products aren\u2019t inherently harmful when used as instructed for their intended purpose, and the companies make products that tweens can tolerate. But some contain ingredients that can irritate young skin, dermatologists said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a lot for parents, certainly kids, to wade through,\u201d said Dr. Brooke Jeffy, a board-certified dermatologist in Arizona. \u201cThey just maybe don\u2019t have the knowledge to know what\u2019s safe, and so it\u2019s difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many Drunk Elephant and Glow Recipe products come in bright pink, orange or teal packaging that can attract young customers; a promotional video from Drunk Elephant even depicts a line of travel-size products as animated cartoon characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like many beauty products, the brands\u2019 product labels don\u2019t usually specify an intended age range. Instead, they list the expected effects. Drunk Elephant\u2019s T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum, for example, says it \u201cresurfaces dull, congested skin, dramatically improving the appearance of skin\u2019s tone and texture, fine lines, wrinkles, and pores.\u201d Glow Recipe\u2019s Strawberry Smooth BHA + AHA Salicylic Serum, meanwhile, says it can \u201cgently smooth texture, clear breakouts, and refine pores, while calming skin.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each of those two products contains exfoliating acids, which the dermatologists interviewed said are among the most problematic ingredients for young people, along with retinoids. Both types of ingredients are intended to address issues like hyperpigmentation, wrinkles or acne, according to Dr. Jayden Galamgam, a dermatologist at UCLA Health. But for young skin without any problems, they may be too harsh, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have a handful of patients that get these recurrent rashes around their eyelids and around the mouth,\u201d Galamgam said, adding: \u201cIt\u2019s miserable for them. It\u2019s so itchy. It sometimes keeps them up at night. It gets bloody because they keep scratching it, and they\u2019re so embarrassed because it\u2019s on their face and it\u2019s what their friends see.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a statement, a Drunk Elephant spokesperson said \u201canyone with skin can use Drunk Elephant,\u201d but that \u201cdifferent products are appropriate for different ages.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe always recommend that parents\/guardians provide guidance to their children, particularly before starting a new routine,\u201d the statement said. \u201cIn general, we do not recommend products that contain high concentration of active ingredients for our younger fans.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glow Recipe did not respond to multiple requests for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Young said Leora\u2019s rash was likely caused by a combination of irritating ingredients and the overexfoliating of her skin. Leora said she got interested in skin care through YouTube and her friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her peers want the trendy products from Drunk Elephant and Glow Recipe, she said, in order to feel \u201cpreppy\u201d and flaunt their social status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt shows off that you have a lot of money if you buy these expensive stuff,\u201d Leora said. \u201cThere\u2019s always trends going around, and that\u2019s just how it is, and people are jealous of other people. But now I guess it\u2019s skin care.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NBC asked YouTube for comment about situations like Leora\u2019s, in which teenagers get inspired to buy products that may be unhealthy for their skin via videos on its platform. In a statement, YouTube referred NBC News to the company\u2019s policies for content pertaining to harmful substances and medical misinformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Videos about Drunk Elephant and Glow Recipe products also proliferate on TikTok, which has a user base that skews young. The company did not answer questions regarding minors exposed to such content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which ingredients can be harmful for kids?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Retinoids, a group of chemical compounds derived from vitamin A, commonly cause issues for tweens and young teens who don\u2019t need them, dermatologists said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The category includes retinol, which is often found in over-the-counter products and is used to reduce signs of aging. It promotes collagen production and increases the rate that new skin cells replace dead ones. Retinoids can also treat acne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tween skin, however, naturally produces plenty of collagen, Jeffy said. Young skin cells turn over approximately every 20 days, she added, while adult skin can take more than twice as long. So retinol is generally unnecessary for teen skin that isn\u2019t acne-prone, and it can irritate and damage the skin barrier, which acts as a first layer of defense. It can also lead to a red or brown, dry and itchy rash called retinoid dermatitis, Jeffy said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She described a tween patient who developed a rash around her eyes after applying a Drunk Elephant retinol cream: \u201cThe sad thing is, she didn\u2019t need a retinol. It\u2019s doing nothing for her, and it\u2019s giving her this rash. It may take a few months for that to totally fade.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about the anecdote, Drunk Elephant referred NBC News to its statement and to the “Younger Fans” section of the FAQ page on its website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exfoliating hydroxy acids, meanwhile, cause the surface layer of skin to peel to promote new cell growth, according to the Food and Drug Administration. But since young skin renews quickly, these acids may damage the skin barrier, causing irritation, sun sensitivity, burning and rashes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Claire Wolinsky, a dermatologist at Spring Street Dermatology in New York City, said her 11-year-old niece\u2019s skin became red and sensitive after using a Watermelon Glow toner from Glow Recipe that contained beta-hydroxy and polyhydroxy acids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUsing a chemical exfoliant, multiple of them in your regimen, it\u2019s just going to lead to irritation,\u201d Wolinsky said. \u201cFor a kid with perfect skin, it feels like a bad choice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can parents protect kids\u2019 skin?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Dr. Carol Chen, a pediatric dermatologist and associate professor at UCLA, said she recommends that children without skin issues keep it simple: a gentle cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf there\u2019s nothing to fix, I wouldn\u2019t fix it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a child insists on additional products, parents should avoid retinol and exfoliating hydroxy acids. Both ingredients can appear on labels with a variety of names \u2014 including retinyl acetate or all-trans retinoic acid for the former, and glycolic, lactic or citric acid for the latter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there\u2019s any doubt about a product, Chen said, consult a pediatrician or dermatologist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her advice to young people: \u201cDon\u2019t try to go out and try to find something wrong with your skin.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A few days after she began her new skin care regimen \u2014 toner, moisturizer, serum and facial mist \u2014 the skin around 13-year-old Leora\u2019s lips became red and dry. 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