When Kids are Obsessed with Skin Care Products

Maybe your elementary-schooler is suddenly obsessed with creating a skin-care routine: one that includes exfoliants, serums, moisturizers, and masks. Or perhaps your teen’s bathroom counter now looks like a beauty influencer’s “shelfie.”

While these routines seem to promise soft, luminous skin, dermatologists say none of this is necessary—and sometimes can be harmful—to a young person’s delicate, sensitive, still-developing skin.

Yale Medicine dermatologist Kathleen Suozzi, MD, says most kids need no more than a gentle cleanser, water, simple moisturizer, and a mineral-based sunscreen (not a chemical one). “If they don’t have a condition such as acne or eczema, their skin care should be aimed at protecting and supporting the ideal skin environment they have at their age,” she says.

But that kind of advice hasn’t slowed the adolescent skin care craze. Dr. Suozzi, who is involved in a study surveying middle and high school students to learn more about what’s fueling the trend, says she’s astonished by its reach. “Our research has shown that 20% of preteens and teens surveyed spend upwards of $50 a month on products they don’t need—and will sometimes layer on five or more of those products,” she says.

The behavior attracted the attention of Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, who in 2024 sent out a statement urging parents to exercise caution around letting their kids use anti-aging skin care products. He also sent a letter to the beauty retailer Sephora USA, questioning the company’s marketing and promotion of certain products to children.

Dr. Suozzi’s early research points to a familiar influence: social media.

Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are filled with young “skinfluencers”—teenagers and younger children who review beauty products and show off multistep routines to peers their own age.

“Videos called ‘hauls,’ where influencers unpackage and try out their purchases, became especially popular during the pandemic,” Dr. Suozzi says. “Skin care really works well in this format because you can literally watch someone’s face seemingly transform on screen as they’re applying products,” she adds.

The products are also easy for kids to find and buy, Dr. Suozzi adds. “You can go into a cosmetics store or even a drugstore and see products that tweens and teens are interested in placed at their eye level on the shelves in areas where the store is going to get higher traffic.”

Yann Poncin, MD, a psychiatrist at Yale Child Study Center, says the psychology behind the trend runs deeper. “Adolescence is very much about developing an identity. Kids this age are discovering themselves, finding themselves, and trying on different identities. Peers are incredibly important and there is a focus on appearance. And skin care apparently is one thing young teens are gravitating to.”

Children’s skin is thinner, softer, and more delicate than an adult’s skin, making it more sensitive to irritants. “Barrier function is immature in children’s skin, making this demographic more prone to irritation from products. In addition, adult skin has mature sebaceous glands that produce sebum, a natural oil that protects the skin and creates a protective layer,” Dr. Suozzi explains. “Children don’t have that same protection yet.”

Skin changes significantly during puberty, when hormonal shifts start to drive the production of sebum and the skin gradually becomes more resilient. “Postpubescent skin is going to act more like adult skin, so you’re going to have less sensitivity,” Dr. Suozzi says.

But before that, using harsh or active ingredients that decrease sebum production—such as strong acids, retinoids, or fragrances—can strip the protective layer, damage the skin barrier and, in younger kids, even cause atopic dermatitis or allergic reactions.

The issue is not so much the products, but the ingredients in some of them, says Dr. Suozzi. She mentions that many of the youngsters she has surveyed either don’t know or can’t name ingredients in the products they use or are considering.

“This is really important, because there are a lot of things that are frequently used in products for mature skin that kids not only don’t need, but that can be harmful for them,” says Dr. Suozzi. “In terms of durable changes in the skin, it’s more of a local irritant problem that we're seeing, or a temporary disruption in the skin barrier. But prolonged use of certain skin care products could predispose a person to facial eczema or a longer-lasting inflammatory condition,” she says.

Dr. Suozzi highlights some ingredients commonly found in adult formulas that can cause irritation or allergic reactions in children, including:

• Fragrance and perfumes, which are a common cause of allergic contact dermatitis and skin irritation.
• Alcohols, which strip the natural skin barrier, the protective layer on the outermost surface of the skin, and cause dryness. Examples include denatured alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, and ethanol.
• Harsh acids or chemical peels, which cause redness and peeling to thin, sensitive skin. Avoid glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and strong AHAs/BHAs.
• Retinoids and retinol, which can cause skin irritation. Both are used to treat acne, but are not appropriate for pediatric use without a prescription.
• Chemical sunscreens, which include filters such as oxybenzone or octinoxate that can be irritating for kids. There is also concern that they could cause hormonal disruption in children. Mineral sunscreens containing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide are safer.
• Parabens and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, which can cause irritation. Avoid methylparaben, DMDM hydantoin, and quaternium-15.
• Pore-clogging or comedogenic oils, which can worsen acne. Avoid coconut oil, cocoa butter, and lanolin.

Note that even essential oils, which many people believe are safe because they are natural, can pose risks, says Dr. Suozzi. Essential oils can trigger allergic reactions or phototoxicity, characterized by a sensitivity to sunlight. Examples include citrus, tea tree, peppermint, and lavender. Likewise, some natural physical exfoliants and scrubs can cause microtears and inflammation in the skin. Avoid apricot kernel or walnut shell scrubs. Dr. Suozzi recommends limiting child and adolescent skin care routines to no more than three products at a time.

Occasional sheet masks for fun are fine, she adds—just not for daily use. “Sheet face masks tend to have a lot of ingredients in them,” she says. “But they can be fun. If kids are doing this once a month with friends, it's probably not harmful. The things that are most likely to irritate your skin are the ones you’re applying more frequently.”

Trying new products with friends can be harmless fun—but obsession is another story. One question to consider is how deeply a child or teen is involved with skin care, Dr. Poncin says. “It’s a question of degree,” he says, noting that playing around with products with friends from time to time shouldn’t be a concern. “It may be important to pay attention to if they start to feel compelled to do the skin care routine, whether they’re a young influencer posting videos online or a kid who is following those videos closely, and feels that's the new norm and they have to do these things. That's where it becomes problematic.”

Some young boys and girls aspire to become social media influencers themselves, and skin care products are a way to do it, Dr. Poncin adds. “A lot of kids will give this a shot and then quickly give up,” he says. “But positive online feedback can intensify the pressure. So they try more products and make more videos, and it mixes in with their sense of not being good-looking enough.” He says this becomes a problem when they are spending too much time on it to the point where it’s affecting their everyday life. “When it starts to affect grades, sleep, or friendships, it can develop into a real mental health issue,” Dr. Poncin warns.

Taking action that is too aggressive can backfire, says Dr. Poncin, adding that it’s important for parents to accept that kids go through different phases and try things. “In many cases we just need to guide them in the right direction as far as what’s healthy and what’s not, and make sure that whatever they’re doing doesn’t cross into an obsession or negative body image.”

He also urges parents to monitor social media habits. “If their behavior becomes compulsive or isolating, step in,” he says. “Ask: Is it interfering with schoolwork or relationships?”

Dr. Suozzi also suggests parents talk to their children about skin care from a health standpoint, without making them feel bad about whatever routine they’ve developed. “Embrace the science,” she says. “Educate them by telling them what ingredients they should be looking for on the packages. They can bring that to their experience when they go to the store.”

There’s also a healthy message there, she says. “They can celebrate the skin they’re in, celebrate that perfect skin they have as a kid.” It may not be the filtered image of perfect skin they may see on social media—there may be a blemish or even an acne lesion—but that’s a normal part of growing up, Dr. Suozzi says. “But for most kids, it’s the best skin they’ll ever have,” she adds. “They don’t need to fix it—they just need to care for it gently and appreciate it.”