Children damaging skin with adult skincare products from social media trends
Dermatologists are calling for regulation as children are damaging their skin by using adult skincare products promoted on social media.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Dermatologists are calling for stronger regulation and clearer warning labels on adult skincare products after a rise in children damaging their skin by following trends on social media. The British Association of Dermatologists says that marketing strategies are increasingly targeting younger audiences, with anti-aging products being promoted to children as young as four or five. One 13-year-old girl, Sienna, used a product containing retinal, a form of vitamin A often found in anti-aging creams, and it damaged her skin barrier, taking months to heal. She now wants to educate others about the risks of children adopting adult skincare routines. While marketing to children is already regulated in the UK, experts argue that more needs to be done to prevent brands, retailers and platforms from normalising the use of such products among pre-teens and teenagers. The concern is that children are not just mimicking adults but are actively using products designed for mature skin, which can cause irritation, chemical burns and long-term damage. The story highlights a growing problem where social media trends drive young people to buy and use products that are not suitable for their skin.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | ITV |
|---|---|
| A 13-year-old girl damaged her skin barrier using retinal in anti-aging products, and the British Association of Dermatologists called for stronger scrutiny of marketing that normalizes children using such products. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV Lunchtime News focused on the human impact of the trend, using the personal story of 13-year-old Sienna to illustrate the dangers. The report emphasised the role of social media in normalising adult skincare for children and quoted a dermatologist calling for stronger regulation. The tone was concerned and factual, with a clear warning to parents.
- “Children, not just pretending to be adults, they're acting like it too. Trying to stay young, using products not meant for supple skin.”
- “It does worry me a lot because parents don't realise how damaging it is for their children until something happens and they can't really go back.”
- “What we were seeing in maybe teenagers or tweenagers, so pre-teens, we're now seeing in children. So, you know, it is coming down and we're seeing this clearly in marketing strategies for anti-aging products for children as young as four or five in certain products.”
Broadcast Timeline
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