Gen Alpha: Put down the serum bottle.
A top dermatologist is sounding the alarm about teenagers’ skincare routines, warning that some product-obsessed middle and high schoolers are doing way more harm than good.
And they may be dooming themselves to suffer for the rest of their lives.
“Kids and tweens are developing lifelong contact allergies to things like fragrances, which will impact their use of personal care products for the rest of their lives,” Dr. Sandy Skotnicki, author of “Beyond Soap” and co-host of Skin To It podcast, told The Post.
The culprit? Too many ingredients that overwhelm teenage skin, including exfoliants like AHA and retinol, which can can compromise the skin barrier.
“Then [they’re] exposing this compromised skin barrier to another 10 products each having 30+ ingredients,” she said. :The math? 300+ ingredients the skin must deal with over a compromised skin barrier.
“I had a teen ask me during an acne consult if she could still use her niacinamide, retinol, eye bamboo masks and skin primer under her foundation — she was 15,” Skotnicki added.
In fact, teens who are exposed to multiple ingredients from their skincare regimens are more likely to experience irritation and allergic contact dermatitis, according to a study published in the journal Pediatrics looking at the skincare routines of teenagers on TikTok.
Many young people may pile on the products, thinking it will help their skin. But too many ingredients overwhelm the skin barrier for anyone — but especially teens and tweens, who have more delicate, sensitive skin.
“The skin barrier has a job to do — keep moisture in and irritants out,” Skotnicki said. “When you bombard it with too many ingredients, you break it down — and once it’s compromised, you open the door to redness, burning, itching, breakouts, even long-term sensitivity.”
Effects that are more than skin deep
Not only can too many skincare products lead to immediate inflammation, but the effects can go much deeper, especially if the skin barrier is already compromised.
“Some of the 300 ingredients you put on your skin every day can pass through to the deeper layers of the skin,” said Skotnicki. “You can sensitize yourself and then are forever allergic to that ingredient.”
While attention should be paid to all the ingredients listed, Skotnicki recommends keeping an eye out for one particular item.
“The number one culprit is fragrance in all forms — natural, synthetic and those in essential oils,” she said. “Once allergic, you can react to many fragrances not just on the skin but in the air. It is life changing.”
It’s also important to note how each of the products work to help — or hurt — skin, especially for those of a younger age.
“It’s useful to think of the skin barrier like a brick wall,” Skotnicki explained. “The bricks are the skin cells and the mortar are the natural lipids — water, detergent or cleansing, [and] exfoliation decrease the mortar and make the skin barrier ‘leaky’ or compromised.”
Keep skin care fun and simple
It’s not new for teens to go overboard with skincare products. But Skotnicki has some advice when she gets pushback from young beauty junkies.
“Keep your basics simple,” she tells them. “Then add a few products to have fun with. Try them on at a time over a full week to make sure they play nice with your other products. Also consider cycling them.”
Pared down and simple skincare routines are best, she added, especially for teens and tweens.
“All you need is a basic cleanser, sunscreen and a moisturizer,” she advised. “If you poll most dermatologists, that’s all they use.”
It can be tempting to keep adding new products to the lineup — and Skotnicki doesn’t want to discourage teens from having fun or trying out new items.
“The layering and use of eye masks, etc., is about self care,” she said. “Ten steps in the shower — I think this was called “The Everything Shower” on TikTok — is not overly helpful for the skin, but amazing for your mental health.”
