Latest news with #Pediatrics
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
'Sephora kids' are using anti-aging creams. A new study says harms aren't just skin deep
If you've recently witnessed a 10-year-old smear their face with an $80 anti-wrinkle cream — either in real life or in any number of "Get Ready With Me" TikTok videos — you're probably already aware of the "Sephora kids" skin-care trend that has young people clamouring for anti-aging products thanks in part to what they see on social media. Now, a new study published in Pediatrics this month, the first peer-reviewed paper of its kind, found that skin-care solutions promoted on TikTok not only offer little to no benefit for children and teens, but they can actually be harmful. And the risks go beyond skin damage (although, there is that, too), the authors note. "It's problematic to show girls devoting this much time and attention to their skin," corresponding author Dr. Molly Hales, a postdoctoral research fellow and dermatologist in the department of dermatology at Chicago's Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said in a news release. "We're setting a very high standard for these girls. The pursuit of health has become a kind of virtue in our society, but the ideal of 'health' is also very wrapped up in ideals of beauty, thinness and whiteness." The authors in the study analyzed 100 unique videos by content creators between the ages of seven and 18, with an average 1.1 million views each. On average, each regimen featured six products, totalling about $230 Cdn. On the higher end of the scale, some of the girls used more than a dozen products on their faces, the authors said. WATCH | Explaining the 'Sephora kids' trend: They found that only a quarter of the skin-care routines included sunscreen use, the most popular videos contained an average of 11 irritating active ingredients for young skin (such as hydroxy acids) and the content creators often layered multiple active ingredients or the same one over and over in multiple products. In one video, the authors say, one girl applied 10 different products on her face in 10 minutes. The videos also sometimes had racially encoded language that emphasized "lighter brighter skin," the authors noted. The problem with 'Sephora kids' The "Sephora kids" trend, where children as young as eight or nine use anti-aging skin-care products purchased from beauty retailers such as Sephora, started rising in popularity last year — and so have attempts to stop it. In California, for example, Alex Lee, a member of the State Assembly, has been pushing a bill that would ban the sale of anti-aging products that contain potent and harsh ingredients to kids under the age of 18. In May, CBS reported that the bill quietly died without a vote. And last December, Quebec's Order of Chemists published a warning that some skin-care products designed for adults and popularized on social media should be avoided by children because the active ingredients can be harmful to young skin. The products often contain strong active ingredients that young skin isn't properly equipped to handle, said Dr. Julia Carroll, a dermatologist and lecturer at the University of Toronto, who was not involved in the current study. WATCH | Quebec chemists warn about skin-care products and tweens: Younger skin is typically more sensitive, so ingredients like alpha-hydroxy acids and retinoids can cause irritation, drying, peeling and dermatitis, Carroll told CBC News. "It can actually sensitize their skin and give them a lifelong allergy to an ingredient," she said. The trend also creates a dependency where kids think they need a 10-step routine, Carroll added, "when really they just need a gentle cleanser, a moisturizer and a sunscreen." Gen Alpha drives sales Canadians spent almost $9 billion US on beauty and personal-care products in 2024. According to Statistics Canada, households started spending "substantially" more on personal care after the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing by 30 per cent in 2023 compared with 2021. Meanwhile, Generation Alpha continues to drive skin-care sales in the United States, according to recent Nielsen data. A global Mintel marketing intelligence report this year noted that this digital-first generation also has spending power projected to reach $5.5 trillion US by 2029, when the oldest of the cohort will be 19 years old. Members of Gen Alpha, who were born roughly between 2010 and 2024, see beauty influencers and their routines as sources of inspiration, the Mintel report says. "However, this acceleration into adult-oriented skin care often results in routines that prioritize appearance over health — a gap that the beauty industry must address," it adds. For now on TikTok, where there are some 18.3 million "Get Ready With Me" videos, Gen Alpha influencers show off their skin-care routines and "hauls" on videos with millions of views and comments. In the Pediatrics journal study, the authors found that these products tend to be marketed heavily to younger consumers. They also expressed concern that it's "nearly impossible" for parents and pediatricians to track exactly what children or adolescents are viewing. "We're seeing kids as young as eight or nine who are using anti-aging ingredients they picked up on TikTok," Carroll said. "You're setting kids up for an unrealistic beauty standard that isn't really appropriate for an eight-year-old, nine-year-old, 10-year-old. They already have usually pretty perfect skin, so to set them down that road that early can be quite harmful." LISTEN | How do cosmetics affect my skin health?:
2 days ago
- Health
'Sephora kids' are using anti-aging creams. A new study says harms aren't just skin deep
If you've recently witnessed a 10-year-old smear their face with an $80 anti-wrinkle cream — either in real life or in any number of Get Ready With Me TikTok videos — you're probably already aware of the "Sephora kids" skin-care trend (new window) that has young people clamouring for anti-aging products thanks in part to what they see on social media. Now, a new study published in Pediatrics (new window) this month, the first peer-reviewed paper of its kind, found that skin-care solutions promoted on TikTok not only offer little to no benefit for children and teens, but they can actually be harmful. And the risks go beyond skin damage (although, there is that, too), the authors note. It's problematic to show girls devoting this much time and attention to their skin, corresponding author Dr. Molly Hales, a postdoctoral research fellow and dermatologist in the department of dermatology at Chicago's Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said in a news release (new window) . We're setting a very high standard for these girls. The pursuit of health has become a kind of virtue in our society, but the ideal of 'health' is also very wrapped up in ideals of beauty, thinness and whiteness. The authors in the study (new window) analyzed 100 unique videos by content creators between the ages of seven and 18, with an average 1.1 million views each. On average, each regimen featured six products, totalling about $230 Cdn. On the higher end of the scale, some of the girls used more than a dozen products on their faces, the authors said. WATCH | Explaining the 'Sephora kids' trend: Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? They found that only a quarter of the skin-care routines included sunscreen use, the most popular videos contained an average of 11 irritating active ingredients for young skin (such as hydroxy acids) and the content creators often layered multiple active ingredients or the same one over and over in multiple products. In one video, the authors say, one girl applied 10 different products on her face in 10 minutes. The videos also sometimes had racially encoded language that emphasized lighter brighter skin, the authors noted. The problem with 'Sephora kids' The "Sephora kids" trend (new window) , where children as young as eight or nine use anti-aging skin-care products purchased from beauty retailers such as Sephora, started rising in popularity last year — and so have attempts to stop it. In California, for example, Alex Lee, a member of the State Assembly, has been pushing a bill that would ban the sale of anti-aging products (new window) that contain potent and harsh ingredients to kids under the age of 18. In May, CBS reported (new window) that the bill quietly died without a vote. And last December, Quebec's Order of Chemists published a warning (new window) that some skin-care products designed for adults and popularized on social media should be avoided by children because the active ingredients can be harmful to young skin. The products often contain strong active ingredients that young skin isn't properly equipped to handle, said Dr. Julia Carroll, a dermatologist and lecturer at the University of Toronto, who was not involved in the current study. WATCH | Quebec chemists warn about skin-care products and tweens: Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? Younger skin is typically more sensitive, so ingredients like alpha-hydroxy acids and retinoids can cause irritation, drying, peeling and dermatitis, Carroll told CBC News. It can actually sensitize their skin and give them a lifelong allergy to an ingredient, she said. The trend also creates a dependency where kids think they need a 10-step routine, Carroll added, when really they just need a gentle cleanser, a moisturizer and a sunscreen. Gen Alpha drives sales Canadians spent almost $9 billion US (new window) on beauty and personal-care products in 2024. According to Statistics Canada, (new window) households started spending substantially more on personal care after the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing by 30 per cent in 2023 compared with 2021. Meanwhile, Generation Alpha continues to drive skin-care sales (new window) in the United States, according to recent Nielsen data. A global Mintel marketing intelligence report (new window) this year noted that this digital-first generation also has spending power projected to reach $5.5 trillion US by 2029, when the oldest of the cohort will be 19 years old. Members of Gen Alpha, who were born roughly between 2010 and 2024, see beauty influencers and their routines as sources of inspiration, the Mintel report says. However, this acceleration into adult-oriented skin care often results in routines that prioritize appearance over health — a gap that the beauty industry must address, it adds. For now on TikTok (new window) , where there are some 18.3 million Get Ready With Me videos, Gen Alpha influencers (new window) show off their skin-care routines and hauls on videos with millions of views (new window) and comments. In the Pediatrics journal study, the authors found that these products tend to be marketed heavily to younger consumers. They also expressed concern (new window) that it's nearly impossible for parents and pediatricians to track exactly what children or adolescents are viewing. A girl poses in front of her phone with a sheet mask on her face. Most tweens just need a gentle cleanser, a moisturizer and a sunscreen, says a Toronto dermatologist. We're seeing kids as young as eight or nine who are using anti-aging ingredients they picked up on TikTok, Carroll said. You're setting kids up for an unrealistic beauty standard that isn't really appropriate for an eight-year-old, nine-year-old, 10-year-old. They already have usually pretty perfect skin, so to set them down that road that early can be quite harmful. LISTEN | The Dose: How do cosmetics affect my skin health? (new window) Natalie Stechyson (new window) · CBC News · Senior Writer & Editor Natalie Stechyson has been a writer and editor at CBC News since 2021. She covers stories on social trends, families, gender, human interest, as well as general news. She's worked as a journalist since 2009, with stints at the Globe and Mail and Postmedia News, among others. Before joining CBC News, she was the parents editor at HuffPost Canada, where she won a silver Canadian Online Publishing Award for her work on pregnancy loss. You can reach her at X (new window) Instagram (new window)
CBC
2 days ago
- Health
- CBC
'Sephora kids' are using anti-aging creams. A new study says harms aren't just skin deep
If you've recently witnessed a 10-year-old smear their face with an $80 anti-wrinkle cream — either in real life or in any number of "Get Ready With Me" TikTok videos — you're probably already aware of the "Sephora kids" skin-care trend that has young people clamouring for anti-aging products thanks in part to what they see on social media. Now, a new study published in Pediatrics this month, the first peer-reviewed paper of its kind, found that skin-care solutions promoted on TikTok not only offer little to no benefit for children and teens, but they can actually be harmful. And the risks go beyond skin damage (although, there is that, too), the authors note. "It's problematic to show girls devoting this much time and attention to their skin," corresponding author Dr. Molly Hales, a postdoctoral research fellow and dermatologist in the department of dermatology at Chicago's Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said in a news release. "We're setting a very high standard for these girls. The pursuit of health has become a kind of virtue in our society, but the ideal of 'health' is also very wrapped up in ideals of beauty, thinness and whiteness." The authors in the study analyzed 100 unique videos by content creators between the ages of seven and 18, with an average 1.1 million views each. On average, each regimen featured six products, totalling about $230 Cdn. On the higher end of the scale, some of the girls used more than a dozen products on their faces, the authors said. WATCH | Explaining the 'Sephora kids' trend: Breaking down the 'Sephora kids' trend 1 year ago Duration 8:18 Social media is abuzz about the number of tweens obsessed with makeup and skin care in a trend dubbed 'Sephora Kids.' CBC's Anya Zoledziowski explains how they're getting hooked and why experts have mixed opinions on whether we should be worried about it. They found that only a quarter of the skin-care routines included sunscreen use, the most popular videos contained an average of 11 irritating active ingredients for young skin (such as hydroxy acids) and the content creators often layered multiple active ingredients or the same one over and over in multiple products. In one video, the authors say, one girl applied 10 different products on her face in 10 minutes. The videos also sometimes had racially encoded language that emphasized "lighter brighter skin," the authors noted. The problem with 'Sephora kids' The "Sephora kids" trend, where children as young as eight or nine use anti-aging skin-care products purchased from beauty retailers such as Sephora, started rising in popularity last year — and so have attempts to stop it. In California, for example, Alex Lee, a member of the State Assembly, has been pushing a bill that would ban the sale of anti-aging products that contain potent and harsh ingredients to kids under the age of 18. In May, CBS reported that the bill quietly died without a vote. And last December, Quebec's Order of Chemists published a warning that some skin-care products designed for adults and popularized on social media should be avoided by children because the active ingredients can be harmful to young skin. The products often contain strong active ingredients that young skin isn't properly equipped to handle, said Dr. Julia Carroll, a dermatologist and lecturer at the University of Toronto, who was not involved in the current study. WATCH | Quebec chemists warn about skin-care products and tweens: Quebec chemists warn about children using certain skin-care products 7 months ago Duration 2:02 Quebec's Order of Chemists is warning that some skin-care products, designed for adults and popularized on social media, should be avoided by children because the active ingredients can be harmful to young skin. Younger skin is typically more sensitive, so ingredients like alpha-hydroxy acids and retinoids can cause irritation, drying, peeling and dermatitis, Carroll told CBC News. "It can actually sensitize their skin and give them a lifelong allergy to an ingredient," she said. The trend also creates a dependency where kids think they need a 10-step routine, Carroll added, "when really they just need a gentle cleanser, a moisturizer and a sunscreen." Gen Alpha drives sales Canadians spent almost $9 billion US on beauty and personal-care products in 2024. According to Statistics Canada, households started spending "substantially" more on personal care after the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing by 30 per cent in 2023 compared with 2021. Meanwhile, Generation Alpha continues to drive skin-care sales in the United States, according to recent Nielsen data. A global Mintel marketing intelligence report this year noted that this digital-first generation also has spending power projected to reach $5.5 trillion US by 2029, when the oldest of the cohort will be 19 years old. Members of Gen Alpha, who were born roughly between 2010 and 2024, see beauty influencers and their routines as sources of inspiration, the Mintel report says. "However, this acceleration into adult-oriented skin care often results in routines that prioritize appearance over health — a gap that the beauty industry must address," it adds. For now on TikTok, where there are some 18.3 million "Get Ready With Me" videos, Gen Alpha influencers show off their skin-care routines and "hauls" on videos with millions of views and comments. In the Pediatrics journal study, the authors found that these products tend to be marketed heavily to younger consumers. They also expressed concern that it's "nearly impossible" for parents and pediatricians to track exactly what children or adolescents are viewing. "We're seeing kids as young as eight or nine who are using anti-aging ingredients they picked up on TikTok," Carroll said. "You're setting kids up for an unrealistic beauty standard that isn't really appropriate for an eight-year-old, nine-year-old, 10-year-old. They already have usually pretty perfect skin, so to set them down that road that early can be quite harmful."
Medscape
3 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
AAP Updates Adolescent Contraception Guidance
An adolescent-centered approach to contraceptive counseling for adolescents should be informed by evidence, with attention to sexual and reproductive health equity, according to a new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The policy statement and an accompanying clinical report were published online in Pediatrics . The statement updates the previous policy statement issued in 2014. One of the notable changes is the adolescent-centered approach, which is a departure from counseling approaches based entirely on efficacy. Although the authors acknowledged the complex legal support for minors to consent to contraception or receive confidential care in the United States, which varies by state, the statement recommends 'a sexual and reproductive health equity-informed and adolescent-centered approach to counseling about contraception.' The statement also recognized that adolescent-centered contraceptive counseling goes beyond pregnancy prevention. Sexually active adolescents are at risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and the authors emphasized the importance of addressing adolescents' broader sexual health needs, including discussions of healthy relationships and interpersonal violence, human papillomavirus vaccination, STI screening, and use of contraception for STI prevention. The goal of the recommended shared decision-making approach is to center adolescents' priorities about contraception and help them identify a contraceptive method that best aligns with their 'goals, preferences, and life circumstances,' the authors wrote. The pediatrician provides method-specific information and counseling to enable the adolescent to meet those goals, they noted. For example, adolescents for whom pregnancy prevention is the most important goal could be prescribed highly effective long-acting reversible contraception, but for those for whom the use of no hormones or devices is a priority, a clinician could recommend a barrier method supported by pediatrician education and counseling to meet this goal. 'On a practical note, adolescents' buy-in is critical to contraceptive use, and a less-effective method that is consistently and correctly used may provide better pregnancy protection than a more effective method that is discontinued,' the authors wrote. Sexual and reproductive health is an important component of both adolescent and adult well-being, but contraceptive use among adolescents remains low, said corresponding author Mary Ott, MD, in an interview with Medscape Medical News . 'By their final year of high school, about half of adolescents have had sex, yet only about half of those adolescents report condom use and a third report contraceptive use; consequently, adolescents experience unacceptably high rates of unintended pregnancies and other negative sexual health outcomes,' said Ott, a professor and adolescent medicine specialist at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. The updated statement provides the pediatrician with tools to improve adolescents' access to counseling and contraception in a pediatric primary care setting, Ott said. Statement Shows Shift in Approach Ott told Medscape Medical News that in the updated statement, '[t]he pediatrician is encouraged to approach the adolescent from a position of curiosity and empathy, assess the adolescent's reproductive health goals and preferences, attend to developmental and contextual factors, and to use a shared decision-making approach to contraceptive counseling.' For example, if an adolescent strongly wants to avoid pregnancy, the pediatrician might start with a discussion of long-acting reversible contraceptive methods, such as an implant or an IUD, but if the adolescent would like medical benefits such as improvement in acne or in heavy, painful periods, the pediatrician might recommend a combined estrogen-progestin method, she said. Barriers of Time and Communication 'Time is always a barrier when counseling adolescents, and the AAP has information on time-based billing,' Ott said. Additionally, not all pediatricians are well versed in all contraception methods, but the AAP's suite of reports on contraceptive methods can help, as can the companion clinical report issued in conjunction with the new policy statement, she said. 'While parents and caregivers are often considered barriers to adolescent contraceptive access, the reality is much more nuanced,' Ott noted. Parents and caregivers are often their child's first and most important sex educators, and provide grounding in family and community values, but this is not true in all cases, said Ott. Some adolescents want to involve parents or other trusted adults in contraceptive decision-making, while others may not feel safe or comfortable doing so, she said. 'As a best practice, adolescents may choose to include parents, caregivers, or other trusted adults in healthcare visits involving contraception and sexual health, but [they] should always have the option to talk one on one with their pediatrician about their sexual and reproductive health needs and preferences,' Ott said. 'The AAP supports innovative approaches to expand contraceptive access, such as through pediatric primary care, virtual visits, pharmacies, and over-the-counter access,' said Ott. 'Same-day, low- or no-cost access to contraception has been shown to decrease adolescent pregnancies,' she added. A Clinician's Take The recommendation to shift to adolescent-centered care over efficiency alone for contraception was surprising, given the state of reimbursement and relative value unit-driven medical practices, said Margaret Thew, DNP, FNP-BC, a nurse practitioner and specialist in adolescent medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, in an interview. Adolescent care overall takes more time, and shared decision-making requires extensive education of the patient, said Thew. 'Another surprise is the promotion of telehealth and pharmacy prescribing for contraception; both are absolutely available and encouraged, but provider bias and reimbursement concerns result in barriers to offering care,' she said. 'In my experience, pediatricians do not feel confident to prescribe contraception and refer to adolescent medicine or a gynecologist, which delays access,' she added. Persistent barriers to offering contraception to adolescents include the politics within states that are driving fragmented reproductive care, Thew told Medscape Medical News . Other barriers to offering adolescent-centered counseling include lack of time, potential provider bias, lack of understanding on the part of providers of the confidential care for adolescents available within their states, and fears of upsetting parents, Thew said. Additional research is needed to understand more completely how the impact of potential bias, provider confidence, and barriers to access affect prescribing contraception, and the resulting impact on adolescent access to contraception, Thew noted. However, 'the implications of providers prioritizing and respecting reproductive autonomy to adolescents will improve access and remove barriers to contraceptive care,' Thew said. 'There are both public health and societal implications with offering adolescent-centered counseling on contraception, including reducing unintended pregnancies and abortion, but also empowering women and transgender and gender diverse persons with access to contraception, leading to improved socioeconomic outcomes,' she said.
Daily Record
13-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
TikTok skin care routines ‘harmful' and ‘problematic' scientists discover in new study
A team of scientists found that viral skin care routines popularised by young girls on TikTok could be harmful to teens - and many of the products may actually lead to allergies Elaborate skin care routines shared on TikTok by teenagers are actually harmful and could be putting young girls at risk of developing a lifelong allergy, a new study has found. Skin care has become increasingly popular in recent years and concerns have been raised over the popularity of certain products among tweens and teens. Scientists at Northwestern Medicine in the US found that girls between the ages of seven and 18 are using an average of six different products on their faces - with some using more than a dozen. The team discovered these products tended to be marketed heavily towards young people and carried a high risk of skin irritation and allergy. In fact, the top-viewed videos on the platform contained an average of 11 potentially irritating active ingredients. This puts young people at risk of developing allergic contact dermatitis, which can limit the type of soaps, shampoos, and cosmetics they can use for the rest of their lives. Dr Molly Hales, a board-certified dermatologist and corresponding author of the study, said: 'That high risk of irritation came from both using multiple active ingredients at the same time, such as hydroxy acids, as well as applying the same active ingredient unknowingly over and over again when that active ingredient was found in three, four, five different products.' The financial impact of these teen skin care routines was also found to be astounding - with a daily regimen costing an average of $168 a month. Some cost more than $500, the study, published this week in the journal Pediatrics, found. However, only 26% of these popular daytime skin care routines included sunscreen, which is one of the most important products for any age. Dr Tara Lagu, the study's senior author, said: 'We saw that there was preferential, encoded racial language in some cases that really emphasised lighter, brighter skin. I think there also were real associations between use of these regimens and consumerism." Ultimately, the study found that these TikTok skin care videos offer 'little to no benefit' to the young people they are targeting. Hales explained that it was also 'problematic to show girls devoting this much time and attention to their skin'. She added: 'We're setting a very high standard for these girls. The pursuit of health has become a kind of virtue in our society, but the ideal of 'health' is also very wrapped up in ideals of beauty, thinness and whiteness. The insidious thing about 'skin care' is that it claims to be about health.' For the study, the scientists created a new TikTok account and reported themselves to be 13-years-old. They used the app to collect demographics of content creators, the number and types of products used, and the total costs of the skin care regimes. The team also created a list of the active and inactive ingredients in the products and identified ingredients with an elevated risk of inducing allergic contact dermatitis.
