TikTok is leading preteens to skin care products, but they could do more harm than good

CHARLOTTE — Today’s preteens may not know how to spell Retional, Squalane, or Hyaluronic acid, but they’re begging their parents to buy the luxury products they’re in.

Channel 9′s Erika Jackson spoke with a doctor who says the higher price tag on some of these skin care products doesn’t always mean better results.

Twelve-year-old Luli Alcebo knows all the latest social media trends, and she’s actively participating in one of them -- high-dollar skin care, the kind that used to be for adults only.

“About two years ago this trend started with teens doing skin care, and I wanted to follow up with it,” Alcebo told Jackson.

Her bathroom is filled with cleaners, toners, serums, moisturizers, and more -- she says her mom buys them for her.

“These four products alone, they probably cost me $200,” Alcebo said.

Dr. Gilly Munavalli with Dermatology Laser and Vein Specialists of the Carolinas says he’s seeing patients younger and younger.

“That’s everybody. Just my age group, 12-year-olds, because they all get it from social media,” Munavalli said. “The youngest I saw was 8 to 9 years old, and then tweens and teens.”

Munavalli says some of his younger patients use as many as nine products per day, which he says can do more harm than good.

“Skin is thinner before they hit puberty, and it’s a lot more sensitive,” Munavalli told Jackson. “So a lot of these things, as you said, contain glycolic acids and stuff that can be very irritating and inflammatory to skin.”

Munavalli recommends preteens avoid prescription medications unless prescribed by a dermatologist. He says heavily fragranced creams and glycolic and lactic acids can cause strong reactions.

His motto is “less is more” because some products have more than one active ingredient, which can cause new problems.

“All of a sudden you’ve got too much going on in the skin, you rub it, it gets worse, it’s an issue,” Munavalli said. “Some kids, their face is so red they don’t want to go to school the next day.”

He says if your teen develops redness and acne where they’re applying products, it’s too much.

For most teens, just a few budget-friendly products will do the trick. That includes cleaner, moisturizer, and sunscreen.

Alcebo said she changed up her routine and now uses fewer products. She says she cut out retinol and vitamin C serum, and she noticed less irritation.

“Kids on social media, they need to see what they’re putting on their skin that long term that won’t mess up their skin barrier,” she said.

Munavalli says there’s a bright side to the movement for brighter skin. He believes it teaches young people about taking care of the body’s largest organ.

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