Skincare on TikTok puts children as young as seven at risk

Top 10 videos contain an average of 11 'potentially irritating' ingredients

- BY STEPHEN BEECH and PAT FLANAGAN

TIKTOK teen skin-care routines could be putting Irish girls as young as seven at risk of life-long skin allergies, researchers warned yesterday.

One of the first studies to examine the potential risks and benefits found when teens on the platform say “Get ready with me” it can be more harmful than they might realise.

The findings, published in the journal Pediatrics, showed girls aged seven to 18 are using an average of six products on their faces, with some using more than a dozen.

Another study by a leading consultant dermatologist at the Blackrock Clinic in Dublin has also raised serious concerns.

The products tend to be marketed heavily to younger consumers and carry a “high risk” of skin irritation and allergy.

Each teen daily skin-care regimen costs an average €147, which the research team estimate typically lasts a month.

But some can cost more than €437, according to the findings.

The researchers also pointed out that only one in four daytime skin care regimens (26%) included sunscreen - possibly the most important skin care product.

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