{"id":205,"date":"2025-05-20T14:09:31","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T13:09:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/brooke-tritton\/?p=205"},"modified":"2025-05-21T16:41:10","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T15:41:10","slug":"beyond-the-barrier-the-psychology-behind-kids-and-skincare-obsession","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/brooke-tritton\/2025\/05\/20\/beyond-the-barrier-the-psychology-behind-kids-and-skincare-obsession\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond the Barrier: The Psychology Behind Kids and Skincare Obsession"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Brooke Tritton | 20\/05\/2025<\/p>\n\n\n

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snowing12<\/a> – stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n


With skincare now tied to social media\u2019s beauty standards, concerns are growing over the impact on children\u2019s mental wellbeing. The growing craze of young children collecting skincare products and mimicking adult routines is prompting questions that go beyond the physical risks of inappropriate ingredients.<\/strong>

Stephen Holland, a Newcastle-based cognitive behavioural therapist, says children are especially vulnerable because their identities are still taking shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChildren and adolescents, their self-concept and their self-identity is still forming\u2026 They\u2019re still figuring out who they are and how they fit into the world.\u201d

Social media, he explains, not only shapes how young people compare themselves to others but also influences what they value. Many begin to internalise the idea that beauty and success are linked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“If you’re a young child and you observe people online,
for instance, who seem to have a high degree of followers or a lot of kind of social clout…You might start to develop the belief that in order to be successful or in order to be liked… this is what you must do or what you need to look like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kristy, a mum of a 12-year-old, says her daughter\u2019s skincare fixation began through exposure to TikTok and YouTube Shorts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeer pressure and constant social media algorithms related to skincare have convinced my child she must buy, but only the best,\u201d she said. \u201cI don’t think there is much of a restriction we can put on it as parents, other than saying \u2018no\u2019 which will then create other problems with lack of fitting in etc.\u201d
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Holland says these behaviours can easily become reinforced. A child who posts a skincare video online and receives positive feedback will feel rewarded and repeat the behaviour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“maybe I got some likes, comments, and that gave me a bit of a buzz. That buzz is going to reinforce the behaviour, it’s like, ‘oh, that felt good!'”

Fixating on physical appearance can also lead to distorted perceptions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re hyper fixated on an area of your body, you\u2019re going to notice things that you wouldn’t notice otherwise\u2026 The more you fixate, the more imperfections you’ll notice\u2026 the more the image gets distorted.\u201d

Holland draws a connection between such thought patterns and issues like body dysmorphia. \u201cIt reinforces this negative view that ‘I just look hideous’.\u201d

While the psychological consequences are becoming clear, dermatologists are also witnessing the physical side effects<\/a> firsthand.

Dermatologist Dr Faheem Latheef says he\u2019s already seeing the physical fallout of this trend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are actually seeing younger patients being referred in because we\u2019ve got patients as young as 7, 8, 9 using 7 step skincare routine’s. They use hair products and… acrylic nails. All of that sort of builds up as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Dr Faheem Latheef (@dr.f.latheef_dermatologist)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n


Strong ingredients like BHA exfoliants and retinols can lead to lasting sensitivity and even allergic reactions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf they have irritant reactions and then the skin barrier is impaired\u2026 it can then actually lead to sensitisation\u2026 Then the next time you get exposed to it, you get a reaction.\u201d

Kristy believes companies aren\u2019t just unaware of their influence, but that they\u2019re leveraging it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot only do I believe brands and social media influencers are aware of how strongly they\u2019re impacting kids, I think they are capitalizing on it.\u201d

Latheef agrees there is a systemic problem. \u201cSome of them [influencers] are basically non-professionals just promoting products\u2026 Sometimes they [brands] use very colourful branding\u2026 more appealing to a younger audience. But the product might not be intended for them.\u201d

The influence of digital culture runs deep. Holland says repeated exposure to filtered perfection shapes self-image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou just make comparisons\u2026 ‘I\u2019m just constantly comparing how I look to these heavily edited, distorted images. Coming to the conclusion that I must be ugly’.\u201d

For many teenagers, these beliefs become fixed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe belief that ‘I\u2019m ugly unless I look a certain way’\u2026 might feel as real to a person as today being Wednesday.\u201d

Holland says breaking out of these thought patterns takes time and effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe longer that children have those thoughts and drive those behaviours, the harder it is to break out of. It’s not impossible, that’s why jobs like mine exist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Holland puts it, the danger is confusing temporary thoughts with long-term truths. \u201cPeople can mistake who they are for what they think they are. And thoughts can be very persuasive if you don\u2019t realise they\u2019re thoughts.\u201d

He urges parents to help young people diversify their identity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


“It’s almost like pillars holding up a structure. If I’ve only got one pillar holding up the whole thing, if something happens to that pillar, the whole thing crumbles down. But maybe my skin is a pillar, but then maybe a sport that I love, an interest that I have, friendships that I support.”
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