The Dark World of Child Skincare Influencers on TikTok
A disturbing trend has emerged on TikTok where children as young as two years old are featured in skincare routine videos, according to a comprehensive Guardian investigation. This phenomenon has raised serious concerns about the beauty industry's expanding reach and the complete absence of protective measures for child influencers on social media platforms.
Alarming Statistics Reveal Widespread Practice
The Guardian's analysis of 7,605 skincare-related TikTok posts uncovered that 400 videos featured routines or advice presented by children believed to be under 13 years old. Even more concerning, at least 90 of these posts showcased children under five, including babies and toddlers. Overall, more than 1,000 videos featured individuals believed to be under 18, representing nearly one in seven videos in the sample.
Many of these posts closely resembled advertising content, though the relationships between the children and brands were often unclear. The investigation found evidence that young people featured in these videos frequently received free products in exchange for posting about brands online through programs accessible to young influencers.
Medical Experts Sound Alarm on Unnecessary Routines
Dermatologists have expressed significant concern about this trend, emphasizing that children do not require multi-step skincare routines. The practice is reportedly fueling appearance anxiety at increasingly younger ages. One dermatologist noted she finds herself regularly reassuring children that what parents perceive as blemishes are simply normal skin variations.
"Most children do not need skincare beyond gentle soap, simple moisturizing if their skin is dry, and sunscreen when outdoors," explained dermatologist Amy Perkins. "The current trend for multi-step 'glow' or 'anti-aging' routines in children is being driven by social media and marketing, not dermatology."
Another specialist, Emma Wedgeworth, warned that very young children should not be on social media sharing skincare routines, stating they lack the necessary knowledge, skills, or judgment to assess products for their skin.
Regulatory Gap Leaves Children Vulnerable
While child performers in traditional media like film, television, and modeling benefit from labor laws regulating working hours, pay, and safeguarding, no comparable protections exist for children on social media platforms. This regulatory vacuum leaves young people vulnerable to potential exploitation.
Victoria Collins, MP and Liberal Democrats' spokesperson for science, innovation and technology, described the findings as "deeply disturbing" and representative of "a dark and exploitative corner of the internet." She highlighted the "dangerous double standard" where child influencer content often generates thousands of views and sales without proper oversight.
Industry Response and Brand Involvement
The Guardian's investigation comes after Italian authorities conducted inspections at Sephora and Benefit Cosmetics offices in March as part of an investigation into how these brands sell skincare products to children. The watchdog suggested that primary school-aged girls may have been targeted with face masks, serums, and anti-aging creams primarily intended for adults.
While some brands have developed products specifically for children and young teenagers, responses to the investigation varied. Pipa skincare, a brand for tweens aged eight to twelve, stated they do not support content featuring very young children and require parental involvement for any content featuring minors. Other brands emphasized their focus on older demographics or distanced themselves from content featuring young children.
Higher Engagement for Child-Focused Content
Analysis revealed that videos featuring young children achieved higher engagement rates, with 55,400 likes, shares, and comments per video compared to the sample-wide average of 36,000 interactions. However, videos featuring adults without children received more overall views.
A TikTok spokesperson noted that skincare and wellness content has been established across social media for over a decade and emphasized that the examples featured active parental supervision. They also highlighted a community of experts using TikTok to share skincare information.
Calls for Stronger Online Safety Measures
Chi Onwurah, chair of the Commons' science, innovation and technology committee, reported hearing evidence about the "huge and worrying rise" in beauty product promotion to children on social media, often without proper regulation despite potentially harmful ingredients. She called for "a stronger and more responsive online safety regime to keep people, and particularly children, safe."
A government spokesperson acknowledged that while the UK has robust online safety measures, more work is needed, citing recent consultations examining everything from age limits and safer design features to potential social media bans.
The Guardian conducted its research using three newly created TikTok accounts between October 28 and November 17 last year, tracking skincare-related hashtags and content. While not comprehensive of all skincare content on the platform, the analysis provides significant insight into the scale and visibility of children in this digital space.
