TikTok skincare trends are severely affecting little girls' health, warn UK dermatologists

The British Association for Dermatologists has issued a warning about the growing practice of kids as young as eight years old using skincare products, which could cause them to develop permanent skin issues.

After witnessing their favourite influencers on YouTube and TikTok using luxuries, some kids are pleading with their parents for them, according to BBC.

However, a lot of products contain active substances that are meant for adults only and may be dangerous, including exfoliating acids.

They may aggravate eczema or allergies.

Sadie was eight years old when she first saw influencers discussing "how good they were on the skin" in skincare videos on TikTok.

She told BBC she was especially drawn to a product from the US business Drunk Elephant because "she liked the packaging a lot" and it offered everything from lip balms to moisturisers. Another product from the firm Bubble "when you push down, comes up in [the shape of] a flower".

A number of parents who are concerned about their child's interest in skincare and the impact of peers and social media have also written to BBC.

Drunk Elephant's cartoon-animal logo and vibrant, colourful packaging make it one of the companies that appears most frequently in adult and kid influencers' online skincare content.

But retinol, a vitamin A derivative, and alpha and beta hydroxy acids are examples of exfoliators found in several of its best-selling products, which retail for around £60 per.

Social media is a free space for skincare material, with millions of views going to daily routine and get-ready-with-me videos amid a patriarchal beauty culture especially affecting skin and body image perceptions of girl children.