Parents warned over child use of skincare products

A mother has urged parents to ensure the products their children are using on their skin are age appropriate after her daughter developed a rash.

Carly, from Sherburn in Elmet, said her 11-year-old daughter had eczema and some of the beauty products she was using had made the condition worse.

She said young people were easily influenced by what they saw on social media, and parents should research the contents of beauty products used by youngsters.

Her warning came as a dermatologist in Leeds said an increasing number of children were presenting with reactions to inappropriate skincare products.

Initially her daughter's rash was considered a flare-up of her eczema, but Carly said it soon became clear something had made it worse than usual.

"This time it was on her neck and face and it didn't go away," she said.

While the rash was less noticeable after her daughter showered, her skin was left dry and flaky.

"She's 11, her skin is not supposed to be dry and flaky".

Carly said she managed to get an appointment with a dermatologist who asked her daughter about what products she used.

"He said those products were not designed for children's skin.

"I felt really guilty.

"I should have done more research into what these products are before allowing my kids to be swept away by a new craze."

Although she supervised what her two younger daughters watched on social media, Carly said that so many products were highlighted by content creators and it was easy for young people to be attracted to them.

In January, the British Association for Dermatologists warned about the growing trend of children using inappropriate skincare products.

Dr Faheem Latheef, a Leeds-based dermatologist, said he was seeing an increase in the number of younger children presenting with reactions to skincare products.

"The concern is that their skin isn't fully developed and if they are using products designed for older skin types they are very likely to irritate younger patients."

Dr Latheef said reactions could range from dry or itchy skin to scaling or even blistering.

He said many products contained exfoliating acids which were not appropriate for younger people.

A reaction could also lead to a sensitivity to a certain ingredient in later life, he added.

"For a child you want to keep it really simple, what they need is a cleanser, a moisturiser and sun screen," he said.

Dr Latheef said because of how social media was bringing products to the attention of younger people, the cosmetic industry had "some responsibility in making parents aware these products are suitable for a certain age range".

Carly also felt products should be clear about the age of the consumer they were aimed towards.

"There could be more done to raise awareness for the right age appropriateness of some of the products," she said.

"It should be clearly stated this is not for people under 16, it should be clearly labelled."

She said for parents facing requests for beauty products, research was essential.

"What is your child asking for? Do your research and make sure it's appropriate for their age."

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