Potentially Harmful Cosmetics Peddled to Young Girls

ORLANDO, Fla. — Cosmetics retailers have significantly stepped up their marketing of skin care products to tweens, teens, and even preadolescents — a trend that a pediatric dermatologist warns may not only cause harm to their skin but also could contribute to self-image and mental health issues for these young consumers.

“Two years ago, I would’ve said it isn’t a problem, but now, just with the growing number of children participating in this phenomenon, I do think it is a problem, and one of the biggest reasons is that there’s very little regulatory oversight in the health, wellness, and beauty space,” Sheilagh Maguiness, MD, a pediatric dermatologist at the University of Minnesota, said at the 2025 American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting.

According to Verified Market Reports, the children’s cosmetics market was valued at $1.5 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $2.5 billion by 2030. No fewer than seven retailers sell beauty and skin care products specifically to teens, tweens, adolescents, and preadolescents, with names like Bubble Skincare and Drunk Elephant, a Sephora brand targeting tweens. Although many of these products are age-appropriate, Maguiness warned that some are not suitable for young skin.

Focusing on Fragrances

Maguiness zeroed in on the fragrances added to these products. “We all know that fragrance blends are proprietary, and retailers do not have to post or list the individual ingredients of fragrance in their products,” she said. “That means there are hundreds of different chemicals in fragrances, and some of those chemicals are not things that we want to be repeatedly exposing our infants or our children to.”

Fragrances contain allergens and other potentially harmful ingredients such as benzophenone, naphthalene, musk ketones, volatile organic compounds, and phthalates, Maguiness said, citing a 2022 JAMA Pediatrics study that linked phthalate exposure to a higher risk of preterm births. She noted that 90% of baby products labeled as safe for babies contain a known allergen, “mostly fragrance.”

Maguiness added that the European Union bans 1300 chemicals in cosmetics, and Canada restricts or bans 573 ingredients. The United States, on the other hand, bans only 11 chemicals, including lead and asbestos. 

“I don’t need to tell you what the impact on skin health of these ingredients is,” she said. “I mean, what 10-year-old needs retinol or exfoliating acids that are very harsh? They also shouldn’t be exposing themselves to allergens in fragrances or certain surfactants. In addition, physical scrubs and their ingredients can cause microtrauma to the skin barrier, leading to irritant dermatitis.” 

Among the potential harms, she said, are irritant or allergic contact dermatitis, compromised skin barrier, post- and premature hyperpigmentation, and even the risk of scarring.

“All of these products are very understudied in a very low-regulatory environment, and what’s really piqued my curiosity about fragrance over the years is not only the tendency for it to cause skin reaction — allergic contact dermatitis — but there are real health hazards from elevated levels of urinary phthalates.” 

Role of Marketing and Social Media

Aggressive marketing on social media is only adding fuel to the trend, she said. 

“This complete lack of regulation really enables predatory marketing, where your child becomes the target and the consumer,” Maguiness said. “We know these claims are misleading; the packaging is meant for tweens and teens, and the emotional impact of brand marketing to children on social media is extremely powerful.”

Maguiness presented evidence that 57% of Gen Alpha tweens, born between 2010 and 2023, spend 3 or more hours a day on digital devices, and 49% of them said they trust influencers as much as family and friends, according to a report in Digital Voices. Other research showed that US households with 6- to 12-year-olds spent 27% more on skin care in 2023 than in 2022. 

“The impact on mental health is not well studied with respect to skin care obsession in general, but we know what it does in a social media–driven area where young girls especially are more vulnerable and there are more consequences: depression, anxiety, and even, sadly, suicidality,” Maguiness said.

“The skin barrier in young children and tweens is not quite yet mature; it is not the same as that of an adult and, hence, it’s less capable of handling the potency of ingredients meant for mature skin,” Maguiness said. 

“Things that we apply to younger skin can be (a) more irritating and (b) more easily absorbed into the bloodstream,” she added. Even some adults with sensitive skin cannot tolerate, for example, a 10% salicylic acid exfoliating solution on their face. “But yet, these products are so readily available for children to buy and use, and use in combination with multistep, really expensive routines. It’s concerning.”

Maguiness disclosed financial relationships with Pelthos Therapeutics, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and Stryke Club. 

Richard Mark Kirkner is a medical journalist based in Philadelphia.