TikTok skin care routines among adolescents with skin of color
Molly Hales, Charity Russell, Nicole E. Chin, Keana Khodadad, Yesmar Oyarzun, Tara LaguAbstract
Objectives
Skin care videos on TikTok are a popular genre of social media content, particularly among adolescents. These routines have been demonstrated to pose potential risks to adolescents, but content featuring skin of color has been understudied. We aimed to conduct a systematic analysis of TikTok videos demonstrating skin care routines by creators with skin of color aged 18 and under, to identify both dermatologic effects as well as video messaging.
Methods
Three investigators each created a new TikTok account, reporting themselves to be 13 years old. Investigators used the For You tab to collect youth skin care routines from creators with skin of color, based on the creator’s self-identified race or ethnicity and/or a skin tone of 3 or higher on the Massey-Martin skin tone scale.
Results
Routines used an average of 3.4 products with an average charge of $68 per regimen. Across the 15 most-viewed videos in each skin tone category, an average of 4.7 active ingredients were used. 73 % of the most-viewed videos contained at least one contact allergen, the most common of which was fragrance. 38 % of daytime skincare routines included sunscreen. Messaging included subtle forms of colorism, including aesthetic terms such as “bright” that may suggest a desired lightening effect, as well as expressions of concern over areas of physiologic deeper skin tone.
Conclusions
TikTok skin care routines from adolescents with SOC promote potentially harmful ingredients and beauty standards, underscoring the need for socially-informed, inclusive guidance on safe skin care and social media literacy.