Young women are putting their health at risk by using potent skincare products promoted on social media which can lead to rashes, spots and burns, experts warn.
Videos of influencers applying multiple face creams and serums at once have been seen by tens of millions on TikTok.
Many claim these products, which are also advertised on the app by celebrities, are the key to achieving ‘glass skin’ – where the face is so unblemished the skin resembles glass.
But experts are now warning that young women are using too many of these products which could lead to serious skin damage.
Women have already taken to social media to share their TikTok skincare horror stories.
TikToker Hannah Chan says she spent £2,000 on skincare in an attempt to emulate the glowing skin of other influencers – only to be left breaking out in spots.
In a video viewed 200,000 times, Hannah showed the products she says ‘ruined her skin’ in a few months.
‘I had seen so many use AlphaRet retinol and ZO that I was like, OK this is going to make my skin so good,’ she said, referencing two products that promise to revitalise skin and cost £135 and £90 each.
Tiktok influencer Peyton Smith warning against using potent skincare products on the skin. Experts have warned that the products could lead to serious skin damage
But within eight weeks, she says her clear skin had erupted in painful spots. Hannah, who has 385,000 followers, says her skin is worse than before she began the regime. ‘If I could do it again I would incorporate one product at a time,’ she says.
You can have too much skincare, says Dr Anil Sharma, a consultant dermatologist with a private London clinic.
He adds: ‘A problem we see all the time is where patients have been using several products – recommended on social media and containing powerful ingredients – at once. They react on skin, causing irritation and peeling.
‘If you’re trying to follow every fad to improve your skin, you’re going to exacerbate the underlying problem – people need to realise less is more.’
One of the most popular skincare products are exfoliants, which are designed to remove dead skin cells to create a healthy ‘glow’.
They usually contain hyaluronic acid or other corrosive ingredients. Creams with retinol are also in demand as they are supposed to combat saggy skin. Experts say these products are safe when used in recommended amounts. Yet over-using cosmetic products can damage skin.
‘I always tell patients to think of skin as a piece of fabric,’ says Dr Sharma. ‘If you keep over-washing it or using too many harsh products, you can really wear it down.’
But recently, the proliferation of skincare recommendations from TikTok influencers has left many trying or combining products that have damaged their skin.
In one video, watched by 340,000, influencer Kayla Ryan showed her breakout of spots after simultaneously using three products developed by Rhode, a skincare company set up by Hailey Bieber, a social media influencer married to singer Justin Bieber.
Videos of influencers applying multiple face creams and serums at once have been seen by tens of millions on TikTok (file photo)
Keen to show off the products, Kayla filmed herself nightly applying Rhode Glazing Milk,
Peptide Glazing Fluid and Barrier Restore Cream, each costing £30 – but quickly stopped as her skin broke out in painful bumps.
In another clip, which has been viewed 130,000 times, TikToker Peyton Smith listed popular products that she wouldn’t use ‘for a million dollars’, including a £22 serum from Glow Recipe, a company popular with young women.
Experts also warn of ‘slugging’ –. coating the face in a thick layer of petroleum jelly every night to lock moisture into the skin and provide a radiant complexion.
But in a video viewed by two million, US influencer Savannah Turner says it left her with a painful red rash round her mouth. ‘I couldn’t talk,’ she says.
A dermatologist told her that by constantly applying Vaseline she had damaged her skin barrier – the outermost layer that keeps out toxins and bacteria – leading to a violent allergic reaction. ‘Within two days of stopping slugging it went away,’ she says.
Experts say trying out several new products at once can strip the skin of healthy cells and moisturising nutrients, leaving it inflamed and more prone to breakouts of acne and infection.
The key to healthy skin is using a limited number of products.
Dr Sharma recommends using a cleanser to wash the skin, moisturiser to hydrate it and suncream to protect from sun damage.
Research shows a balanced diet, hydration and limiting smoking and alcohol can also help keep skin looking young and healthy.
‘And if you’re using something new, use common sense,’ adds Dr Sharma.
‘Understand the ingredients it contains and, if you have a bad reaction, stop immediately.’
