Skincare Ingredients

5/7/2024

By: Eleanor McElroy

The popular topic, skincare. Some people love it and others don’t. But you might see little kids using skincare and see people get upset. But the things that they use, are they safe for kids? Well some are and some aren’t, but that's why this article existes! So you can know about ingredients and skincare, and if it’s safe for kids.

Disclaimer: First, skincare should not be hated! It is ok for kids to use the right skincare with the right ingredients. The only things you really need to do it: cleanser, moisturizer, SPF, and lip balm (if you want). As long as the ingredients are safe they are fine to use. Next the ages I'm targeting ages 9-teens.

Retinal: Retinal has been spreading around the internet very quickly, this is actually where the trend started where people went aghast kids doing skincare. Retinal is NOT for kids, which is why people started hating it. Retinal is great if you know what you’re doing. Teens can use it ONLY if they have bad blackheads or acne, and most likely it was given to them by a dermatologist. For adults this ingredient is very useful for wrinkles, but for children, they should not be using it. 

This is a very popular drúnk elephant retinal.

This is the viral glow recipe AHA and BHA toner.

AHA & BHA: Now the viral BHA and AHA are not safe for kids. They have exfoliating ingredients which are not safe for kids. It could possibly break the skin barrier along with the moisture barrier. It can also strip the skin of skin cells and create skin sensitivity.

  Hyaluronic acid: Unlike the other ingredients, hyaluronic acid IS indeed safe for kids. It is used for moisture and it is in lots of serums and moisturizers. Some of the most common: Drunk elephant b-hydra serum, laneige water bank moisturizer, and the ordinary hyaluronic acid serum. So if you want to add an extra ingredient to your skincare routine, hyaluronic acid is a great starter, and helps with moisture repair, barrier repair, and hydration. “It sounds extremely useful,” says Maddie Shaw, a 6th grader at EJHS.

This is the very much loved hyaluronic acid from the ordinary.

Lactic acid: Lactic acid is NOT safe for kids. This ingredient is almost like BHAs and AHAs but does other things. It removes dead skin cells, helps with dark spots, smooths fine lines, helps with skin texture, and more. 

This is an example of a vitamin c serum.

Vitamin C: Vitamin C is kind of like lactic acid, it brightens dark spots, but also does different things like: help with sagging, boost collagen, and can help with healing. (Wounds/injuries.) Knowing all that, is it safe? The answer is 50/50. While vitamin C won’t damage the skin it wouldn’t help for young skin as much as older skin. Younger skin has lots of collagen already and won’t have really noticeable dark spots. So technically it is safe for kids, but won’t do anything you need to do. In conclusion vitamin c for young skin would just be an extra step. 

Niacinamide: This ingredient IS safe for kids ONLY if you don’t use it every single day. Niacinamide is great for oily to normal skin types and can help with reducing oil production. Zoey Carter, a 6th grader at EJHS says, “Niacinamide is great for sensitive skin types by setting a border for stresses like sunlight, pollution, and toxins.” As she points out how it protects from the toxins, It is very important that the skin stays healthy! It can also help with uneven skin tones and help strengthen the skin. If you do use it, and you're 13 or under, don’t use it everyday, and don’t use very strong percentages of the ingredient, as it can lead to irritated skin. 

This is well known dew drops from glow recipe.

This is the very conversational moisturizer on social media.

Peptides: You might have heard of the skincare ingredient peptides. One of the most popular peptide products: drúnk elephant polly peptide cream. Lots of people use it, but lots of people say it’s not safe for kids, is that true? Well not exactly. Peptides help produce collagen, which kids already have a lot of. So while it’s not harmful, it’s unnecessary. 

Glycolic acid: this ingredient is NOT safe for kids! Glycolic acid exfoliates, helps with wrinkles, and hydrates. Kids do not need an ingredient that both exfoliates and helps with wrinkles. Both of them can easily ruin the skin barrier, even in adults! It’s best to stay away from putting this ingredient on your face. Lots of people, because it’s so harsh, use it on their body instead of their face. 

Another one of the ordinaries products is the very strong, and affective glycolic acid toner.

A switch up from the ordinary: bubbles super clear 2% salicylic acid serum.

Salicylic acid: If kids use this product the right way, then it is safe. This ingredient is used for bad blackheads and acne. If you don’t have something prescribed for acne or blackheads then salicylic acid is a great choice! This ingredient does the following and more: treats acne, reduces redness, and unclogs pores. So as long as you know how to use it and it would help your skin (If you actually need it) then it is safe for older kids/teens.

Now that all of these ingredients are shown and said if they're safe for kids you can know what type of products to get and which ones to look out for!

Contributor bio:

Eleanor McElroy is a 6th grader who likes art and a lot more!