SCINCARE INITIATION DURING CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE: PATTERNS OF USE, SOCIAL MEDIA EXPOSURE, AND CURRENT PRACTICES IN AN INTERNATIONAL ADULT SURVEY

KETEVAN GULDEDAVA; MARIAM ROCHIKASHVILI; MZEKALA KONDRATIEVA

doi:10.52340/jecm.2026.03.09

Authors

KETEVAN GULDEDAVA Ken Walker International University, Tbilisi, Georgia
MARIAM ROCHIKASHVILI Ken Walker International University, Tbilisi, Georgia
MZEKALA KONDRATIEVA Ken Walker International University, Tbilisi, Georgia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52340/jecm.2026.03.09

Keywords:

skincare, adolescence, social media, skin health

Abstract

Skincare use beginning in childhood and adolescence is increasingly visible in the context of social media and commercially promoted beauty routines. This exploratory retrospective cross-sectional survey described skincare initiation, youth skincare patterns, social media-related skincare learning, current practices, and self-reported outcomes among 123 adults. Twenty-five participants initiated skincare at age ≤12 years and 98 at ages 13–18 years. Overall, 72.4% reported learning about skincare from social media. Earlier initiators more often reported regular and daily skincare use before age 18; however, these comparisons are limited because earlier initiators had a longer period in which to develop and report such behaviors. No robust differences in social media-related, appearance-related, psychological, or self-reported skin-health outcomes remained after multiple-comparison correction. These findings provide a descriptive overview of skincare behavior beginning during childhood and adolescence and support the need for prospective studies using standardized observation periods and validated measures.

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