A 14-year-old girl suffered a severe seven-month skin reaction after using adult anti-ageing products at a sleepover, an experience her family hopes will encourage clearer warnings and education about skincare for young people.
Sienna Sorby, from Liverpool, said the packaging of her friend's products looked 'really cute and aesthetic' and she was eager to try them. Within hours, her skin became tight, itchy, and covered in red blotches.
Reaction within hours
“When my parents picked me up, my mum noticed straight away something wasn’t right,” said Sienna. “By the evening, my eyelids were red and extremely dry. I had been so itchy that I had developed a red rash around my jawline and cheeks. Nothing seemed to help.”
Sienna said a friend used some of her mum’s skincare products without seeking permission first. “We saw the adult products and were curious. I’d never used or seen them before, but they looked really aesthetic and cute, so we wanted to try them,” she said.
“At the time, I didn’t understand that just because skincare looks appealing or is popular, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s suitable for someone my age.”
Doctor visit and ongoing effects
While Sienna was unsure of the brand, she knew right away they were for anti-ageing purposes. Following the sleepover, she went to her doctor. “I was scared, confused, worried and really upset. I felt sick because it was my face. No matter what I did, it wasn’t getting better,” she said.
“I also had a fashion show coming up where I was due to walk the catwalk for five different brands, as well as three photoshoots. I ended up having to pull out of two of them.”
The reaction became worse before it got better. After visiting the doctor, it was suggested she use red-light therapy as part of the care for her skin, as it was believed that her skin barrier had been damaged.
Warning for young people
While the reaction has gone now, the effects still remain, with sensitivity and dryness a daily battle. Sienna added: “Don’t use anti-ageing products, acids, retinol or products that are designed to target ageing without understanding whether they are suitable for your age.
“For me, it just isn’t worth the risk. Skincare can be fun, but I think young people need to use products that are appropriate for them.”
Sienna’s mum, Marie, added: “Looking back, I wish the products Sienna picked up had carried a really clear and prominent warning about their suitability for children and young teenagers. I genuinely believe Sienna would have listened to a clear, visible warning.
“I’d also like to see much more information and education available to children about skincare, particularly because skincare has become such a popular and trendy part of growing up and social media. We aren’t saying that children shouldn’t be interested in skincare or that they can’t have a teen or tween-friendly skincare routine.
“In fact, I think an age-appropriate routine can be a lovely way of encouraging self-care from an early age. But if young teens and tweens are going to use skincare, we need to enable them to make safe choices through better knowledge, education and clearer labelling that helps differentiate between products intended for adults and those appropriate for younger skin.
“Our message isn’t ‘children can’t have a skincare routine’ – it’s that we should help them make that routine safe, age-appropriate and fun rather than potentially risky.
“If sharing what happened to Sienna makes another young person stop and check a product before putting it on their skin, then something positive will have come from what was a really frightening experience for her.”
