Beauty by algorithm: how social networks are changing teenagers' beauty habits
Teenagers who watch beauty classes on social media use an average of 40% more personal hygiene and care products, and subscribers of influencers with their own product lines use 30% more. This connection was discovered by Rutgers University scientists. At the same time, the study does not prove that it is social networks that force schoolchildren to buy cosmetics, and it does not confirm the development of hormonal disorders in them: chemicals in the participants' bodies were not measured. This is stated in a study published on August 17 in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology.
How are social networks related to the use of cosmetics by teenagers
Rutgers University researchers interviewed 143 high school students from New Jersey. The average age of the participants was 16 years. The sample included 93 girls, 44 boys and six more participants who indicated a different option or did not answer the question about gender. Most of the students studied at Princeton High School, but the study was not limited to this school: the second group was recruited among participants in the summer educational programs at Rutgers University. Data collection took place in two stages in 2024 and 2025.
By personal hygiene and care products, the authors understood a wide range of products: soap, toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, sunscreens, creams and serums, perfumes, decorative cosmetics and hair products. The teenagers were asked what they had used in the previous 24 hours and what remedies they had used at least once in the last six months.
A separate section of the questionnaire was devoted to social media. Participants reported how much time they spent on platforms, whether they watched hair, skin, and makeup classes, whether they followed celebrities and influencers who released their own products, and whether they bought anything after advertising or recommendations online.
About 91% of the respondents owned smartphones. On average, they spent 2.6 hours a day on social media. The most common platforms were Instagram (owned by Meta, a recognized extremist organization in Russia) and YouTube: 75.5% and 72% of participants used them, respectively. TikTok and Snapchat were named by 51% of the students.
About 39% of teenagers followed influencers or celebrities with their own product lines, and 22% regularly watched self-care lessons. At the same time, 41% admitted that they bought funds after they saw them from the person they subscribed to. Another 31% made purchases under the influence of advertising on social networks.
"Social media turned out to be the most interesting part of our results," said Emily Barrett, lead author of the work, professor and deputy chair of the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at Rutgers University School of Public Health.
How much money do teenagers use?
The girls reported that they had used an average of 14 different tools in the days preceding the survey. Among young men, the indicator was twice as low — seven products. Almost all participants used oral and body care products. About 80% used hair products, 95% used facial skin products. More than 57% reported using perfumes during the last 24 hours, and over the past six months, about 77% of respondents have used perfumes, cologne or aromatic oils.
65% of girls have used decorative cosmetics in the last 24 hours. All the participants who answered this section of the questionnaire used such products at least occasionally. At the same time, the authors emphasized that the overall level of care consumption among schoolchildren turned out to be comparable to the indicators previously recorded in AMERICAN adult samples.
After accounting for gender, class, race, ethnic origin, and parental education, teens who followed influencers with their own product lines reported using 30% more products. Those who watched the lessons on hair care and appearance had a 40% higher score.
The connection was preserved in the analysis of the rarer use of funds over the past six months, as well as in individual calculations only among girls. However, these results only indicate a statistical association. They do not allow us to assert that watching a particular video necessarily leads to the purchase or use of a new product.
Why More Cosmetics Don't Necessarily Mean More Harm
The main risk of misinterpretation of the study lies in the fact that the authors did not study the composition of specific drugs and did not determine the concentration of chemicals in the body of adolescents. The number of products was only an approximate indicator of the potential chemical load.
This is a fundamental limitation. Two drugs of the same purpose may differ significantly in composition, and a large number of products does not necessarily mean a high dose of a potentially dangerous substance. Conversely, with frequent use, one product can become a more significant source of exposure than several others.
The researchers asked participants to upload photos of packages and labels. In the future, the team plans to compare specific products with ingredient databases, but such an analysis was not included in the published work.
The students also did not take urine or blood samples. Consequently, the study did not establish that the influencer subscribers actually had higher levels of phthalates, parabens, or phenols in their bodies. Moreover, it did not reveal any diseases, hormonal changes or an increased risk of cancer.
The formulation of the possible effects of endocrine disruptors is not based on the results of this survey, but on previous studies in which the use of certain types of cosmetics and care products was compared with chemical biomarkers.
What are endocrine disruptors?
Endocrine disruptors are natural or synthetic substances that can mimic hormones, block their action, or otherwise interfere with hormonal signaling. According to the US National Institute of Environmental Sciences, such compounds can enter the body with food and water, through the air and skin. Their sources can be packaging, plastics, pesticides, and individual cosmetic products.
Phthalates, parabens, and some phenols are most often discussed in the context of cosmetics. Phthalates can act as solvents, stabilizers, and flavor fixatives. Parabens are used as preservatives that protect products from bacteria and mold.
However, all phthalates or parabens cannot be considered equally dangerous. These are groups of substances with different properties, conditions, and levels of use. In addition, the detection of hormonal activity in a compound in a laboratory experiment does not mean that a cosmetic product with a permitted concentration of the ingredient will necessarily harm a person.
The American Food and Drug Administration indicates that diethyl phthalate, which is mainly used in flavored products, remains the most common phthalate in cosmetics. At the same time, the FDA reports that the available data is insufficient to conclude the risk of diethyl phthalate in its current use in cosmetics and perfumes.
What previous studies have shown
The reason for the scientists' concern was earlier work, which assessed not only cosmetic habits, but also chemicals in the participants' bodies.
One of the most famous projects was the HERMOSA study involving 100 girls of Latin American origin aged 14 to 18 years. Scientists have found a link between the use of certain products and concentrations of metabolites of phthalates, parabens and phenols in urine.
For three days, the participants used products provided by the researchers, which did not use phthalates, parabens, triclosan, or benzophenone-3, instead of the usual cosmetics. After the intervention, the concentrations of some of the studied compounds in urine decreased by 27-45%.
These results show that care products can indeed be a variable source of chemical exposure. However, the three-day experiment did not examine diseases or long-term health effects. Reducing the level of a chemical biomarker is also not the same as a proven reduction in the risk of cancer, reproductive disorders, or other diseases.
The authors of the new work consider teenagers to be a particularly important group for further study. During puberty, the endocrine system changes rapidly, while young people gain more independence in choosing cosmetics and become an active advertising audience.
"Teenagers are of particular interest because they go through rapid changes, including in the functioning of the hormonal system. Perhaps this is a sensitive period during which a more informed choice of products will reduce chemical exposure," Barrett explained.
Why do teenagers rarely check the compositions?
About 41% of respondents said they try to avoid products with certain chemicals, and 34% usually or always look for indications of "natural", "non-toxic" or "eco-friendly" ingredients on the packaging. However, only 19% of schoolchildren regularly read the compositions. 5% used specialized applications and websites for product evaluation.
The authors suggested that teenagers may be guided by simplified marketing formulations like "pure cosmetics" or "paraben-free" without studying the full list of ingredients. Such designations make it easier to choose, but they do not in themselves prove the safety of the product.
The words "natural" and "eco-friendly" also do not mean that the product is not capable of causing allergies, irritation or other undesirable reactions. The article highlights the risk of greenwashing — the use of natural and environmental images to promote products without sufficient justification.
Do teenagers need to give up cosmetics
The results of the work do not give grounds to completely abandon personal hygiene products, throw away cosmetics, or stop using toothpaste, soap, and sunscreens. Many of them perform important hygienic and protective functions.
A more reasonable approach is to review the optional and repetitive care steps, pay attention to the composition and purpose of the product, and be critical of bloggers' recommendations.
The study also shows the limitations of the idea of shifting all responsibility onto adolescents and their parents. It is difficult for consumers to independently evaluate long lists of components and scientific data on each substance. Therefore, the authors consider transparent regulation, control of marketing statements and dissemination of understandable information about potential sources of chemical exposure to be equally important.
The main conclusion of the work is not that social networks have already been proven to disrupt the hormonal system of adolescents. Scientists have discovered an earlier link in a possible chain: certain forms of beauty content are associated with the use of more products. Whether this leads to an increase in the concentration of specific substances in the body and affects health remains to be determined.
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