By /

Rachel Rabano

“SkinTok”: How Misinformation on TikTok is Shaping Adolescent Skin & Buying Behaviour

Biography

An upper body professional portrait of a young East Asian woman with long, dark, wavy hair, parted slightly off-center, looking directly at the viewer with a warm smile. She wears a black open blazer over a white top, accessorized with a silver chain necklace featuring a small, stylized pendant. Her facial features include subtle eye makeup with false lashes, glossy lips, and a small mole on her right cheek. The background is a plain, light studio grey.

Rachel Rabano is a fourth-year Professional Communications student at Toronto Metropolitan University minoring in Communication Design. She has experience working in various communications, social media and marketing roles, with her most prominent experience being in the beauty and personal care industry. Rachel’s research is driven by her passion for cosmetics and interest in social media as a powerful and influential tool in the beauty industry.

Details of Project

This study explores how skincare misinformation on TikTok impacts the skin health and purchasing decisions of adolescents from Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Through a mixed-methods approach that includes content analysis of high-engagement TikToks, secondary research from scholarly sources, and an expert interview with a licensed aesthetician, my research identifies the risks of non-expert advice and explores why young audiences trust and act on viral skincare trends. Findings offer practical recommendations to help youth seek out reliable, age-appropriate skincare advice, and suggest ways industry professionals can utilize TikTok to share credible information and counteract misinformation directly on the platform.

Lightning talk

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