Teen skincare is having a moment. Suddenly (and about time too) brands are now creating skincare especially designed for teens. Historically teens have been buying skincare for an older audience or borrowing from their mothers, however, Gen Z’s “have a growing awareness of what is healthy and appropriate, both for their skin and their mental health,” says Aaron Chatterly, President and Co-Founder of new teenage beauty brand Indu. And the beauty market is now catering for a whole different demographic who are demanding skincare designed specifically for their age group.
Here, we’ve highlighted the best genderless teen skincare finds, all tested by teenagers, while Victoria Evans, Dermalogica’s Education Manager, tells us all we need to know about teen skin…
When should you introduce skincare to a teen?
Your child can begin a simple skin care routine around the age of 10 years as part of their self-care and personal hygiene practice. However, it’s during the teenage years that skin will visibly start to change when puberty hormones really kick in and noticeable changes will occur, which include oily skin, enlarged pored and breakouts –all completely normal.
Which products are a good starting point for a teen’s skincare routine?
A simple, gentle face wash and a light moisturiser is a great start, as well as SPF in the summer months, which children are now encouraged to apply as part of sun safety at school during the hotter weather. Teenagers will generally experience oiliness, blackheads, and breakouts, and this may develop in severity throughout puberty, typically settling in down in the early 20’s as puberty and growth hormones stabilise. When excess oil and congestion are a daily concern, a medicated wash with salicylic acid can help keep pores clear and an oil-absorbing face mask a few times a week can help keep skin under control.
Typically, teenagers with oily skin will want to avoid moisturising, however this is the worst thing for skin and a lack of skin moisture often means more oil production. Encourage your teen to use a lightweight oil-free hydrating moisturiser day and night.
What advice do you have for teens who already suffer from skin problems?
For severe breakouts, seek professional advice. You could contact your doctor or alternatively arrange an appointment with a professional skin therapist. A skin professional can help determine lifestyle factors that are negatively impacting the skin and check if your current regimen is hindering skin health.
In addition, targeted formulas and serums can be added to the basics to help control bacteria growth and inflammation and to help prevent scarring and marking of the skin associated with inflamed breakouts. Think spot creams and balancing serums.
Formulas with microbiome balancing actives, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid can help calm and clear skin during puberty. It’s also worth noting that educating teens on the influence of diet, sleep and stress on their skin is key to making informed choices to benefit their health. A skin professional can also offer a professional skin treatment designed to clear and calm the skin, helping boost results further.
This unique formula will clear blocked pores and target stubborn blackheads while the texture and fizzing sound it makes on contact with skin makes this incredibly satisfying to use. Particularly great for clearing congestion on the T-zone.rnrn
This slimline multi-tasker corrects, hydrates, and is packed with salicylic acid to help unclog pores, target blemishes, post-acne marks, and blackheads.rnrn
Consider this your SOS in a rollerball – packed with pimple-busting salicylic acid, wasabi extract to speed up healing and anti-inflammatory witch hazel to soothe and prevent any flaky dryness.rnrn
This Tik Tok teen favourite is a purple- coloured creamy clay mask that works deep to purify and clean the skin with azelaic acid, which is a well-known gentle exfoliator. A superb weekly treat to congested skin. Plus, it comes with a mini brush that makes application that little bit more special.rnrn
The best way to target and tackle spots overnight are with these fun selfie-worthy patches that work while you get your shuteye. They flood your pimple with hydrocolloid to shrink the spot in question while also calming the area. Plus, the stickers encourage the skin to heal faster and prevent acne-scarring too. With 32 in a pack, you’ll get your money’s worth.rnrn
A brand that we often see pop up when talking about skincare that suits all ages whether you’re 15 or 50! This toner encourages juicy, glowing, and hydrated skin while protecting against the usual unhealthy lifestyle that the average teenager leads.rnrn
From America’s oldest surviving apothecary–pharmacy comes this age-old cleaning powerhouse. Citrus packed and super refreshing that gives zing to your skin while deep cleaning without any taut or tight feeling on skin. One for the whole family to enjoy.rnrn
This brilliantly gentle formula is packed with hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture, ceramides to protect and clay to withdraw all the rubbish from the skin. With a dermatologist stamp of approval, you can rely on this to do its job.rnrn
Taking off your makeup without going hard on your skin is no easy feat, but this hybrid micellar/cleanser/hydrator will remove every last trace of the day without the need to scrub hard. The oil to milk texture glides on skin and leaves no blurred sight or greasy film in its path.rnrn
This new brand created with teen input, ticks all the boxes. As gentle as it is hardworking, this moisture-locking cream leaves skin soft but never greasy. A blend of humectants, lipids, and pre, pro and postbiotics works together to balance skin and keep it well-protected. It also has a figgy type scent that is quite hypnotic and will make you go back for more, time and time again. We’re predicting a viral takeover for Indu- you heard it here first!rnrn
This no-frills cleanser is a great choice for everyday cleansing for your teen. It quite simply says what it does, and the bottle lasts forever. It contains no harmful ingredients and super simple so won’t irritate reactive skins.rnrn
With a unique Tri-Ceramide Complex – which is basically a potent combo to calm, clear and soothe skin. This gentle serum is a skin saviour when you get that bruise-y feeling on skin when a spot is about to erupt on your face! It will strike the first signs of breakouts and inflammation in one application.rnrn
This brand is on every teen’s hit-list, so it makes perfect sense that Glossier has created an SPF well-suited to those who are reluctant to use it – stubborn teenagers! This lightweight water-gel formula sinks in almost immediately and works well as an undercoat to makeup too.rnrn
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