I’m very passionate about this topic because I remember when I was a teenager I really struggled to figure out the right routine for my skin and felt so helpless most of the times because nothing was actually working. It can be really frustrating, especially during the most vulnerable years of our lives.
Now that I understand the science of skin in much more depth, it’s actually really simple to care for teenage skin. The problems start around 12-13 years old when androgens, estrogen and progesterone increase, which in turn stimulate the sebaceous glands, increase the amount of oil and sweat on the skin, encourage bacteria to form and therefore result in spotty skin. For some teens it is worse than others, depending on genetics but the idea is the same, your hormones wake up and disrupt the oil production and eventually the pores get clogged or inflamed.
Traditionally, doctors like prescribing products that over-clean and strip the skin from oils to make sure the skin is “clean” but instead what happens is that the skin becomes dehydrated and unbalanced. Consequently, this makes the skin produce more oil and also it changes the natural ph of the skin making it susceptible to bacterial infections. This is just a mess! What you need to do is be extremely gentle with teenage skin, meaning use non-foaming cleansers, moisturize with lightweight lotions, and detox with masks. Keep it really simple! The honest truth is, as long as those hormones are having a party inside of you, you’ll probably continue to have the occasional breakout and an oily T-zone but at least you are not making matters worse, and believe me things can get worse if you start messing with the wrong skincare. Teen’s lifestyles makes it super easy to get a bacteria infection because they are constantly on the go (school, afternoon lessons), always touching their skin with dirty hands and sweating loads because they are usually more active.
Here are some products that I would recommend as their first skincare routine:
Cleanse with one of these products:
1. Antipodes Juliet Cleanser – easy to use, wash off cleanser that has some added antibacterial benefits from the manuka honey. Potentially a better option for summer.
2. Balance me Pure skin Face wash – super gentle non-foaming wash, will definitely not disturb the natural ph.
3. Ren Rosa Centifolia Cleansing gel – super gentle non-foaming gel that smells like fresh roses.
Top tip!
I would recommend always keeping a bottle of the Weleda 1 step cleanser and toner at their bedside table, along with some cotton pads, for those days where they can’t be bothered to do the whole routine. Ideally, it’s best to cleanse properly but using a bit of the Weleda toner is better than nothing. It’s just for emergencies though!
Moisturize with one of these products:
1. Ren Clarimatte T Zone Balancing Gel Cream – Lightweight and antibacterial formula. Very nice!
2. Pai Perfect Balance Blemish serum – Gentle and lightweight!
Do a treatment mask once or twice a week with one of these:
1. Antipodes Halo mask – an active mud mask that has also exfoliating properties.
2. Pai AHA Mask – a super gentle clay and acid based mask suitable for the most sensitive skins.
Honorable mention:
This is an added product that is not 100% necessary but if you have it it’s a plus. The Ren non-drying spot treatment, that can be used topically on any inflamed or angry spots without aggravating the skin around it.
Hope this was helpful. Keep it simple, keep it gentle!
The Green Edit
