Most of us had to deal with skin issues at some point; this will have been in our teenage years for many of us. This week we thought it’d be a good idea to chat about skincare for your pre-teens or teenagers.
They’ll no doubt be starting back at school in the next couple of weeks. Getting them into a good routine now will help down the line!
Here are some of the skincare tips that it might be worth reminding your teenagers of as they start back up at school. Note: the information in this post will be helpful to those who struggle with mild spots and pimples.
What a basic skincare routine looks like:
Your teen will want to do these three things.
Cleanse:
Cleansers do what they say on the tin. They’re there to clean out dirt, oils and pollutants that might be on the skin. It’s a good idea to do this in the morning when waking up and then at night before bed. The most important time to do this is before bed, so your can cleanse the skin from dirt, pollution and oil accumulated throughout the day. If your teen does any sports or spends a lot of time on public transport (like the underground), it might be worth doing this once they get home too.
We have a couple of different cleanser options at the salon for different skin types. Some skin will naturally be quite dry or oily; we’re able to advise you on which cleanser to have to suit your skin best.
Moisturise:
Moisturising is done once the skin is clean and patted dry.
One of the main things forgotten about skin is that it needs to be replenished daily with the vitamins needed to keep skin hydrated, maintain good function of collagen and elastin and protect the skin from pollution by having antioxidents such as Vitamin C and Vitamin E . When we’re out and about, the skin loses its hydration due to temperature, activity levels, lack of water etc. We also are targeted by free radicals, such as being exposed to the sun rays (even on cloudy days), Blue light from our screens, pollution, certain medications. Unfortunately we cannot get rid of free radicals but we can protect our skin.
One of the ways that we can help skin maintain good health and replenish it with what we need is to use a good moisturiser. Think of a moisturiser as food for your skin. We have the A, C, E Oil or Avst Gel at the salon as two of our best options for younger people; check the links for more information.
Sunscreen:
Last but not least is sunscreen. We’ve recently done a whole post about sunscreen but if there is one thing that you take away from this post, make sure the entire family is putting sunscreen on before they leave for school and work.
Your teen should be putting the sunscreen on after the moisturiser has been applied. One we use at the salon is RAD SPF 15 which also has antioxidants to protect the skin. On hot days you can use a higher SPF but always remember to reapply your SPF for maximum protection. We also have Jane Iredale’s Powder Me SPF which come in translucent or in a colour to match your skin tone. This is probably the quickest way to apply a dry sunscreen as you brush it over your skin and you are ready to go. Protection from the sun will benefit the skin as it ages by protecting it from damaging rays that can bring premature ageing.
Other Tricks That Teens Should Be Using Every Day
Take the makeup off: If you’ve got a teenager who loves to use makeup, then they might already be diligent in taking it off as well. Yet, makeup can often be challenging to remove from the skin entirely.
Step one in the skincare routine will help with this; always make sure that they have access to a cleanser to clear out any old makeup completely. When wearing make- up a double cleanse is always advised to ensure all make up is removed. Please avoid using any face wipes as they often have ingredients that dry out the skin too much, which is unhelpful for teen’s skin!
Drink enough water: Again, this one can be difficult for us adults at times, but staying hydrated during the day can work wonders on the skin. It’s pretty easy for us to get dehydrated, and one of the first places you see this show up is on the skin. If your teen doesn’t enjoy drinking plain water, you could always spruce it up with lemon and honey or hot/cold fruit teas.
Pimples and spots are normal: Not what your teen will want to hear, but we all get spots from time to time. Pimples and spots are a nuisance and can have a significant impact on self-confidence. The best advise but not the easiest to do, is to not pick spots. This is because you will then be spreading the bacteria to other parts of you face and make the breakout worse.
Teenagers are prone to getting spots during puberty as there are increased testosterone levels; this means that they produce more oil on the skin, which causes spots. Even as adults, we go through different hormone cycles; many females will notice a difference in skin texture and spots just before a period starts.
Stress Reduction: It’s easier said than done; we’ll put it that way. Stress is another significant factor in skincare. Some people who are prone to spots or pimples will notice that they have breakouts during periods of high stress. This is the same with individuals who have psoriasis or eczema. The stress hormone, cortisol, does many beautiful things to help us, but it can also exacerbate the skins oil levels, which in turn cause more spots.
There isn’t a tried and tested method to keep teens from being stressed – with school, exams, the pandemic, family and social situations. There will always be something that causes stress.
However, if you notice that your teen is dealing with a lot more stress than average, it might be worth talking to them about some self-care techniques that might help regulate their emotions/ hormones; if you’re looking for self-care tips, check out this link.
If your teenager is struggling with severe acne, it might be worth talking to your local GP for more information on how to help.
Give us a ring on 01628 298040 if you’d like to discuss your teenagers’ skincare routine or book them in for a skincare appointment at our Maidenhead salon.
