As our children grow and transition through puberty, their skin goes through changes, including increased oil production, which can lead to breakouts. If your tween develops a healthy skincare routine early, they are more likely to be able to maintain clear and bright skin throughout their teen years. Self-care and good hygiene habits don’t have to be complicated or expensive! Here are five things to help your tween or teen keep their skin at its best.
Cleanliness is Key
Cleansing the face twice a day with products that are gentle to the skin is recommended to clear away the dirt and oils that accumulate. Keeping hair clean and off the face, as well as cleaning glasses and cell phones, helps eliminate excess oil on the skin. Encourage active kids to wash their face after sports and sweating. Don’t forget to use clean towels and change the pillowcase often.
Healthy Habits Support Healthy Skin
You skin sheds daily. Use an exfoliant to help remove dead skin cells 2-3 times a week.
Healthy Habits
Eating right and staying hydrated helps support healthy skin from the inside. Eating foods packed with nutritious vitamins and minerals can combat irritation and dryness and help prevent acne. Some of our favorites include blueberries, tomatoes, avocados, and leafy green vegetables.
Less is More
A skincare routine shouldn’t be complicated or cost a lot of money in the tween and teen years. It’s also easier to be consistent with a simple routine. Cleansing twice daily with a gentle cleanser is ideal, followed by a lightweight sunscreen in the morning or a moisturizer in the evening. If your teen has mild acne, consider using a cleanser with a low percentage of benzoyl peroxide. Pairing this with a hydrating moisturizer is especially important to avoid dryness. For more moderate to severe acne, consider consulting a dermatologist for additional recommendations.
Sunscreen is Your Best Prevention
Sunscreen is essential to protect against damage from the sun’s UV rays, which cause not only photoaging of the skin but also can cause inflammation and irritation. Starting to build this healthy habit of applying sunscreen as the last step of a morning skincare routine is an incredible gift teens can give themselves that will foster healthy skin for a lifetime!
Stop the Pop
It is tempting to pick or pop pimples and blackheads, but this is the worst thing for the skin. This can push bacteria and dirt deeper into the skin and cause increased inflammation, redness, and more breakouts. Squeezing the skin can also leave scars and pigmentation. In addition, touching the face can transfer bacteria and allergens and clog pores.
Following a few simple guidelines can significantly impact skin health and overall wellness. At Radiant MD, our Monmouth County Med Spa we are proud to offer facials for tweens and teens that are gentle, effective, and educational. We also provide fun and educational spa parties with facials geared toward tweens and teens. Our aestheticians offer skincare tips to help your child understand the importance of the key information they need to keep their skin clear and bright! We also offer medical-grade skincare products for more advanced needs, effective for gentle tween and teen skin.
