From securing good grades, maintaining an active social life, partying on weekends, combined with physical, mental, and hormonal changes; - teenage life is a literal roller coaster. With so much going on, teenagers lead a phase of anxiety, stress, FOMO, yet fun filled living.
All of this affects your skin in every possible way by inviting unwanted problems - adding one more thing to worry about and disturbing your fun.
Skincare problems faced by teenagers
From a surprise pimple right before a big date or event to……..
- Sun tanning
- Excessive sweating
- Oiliness
- Cold Sores
- Flaky Skin
- Dermatitis
- Dark Spots/Pigmentation
- Early signs of ageing
- Dark Circles, etc. are some of the common skincare problems faced by teenagers.
But, the silver lining here is that all these can be treated effectively as teen skin is resilient. A well-planned skincare routine in tandem with your skin type is all you need to maintain healthy-looking, glowy skin.
Here we have everything you need to know about your ‘Teen Skin’. We’ll cover
- Understanding teenage skin?
- The importance of teenage skincare
- Skincare tips for teenagers to follow
- What skincare products should a teenager use? etc.
Before we start, just get one thing clear. Skincare at any age is a Habits Game. You need to follow it consistently to achieve effective results.
Understanding teenage skin
- Teenage skin heavily revolves around hormones. During puberty, a teenager undergoes a lot of hormonal changes that alter their emotional and physical state. There is a rise in testosterone levels (a kind of male hormone).
- Overproduction of this hormone leads to enlarged oil glands and excess sebum production. These open pores get blocked by dead skin cells and bacterial growth starts forming on the skin’s surface. This gives rise to acne of all sorts.
If these issues are not handled at the right stage with the right treatments, they can continue to bug your skin throughout your adulthood as well.
The Importance Of Teen Skincare
Appearance can heavily affect your confidence at any age. But, as teenagers, it drives your self-esteem the most. You grow conscious of the way you look, dress up, and present yourselves. So, if you are unhappy with your skin and the way you look, it instantly affects your moods, steals your confidence, and also leads to isolating yourself from social opportunities.
Therefore, to enjoy the prime time of your life to the fullest and to avoid looking older than your age; a good skincare routine must be practised regularly.
Read along to know how you can maintain your young skin with the right products and techniques.
1. Cleanse carefully
‘A good cleanser is all you need
to start your skincare routine with.’
As you undergo puberty, around 2 to 4 million sweat glands become extremely active, causing you to sweat a lot. Some teenagers also experience excessive sweating in their palms, soles of their feet, and underarms. And as we all know, sweat can attract oil and dust leading to bacterial acne. Therefore, cleansing your skin with the right face wash is very important.
If you have oily skin opt for a gentle organic foaming facewash or a gel cleanser is best suited for your skin.
For dry skin types, opt for a more moisturising & milky formula.
Teens with a sensitive skin type must reach out for natural, fragrance-free formulas.
- If you have oily skin opt for a gentle organic foaming facewash or a gel cleanser is best suited for your skin.
- For dry skin types, opt for a more moisturising & milky formula.
- Teens with a sensitive skin type must reach out for natural, fragrance-free formulas.
How to cleanse your face properly?
Do it at least twice a day - once after waking up in the morning and then before going to sleep. Make sure you remove every last bit of makeup first and then cleanse your face for a properly cleansed face.
Use gentle circular motions and get to every inch of your face with your fingertips.
Avoid using body soap to wash your face as your facial skin is different from your body’s. The pH level of the body soap is also not fit to use on your face. It can be harsh on your facial skin, trigger acne, and can irritate your pores.
2. Moisturise your skin
Your skin gets thirsty quite a lot. If you don’t quench its thirst, it starts acting up in the wrong way. No matter which skin type you are, moisturising is really important as hydration is the key to achieving a balanced skin texture. Your skin needs hydration more than you think, so apply a good hydrating day cream or moisturiser twice a day.
Use a lightweight moisturiser to avoid skin congestion.
- Opt for a water-based or gel-based moisturizer if you have oily, acne-prone skin.
- Use a lightweight moisturiser to avoid skin congestion.
3. Remove your makeup before dozing off
The biggest skincare mistake one can ever make is letting makeup stay on your skin throughout the night and ignoring your night-time skincare routine. The least you can do is wash your face or even use a cotton pad drenched with micellar water to wipe makeup away.
Avoiding doing so will 100% result in acne formation, uneven skin texture, or even dermatitis.
4. Control oil
When you plan skincare for teenage acne or even otherwise; controlling sebum formation is key. You can achieve this by using products suitable for oily skin type or using bloating papers when outdoors.
5. Exfoliate
Exfoliating once a week with a gentle scrub. Clay-based exfoliators, AHA (chemical exfoliators), and salicylic acid are great for deep cleaning your pores.
6. Skincare for teenage acne
If you are looking for a skincare routine for teenage girl or skin care products for teenage male, you need to be extra careful. There are different types of acne that need different treatments. For this, you might have to go to a dermatologist and get treated with medicated products or even undergo procedures in case of severe acne.
7. Take Care Of Your Lips
Lip care must also be a part of skincare. Simply applying a lip balm daily can help them keep them hydrated and plumpy. We advise you to scrub your lips gently with a clean unused baby toothbrush with sugar & honey.
8. Don't share makeup.
Sharing makeup is not a good idea at all. It basically translates to sharing germs of the other person and inviting their skincare problems onto your skin.
9. Keep hands clean
Avoid spreading germs by washing and sanitising your hands regularly as they are in contact with a thousand contaminated surfaces. So every time you re-apply your skincare or do your makeup, make sure you wash your hands properly to avoid transmission of germs.
10. Avoid harsh scrubbing or picking on blemishes
Avoid poking your pimples - no matter how satisfying they feel. Doing so spreads infection, damages your skin, and causes inflammation.
11. Use Hand Cream
Apply hand cream regularly at night to keep them looking young and wrinkle-free. Also, hand cream prevents the drying of hands due to constant hand washing and sanitising. It also nourishes your cuticles and keeps your nails healthy.
12. Wear sunscreen
As a teen, you tend to stay outdoors more often. Prolonged sun exposure can therefore cause sunburn, stubborn suntan, wrinkles, etc. So make sure you use a broad-spectrum sunblock with a minimum SPF of 30 and higher. Reapply throughout the day to make sure those UV rays do not get you.
13. Practise clean makeup habits
If you wear makeup, make sure to check if your makeup habits are affecting your skin. Clean your makeup brushes frequently to wash off all the gathered bacteria. Use a baby shampoo for this and air dry them completely before using them again.
14. Use Lukewarm Water
Lukewarm water helps loosen up accumulated dirt and doesn’t strip your skin of natural oils.
15. Follow A Well-Balanced Diet
Consuming a balanced diet is the key to good healthy skin. Incorporate seasonal fruits, green leafy veggies, healthy shakes and snacks into your diet. Avoid too much sugary, oily and dairy-based foods.
16. Maintain A Proper Night-time Skincare Routine
Do not miss out on your night regime. Our skin rejuvenates itself at night. A simple routine of makeup removal, CTM, lip balm, and hand cream is essential at night to help it repair itself.
17. Stick to your skincare regime
Remember - skincare is a long, consistent journey. So, as you build a routine around natural skincare for teenage skin, make sure you follow it religiously. You might get impatient or look for quicker results, but if you follow natural skincare for teenage skin, it will give you effective, long-lasting results.
18. Follow only the right trends and lead a healthy lifestyle
Your skin and overall physical health are interrelated. So, even though you might be tempted to try new trends in social media; beware! Do not do anything that stresses your body in a bad way.
If things are getting too overwhelming in general, take a break. The same applies to your skin too. If you are following a long skincare routine, try skinimalism.
Avoid any crash diets, buying and trying new products as testers, or any other impractical skincare trends. Most of them are just marketing gimmicks that end up spoiling your skin’s natural balance - which by the way you end up building for months. Be conscious, and be clear about how you treat your skin.
19. Talk to a doctor
Pay a regular visit to a dermatologist if you have any skincare concerns or severe acne issues, or simply want to know ‘what skincare products should a 15-year-old use?’. Sometimes, prescribed cleansers and specific products can help target certain skincare issues you deal with in a faster and much more effective way.
20. Drink ample water
Yes, we had to include this. No matter how basic it may sound; this makes a huuuuuuuuge difference in your skincare game. When you drink 3-4 litres of water daily, it helps flush out all the toxins in your body - making your skin brighter and tighter looking.
Conclusion
So whether you are looking for a skincare routine for teenage girl with acne or simply trying to understand your skin better; we hope this article helped you.We also have other helpful blogs on our pages related to mindful skincare practices, choosing the right products, and also on understanding your skin. You can scout through this space to know your skin better.
