6 things every teenager should know about their skin

The past year has seen a seismic shift in how pre-teens and teenagers think about beauty products. Especially when it comes to high performance skincare. However, there are endless reasons why young skin shouldn’t use the same products as adults.

Here’s everything we wish we knew – and wish we could share with the teenagers in our lives. 

Skincare can be dangerous in the wrong hands

Unless it explicitly says so, skincare generally isn’t designed for young skin. Using grown-up, active-filled formulas is first of all a huge waste of money. Teenage skin is already full of the collagen, hyaluronic acid and elastin we lose with age – the plumping and smoothing active ingredients you’ll find in anti-aging products. So these formulas won’t improve the skin, and in many cases will actually make it worse – especially if you’re aged 12 or under.

The actives inside are too strong for an undeveloped skin barrier to cope with, and could cause damage, sensitivity or avoidable skin concerns in the future.  

Avoid these ingredients until you’re 18

The most expensive and active-rich products are designed for mature skin. With zero skin benefits for a young person. It’s best to wait until 18 to start introducing exfoliating acids like AHAs, BHAs and PHAs into your regimen (unless you’ve experienced acne already), as well as hydrating Hyaluronic Acid, Peptides or Collagen.

Avoid these actives until you’re 25

There are some actives which are so potent – and require a strong and stable skin barrier – that it’s best to wait until you reach your mid 20s to begin. These include the brightening all-star Vitamin C and retinoids like Retinol, Retinal or Retinoic Acid. 

While retinoids (active forms of Vitamin A) are powerful ingredients to improve the appearance of visible aging, they should only ever be used on adolescent skin as an acne treatment, and under the strict supervision of a doctor.

SPF is the best age-defying product money can buy

We wish we’d been told this. Or – truthfully – we wish we’d listened when we were told. Around 90% of the visible signs of aging we experience once we hit adulthood are from the sun exposure we’ve had since birth. Read that again.

Protect your skin with daily sunscreen now to save yourself a lifetime of treatments and expensive products. Spend your precious money on airplane tickets instead. 

There are alternatives to Benzoyl Peroxide for acne-prone skin

Many teenagers will be recommended Benzoyl Peroxide to treat their acne. But it’s not right for everyone, as it can be harsh and incredibly drying on the skin.

If you’d like to test if something 100% natural and proven for sensitive skin might work instead, you could try adding a small amount of the exfoliating beta hydroxy acid (BHA) Salicylic Acid 2% to a gentle moisturizer to lift away the dead skin cells that clog pores and cause spots.

While acne is predominantly brought on by hormones, it can also be triggered by diet and cleansing regimens. If you’re experiencing hormonal acne, it’s important not to overwhelm the skin. Think about a simple regimen of gentle cleansing and a moisturizer that suits your skin type.

If you think diet might be playing a part, look at how much dairy and sugar you’re eating and drinking as both of these can feed acne bacteria (Propionibacterium Acnes, also known as P-acnes).

Most skincare experts don’t hang out on TikTok

We get that social media influencers can be convincing. But fully trained skin experts, most of them are not.

Remember you can access a free consultation with our skin coaches any time for personalized advice on the best products or regimen for your specific skin. Book yours here.