Are oily skin, blackheads, spots or break-outs getting your teen down? Following on from our recent Facebook live with Claire Baitson, a qualified skin care specialist with Dermalogica, we’ve collated some of her best tips for cleaning and caring for break-out prone teenage skin.
First things first, it’s important your teen doesn’t panic! Though the effect that puberty can have on the skin can be stressful, looking after teen skin doesn’t have to be a complicated, expensive or time-consuming process.
Claire assures that achieving clear skin is possible. Getting there starts with a good but basic routine, and the key to great results is consistency. According to Claire, getting clear skin comes down to these three easy steps:
3 Steps to Clear Teenage Skin
Step One: Cleanse the Skin
Claire recommends that teens double cleanse the face in both the morning and the evening. She emphasises the importance of double cleansing as it removes excess oil that has been produced overnight, as well as dirt or impurities that build up on the face during the day.
Don’t scrub too hard when you cleanse the skin and make sure the water isn’t too hot. This minimises bacteria build-up and will help to regulate oil production, which tends to go into overdrive during the teenage years.
For acne break-outs on other parts of the body, such as the back, chest and neck, Claire recommends using a cleanser on these areas after washing and conditioning hair.
Step Two: Tone the Skin
Large pores can become an issue in adolescent skin, which can be quite distressing for some teenagers. Unfortunately, there is no way to close these open pores, but Claire notes that you can minimise their appearance.
To do so, Claire recommends using a few quick spritzes of a toning mist after cleansing the face. Toners also help to brighten and even out the skin.
Step Three: Moisturise the Skin
Last, but certainly not least, Claire is quick to stress the importance of moisturising the skin.
Claire notes that many teens with very oily skin subscribe to the myth that they can’t moisturise their skin because they don’t want to add any extra oil or sebum to the skin and run the risk of further break-outs. However, Claire stresses that it is very important to strike the right balance of oil and water in the face’s skin to keep it moisturised and happy.
Moisturising your face doesn’t mean you need to use heavy, rich or oily creams. There are lots of great lightweight facial moisturisers out there that will do the job, while also keeping oil production under control.
When choosing a facial moisturiser, be sure to look out for one with SPF included in it as prevention is always better than a cure when it comes to protection from the sun and UV rays.
More Top Tips for Caring for Teenage Skin
- Teenagers should start a good skin care routine at around 12 or 13 years old to help keep the skin bright and healthy.
- When buying skincare products and cosmetics, avoid products that contain comedogenic ingredients (these are ingredients that cause break-outs). Some comedogenic ingredients include mineral oil and lanolin which are heavy and greasy. They not only cause break-outs, but also aggravate any existing break-outs.
- To avoid undoing the good work of a decent skincare routine, those who use makeup should deep-clean their makeup brushes once every week or two and also give each brush a quick spritz with a brush cleaner after every application.
- Try to resist the temptation to pop spots as it just further damages the skin, can lead to more break-outs and even scarring.
For more of Claire’s tips on looking after teenage skin, you can watch the full Facebook Live video here.
About the Author: Robyn Hamilton
