Teenagers find it hard in keeping their skin in a smooth and glowing condition. Without being harmed with the right skincare tips for teenagers, it might be a decade of dark spots, breakouts, and hyperpigmentation.
Teenagers, both budding and grown ones, are said to experience extreme breakouts, acne, oily skin, and a host of other things in their years. And most times, it is caused by the hormonal changes in their bodies.
The years are not easy years. There is always a desperate need for a sure way to get the perfect, smooth, and glowing skin. Some often leave their face alone due to a lack of information on how to improve skincare for teenagers.
We all know they need all the help they can get to come up top and develop their confidence in their skin. Therefore, I am going to do my bit for humanity and drop these skincare tips for teenagers in their budding years.
Skincare Tips for Teenagers
1. Wash Your Face
Washing your face is one of the essential skincare tips for teenagers. This should be the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning. This is because you need to clear your skin off the accumulated oil and sweat through the night.
You can opt for a mild cleanser instead of soap. And a note to remember: do not aggressively rub your face because it could irritate the skin and cause more oil secretion.
2. Moisturize
No matter the texture or type of your skin, it needs to always stay moisturized. You can pick a very light cream to start with. Use it to address the issues of your face (acne or blackheads).
You can opt for matte moisturizers if you do not like a glassy finish. And when going out opt for a tinted moisturizer like a BB cream.
3. Stay Away From Scrubs
Scrubs are not good for your face yet. But don’t worry, there are other ways to get rid of blackheads. You can use cleaners that contain at least 2% salicylic acid. Be sure to follow this cleansing routine religiously and if you are under 16, do it under adult supervision.
4. Be Thrifty With Makeup
Another one of the skincare tips for teenagers is how you use makeup. You can use a little bit of makeup as long as you wash your face before sleeping. You don’t need a foundation for your delicate skin yet.
BB creams are better options because they are tinted moisturizers. Pick a shade closest to your skin tone by pasting it on your jawline for a test. You should also wash your makeup tools, especially your brushes when you are done.
5. Drink Lots of Water
Water is the cure for dehydration and dry skin. You have to keep your skin hydrated by drinking lots of water. Drink a glass of cold or warm water first thing in the morning. You can also carry a bottle of water with you all day to help you stay hydrated.
If this is not fun enough, spice the water up with slices of lemon, cucumber, or grapefruit. Your skin staying hydrated is the most important thing you need to stay healthy.
6. Exfoliate Your Skin
You can try out homemade scrubs to exfoliate your skin. Do not buy drugstore scrubs. You don’t need them. Exfoliating your skin once a week will help to unclog your pores and remove dead skin cells.
A simple homemade face scrub recipe is sugar and honey mix. If you have sensitive skin, you can try oatmeal or honey and milk scrub.
SEE: How to Exfoliate Your Face Without Hurting Your Skin [Pro Tips]
7. Check Your Diet
You have to watch what you eat because your diet affects the effects of hormonal issues like acne or pimples. You can keep your skin healthy to maintain the acne and pimple reaction on your skin.
Keep track of what you eat and make sure you are tolerant of some foods. Often times our skin reacts to the type of food we eat, which causes breakout and eczema. You can do an allergy test to know your tolerance to some food items you react to.
8. Keep Your Hands Off Those Pimples!
It might be tempting and so satisfying after the pop but try as much as possible to not pop that pimple. Don’t play Dr. Pimple Popper unless you want to get a scar on your face. Instead, opt for remedies like tea tree oil diluted with water.
Apply it to your pimple or acne and let it clear it out, along with all the accompanying bacteria.
SEE: Can You Remove Blackheads With Tape?
9. Keep Your Hands Off Your Face
Avoid dirty things including your hands touching your face. And make sure your face is dirt-free by using a clean and dry towel to wipe your face, wash your makeup brushes regularly, and avoid sharing products if you have sensitive skin.
You should also take care of your hands by keeping them clean and moisturized, since one way or another, they get to the face.
10. Take Care of Your Lips
This is one of the skincare tips for teenagers that most do not take note of. One thing most people do that gets a negative reaction; licking their lips. Avoid licking your lips as it makes them drier.
Good thing your lips don’t need too much attention. You just need to scrub your lips with a wet baby toothbrush and use a lip balm or light gloss on it.
SEE: How to Cure Chapped Lips- Helpful Remedies That Work
11. Use Sunscreen
You are never too young to sunblock. It’s important to keep the skin protected from harmful UV (ultraviolet) rays.
Before you leave for school, make sure to apply ample sunscreen (at least SPF 30) on your exposed skin. You can keep your sunscreen with you if you experience your skin drying up a lot.
12. Have a Nighttime Routine
You need to cultivate this early. You can protect your skin by cleansing your face at night before you sleep. The skin has a way of rejuvenating itself while we sleep, and the cleaner and clearer our face, the better.
Remove all traces of makeup, dirt, and grime from your skin, and then apply a moisturizer before you sleep.
13. Yes, You Get to Finally Use That Face Mask
You don’t have to use a face scrub but face masks are admissable. They not only moisturize your skin, but also remove all impurities, dirt, and toxins from the skin’s surface.
You can either buy in packs and ready-to-use products or stick to homemade face masks with natural ingredients.
14. Always Be Proactive With Rashes
You can get rashes for many reasons including stress. Just because they aren’t as eye-twitching as acne and pimples doesn’t mean they should not be avoided. You can be proactive with your rashes by using moisturizer.
Additionally, if the rash is more than obvious, use cortisone. It helps to reduce the information and redness of the rash. It works better when you add a moisturizer to it.
SEE: Morning Skincare: 6 Essential Products You Need for a Solid and Fast Routine
Know Your Skin Type
Normal skin
Normal skin types typically have a soft and smooth skin texture. It is free of blemishes and patches caused by hyperpigmentation. The pores are tight enough and the surface of the skin feels neither greasy nor dry.
There is enough oil and water content, with equilibrium. The skin’s blood flow is balanced and steady too.
Most things go with this face but for cleansers, you can use mild and non-alcoholic cleansers to prevent the skin from over-drying.
Dry skin
Dry skins are often flaky and not smooth to the touch. They are dull, itchy with invisible pores. The outer layer of the skin is always shedding because of the flakiness. Keeping the face moisturized and hydrated will get to stay smooth.
When washing the ace, avoid using soap, instead, opt for a mild cleanser. Also, avoid excessive washing and scrubbing of the face. And stay away from hot showers.
Oily skin
This type of skin is always ridden with acne, pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads. The skin pores are always open and have excess sebum. The teenage years are characterized by hormonal fluctuations, which will affect oily-skinned teens.
To reduce the cause of your breakouts, it is best to stay calm because stress causes skins to break out. Those with oily skins should rely on soap and water to clean the face and washing at most three times a day.
Combination skin
This is like having a mix of all the skin types above. Your t-zone might be oily but the rest of your face is dry. Open pores and blackheads are also possible even if they are dry for combination types.
Sometimes your face may appear rough and dry, but it is overflowing with sebum and natural oils. Combination skins should use soap and water to clean their face and moisturize the dry parts of their faces only.
Likely Reactions on a Teenager’s Skin
Acne
Acne is the most common skin breakout teenagers suffer from. It is usually caused by excessive oil glands in the skin pores, which leads to a build-up of dead skin cells and bacteria.
During puberty, the hormones become active, leading to the stimulation of oil glands. This is why teenagers are prone to have acne.
You can treat it by using products that have salicylic acid, washing your face regularly, keeping it moisturized and hydrated. If you are experiencing serious acne breakout, it’s best you see a doctor for consultation.
Eczema
If you had eczema as a kid, chances are that it will increase during your teenage years. They tend to make the skin dry and itchy and discolor the affected area. If you wear sports gear a lot, especially on your elbows and knees, be watchful.
You can use over-the-counter treatments and also keep the areas moisturized with a lotion to reduce inflammation. Also, try to use fragrant-free deodorants. You can see a dermatologist if the reaction persists.
Warts
These are fleshy, dark lumps and bumps that appear on the skin. The best way to treat warts is to use liquid nitrogen to dry off the lump. You can also treat it with laser or chemical treatments.
Make sure to keep your hands clean and keep them from injuring your skin. This is because injured skins are most likely susceptible to warts viruses.
Excess Sweating
When stressed, teenagers seem to sweat a lot. That’s normal. You can control your sweating by taking showers twice or three times a day. Use antiperspirant and deodorants. Stick to light and natural fabrics like linen and cotton to allow your skin to breathe. And avoid spicy foods if it makes you sweat a lot.
Cold Sores
Cold sores are painful blisters that appear around the mouth, nose, and face. It’s common in kids, especially those who have the herpes simplex virus (HSV) and resurfaces in their teenage years.
Cold sores always resurface due to stress, cold, or another infection in your respiratory tract, if you have a fever, or you spend a lot of time in extreme sunlight.
There’s nothing you can really do once you have a flare-up but you can prevent it by not coming into close contact with anybody who has cold sores. Also, you shouldn’t share items and cutlery with them.
You can use soothing balms for your lips to reduce inflammation and make sure to eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
Hyperpigmentation
I suffered a lot from these as a teenager but I realized it happened to many of us, especially those of us with dark skin tone. Hyperpigmentation is when dark spots form on your skin from the overproduction of melanin.
You can treat it with OTC (over-the-counter) creams or prescription creams. If you are experiencing superficial dark spots, it will clear in months, but if you are treating deep spots, it might take longer.
One thing you should note is that scrubbing at your face won’t get the spot cleared faster; it might even make it worse. It is best to apply the treatment gently and rub slowly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can teenagers wear makeup to cover imperfection?
Yes, you can. You can wear a little makeup to cover your skin imperfections and blemishes. However, you should stick to simple products.
Avoid using makeup with opaque pigments that could clog your pores due to their thickness.
Will your skin change after teen years?
Your skin will go through few changes because your hormones are well balanced after your teen years.
You might experience changing skin types from oily to combination or normal skin as you grow out of your youthful years. However, this is not a guarantee. Sometimes, managing your skin type is what balances out your skin.
Summary
During my teenage years, it was hard to keep my face clean and smooth. Remembering that I decided to create a list of skincare tips for teenagers that would help them get to enjoy their years without having to worry about the breakout, warts, and oily skin
You can follow these tips no matter your skin type and if you know what reactions you get a lot, treating them should be easy now. I hope you found these tips useful and you are ready to put them into practice to become a lifestyle.
Thanks for reading.
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