Tween and teen skincare is a big topic. With more young skinfluencers leading the way on TikTok, it’s no wonder that young adults are asking their parents for more elaborate skincare routines to keep up with trends.
This was the main topic of conversation on our latest Skin Ageing Unlocked podcast episode with co-hosts Fiona Clark and Dr. Clare Kiely and consultant dermatologist Dr. Angela Tewari and there’s a lot to be learnt.
If you don’t have a tween, the contents of this blog are still relevant for you because there’s actually a lot we can take from the hallmarks of a good tween routine and apply it to our own.
1. Less is more - no layering
The Skin Diary’s Dr. Kiely has spoken before about why layering skincare isn’t going to give you the best results. The first is that there’s a limit to how much skincare is going to be absorbed and therefore going to work. Your skin acts as a natural barrier so it’s actually quite difficult for skincare to penetrate.
The second is that many of these skincare products were not designed to be used together. This means that they likely aren’t working and you’re potentially wasting your money on expensive products that aren’t doing much.
On top of that, you’re also upping the chances of irritation; something we’ll talk about more a little bit later.
As for tweens and teens doing elaborate skincare routines, the idea, the dermatologists think, stems from watching the adults in their lives do their more comprehensive routines involving multiple steps and are following suit. For younger adults, these elaborate routines have the potential to start obsessions over skincare and multiple steps in a way that isn’t helpful.
2. Choose actives wisely
The second element we can learn from a good teen skincare routine is to choose actives wisely by understanding the needs of your skin.
For younger skin, ingredients such as niacinamide, salicylic acid (beta hydroxy acid) and benzoyl peroxide work well for blemish-prone skin alongside a gentle cleanser, light moisturiser and sunscreen.
For everyone else, most actives are suitable but selecting them based on your concerns is best to ensure results. For example, signs of ageing without problems with blemishes won’t reach for benzoyl peroxide but rather a good retinoid in the evening and an antioxidant in the morning.
And if you don’t want to learn about actives, leave it to the pros and hop on a Chapters routine where we do all that hard work for you.
3. Perioral dermatitis is on the rise
The rise of perioral dermatitis is linked to points 1 and 2 because mis-selecting ingredients paired with overzealous layering can result in perioral dermatitis. Dr. Tewari noted that she’s seen an increase in the condition in her clinic with some people as young as 16 experiencing it.
Perioral dermatitis (also known as periorificial dermatitis) is a stubborn acne-appearing rash that occurs around the nose, mouth and sometimes eyes. The exact cause isn’t completely understood but it’s a disruption of the skin barrier. We do know that too much skincare can trigger a reaction.
The condition almost forces you to break free of an extensive skincare routine because treatment requires stopping pretty much all skincare. Your dermatologist might recommend some topical prescription treatments but besides that they will tell you to stop everything, including makeup until the rash clears. This means all actives and retinoids, too.
It can be really tricky to clear, not to mention itchy and uncomfortable. There’s a reason dermatologists say to go slow on actives.
4. SPF and UV protective clothing
It wouldn’t be a blog post from The Skin Diary without a mention of sun safety. UV clothing is fantastic for children, especially when on holiday and we’d all do well as adults to remember to get some for ourselves. The one area that Dr. Kiely warns to remember to protect, though, are the legs. This is because melanomas in women typically occur on the legs and UV protecting clothing for young girls particularly, tends to feature short shorts leaving legs exposed to the sun.
