Top Ten Tips for Teen Skin
Remember the days of random pimples before a big date or some life defining moment that you were sure your skin would act up for. Back in the day a little Noxzema (AHH you can smell it right?) or a little Oxy pad would dry those bad boys right up and leave you with dry peeling skin for weeks. I wish I knew then what I know now. We know so much more than we did 25 years ago. Advances in skin care knowledge just in the last five years have been revolutionary.
So, why not give your teen the edge we all wish we could have had back in the day and avoid all the stress and anxiety so many of us had to deal with when it came to our skin. Here are some tips you can share with your teen about how to treat their skin and achieve the best possible complexion. Now I’ve seen it before, many times. Your teen will not listen to you… I repeat your teen will not listen to you. I guess this is fairly common, I personally don’t have a teen quite yet, but I have a surly 8-year-old girl, so I can just imagine.
My advice is to have them read this blog themselves. What I am about to share with you comes with over 25 years’ experience, many of them spent specializing in acne prone and teen skin. So, listen up teens as I lay so great advice on you. Ready?
#1 Having a skin routine earlier rather than later can make a difference. It helps you establish good habits early on. Starting with a 3-step process around 10 or 11 is key. Those pre-hormones kick in around this time and your body usually produces more oils that can clog your pores. This goes for boys and girls. It’s absolutely a must to wash your face every morning and night, and don’t forget about after a workout or sports. You don’t want that sweat sitting on your skin longer than it has to. Check out my blog on post workout skin care.
Your three steps process should include a cleanser, toner and cream. Easy as 1,2,3 and this takes no longer than 2 minutes. Make it easy and keep your cleanser in the shower, anything to help you establish a routine.
A cleanser will free your skin from buildup oil, dead skin, and grime collected throughout your day.
A toner helps to PH balance your skin, which is uber important!
A cream EVEN IF YOU’RE OILY! This helps to hydrate your skin, so your body won’t produce mass amounts of oil clogging your skin and which causes breakouts.
#2 Understand your skin type. This is important because not all teens have oily skin. So often I see many are promoting dry or oily skin with the products they are using. Some teens have dry skin, which means they most likely need a heavier cream, even if they have the occasional breakout. If you’re confused a good way to determine your skin type is to see an experienced esthetician. They can look at your skin and see exactly what type and what’s going on.
#3 Use the right products. This in and of itself is a loaded tip. It’s very easily to be confused with all the products and ads constantly thrown at us. My advice is to stick to professional organic brands recommended by a professional. I will tell you this, we here in the states allow many harmful chemicals in our skincare. Many that disrupt hormones and even have been linked to cancer. You have to be educated on the products you choose to feed you largest organ. Just because they are plant based, doesn’t mean they can’t get the job done. I only use Young Living and a couple other organic skincare lines in my practice, and the results are amazing.
#4 What you put in your body is as important as what you put on it. I talk about having a healthy gut which includes a healthy diet. You will find I go on about this quite often. Mainly because it’s the key to good skin and many other issues are linked to a leaky gut. In my practice I see such incredible results when my clients include a clean diet with three of my all-time favorite supplements for the skin. I suggest a probiotic at night, specifically Life 9 by Young Living. It’s high quality and works well. I also love Young Living’s Sulferzyme, many of us are depleted in sulfur, because we no longer get it from our food courteously of the soil it grows in. Sulferzyme does beautiful things for your skin, hair, and nails BONUS. But let’s not forget Ningxia. Let me count the amazing antioxidants in this gem. This helps support the liver, where lots of junk filters. You will be amazed at how your skin will glow after a month on Ningxia.
#5 Wash your makeup off at night. No seriously, never go to bed with makeup on. This makes you prone to clogged pores, by not letting your skin breathe and regenerate at night. It also causes wrinkles, something you may not care about now, but believe me you will! Also, what type of makeup you choose is just as important as what skincare line you use. Young Living has the most beautiful chemical free makeup line that I have ever seen. They have perfected it, from the coverage to all the beautiful colors. Savvy is beauty without compromise.
#6 Don’t be a zit popper! Even your hands carry bacteria that you can transfer to your skin. You also increase your risk of scarring and harming your skin tissue. We all want to go at it, but unless it’s right on the surface don’t touch. When you attack a blemish, that’s not ready, you push the bacteria further into you skin causing more breakouts.
#7 What are you drinking? Lots of teens and adults love those sugary energy drinks, which are a BIG NO NO for your skin. Also, something I have found common in the last couple years is high protein drinks can be linked to breakouts. Your body has a hard time processing that all at once, so if you’re a fan of any of these, lay off and you will see a big difference. Of course, water is my drink of choice. It helps to hydrate the skin and flush out all those toxins that can affect your skin. I recommend 8-10 glasses a day. One of my favorite tricks is to add some vitality oils to flavor my water and make it easier to get down during the day.
#8 Be smart and protect your skin when you’re out in the sun. Long gone are the days of baby oil and sun in. If you don’t know what sun in is, I can’t talk to you. My bestie and I once burned ourselves so bad from applying “Chill Out” spray with no SPF on vacation, we had to cut our shirts off and only go out after dark. I cringe when I think of all the damage I did that day. Pigmentation doesn’t come up right away but lurks in the lower layers of your skin until you’re dealing with other 40-year-old issues. Thanks pigmentation.
#9 Hormones play a big part in your skin. However, eating cleaner, using chemical free products, and taking extra care of your body can help tame those nasty hormones when they flare up. I also use a few pretty important essential oils to support mine.
#10 Sleep isn’t an option, it is necessary. Read my blog on beauty sleep and learn how it effects your whole body, mind and emotions. Teens don’t get enough that’s for sure. Studies show they require more hours than a newborn. But they are up late studying and off to school at the crack of dawn. So, catch up when you can and don’t mess around when you should be getting your zzz’s.
For more information on acne, checkout my videos in my group The Oily Esthetician (LINK)