5 Skin Care Tips for Teenagers

Cleanse at Least Twice a Day (But Do It Carefully)

To control oil and prevent acne breakouts, you need to wash your face at least twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. In addition, you should wash it every time you sweat a lot (for example, after PE classes or sports practices) because sweat can make breakouts worse. If you can’t wash when you sweat, at least blot it with a tissue to remove sweat and oil.

However, you shouldn’t go overboard with cleansing because overwashing your face is just as bad as not washing it enough. Don’t wash your face with bar soap because it can be too drying; and when your skin gets too dry, it starts to produce even more oil in order to compensate, which makes it dry and oily at the same time. You need to buy a gentle cleanser (preferably one that it specifically designed for teen skin) that will help balance your skin and prevent acne without making your skin irritated, dry, tight and flaky.

Don’t Pop Pimples

It’s so hard to resist the temptation to pop pimples because there’s something strangely satisfying about the process for many people; but by no means must you do this. Squeezing pimples aggravates inflammation and leads to dark spots and acne scars, especially when you do it with dirty hands. So keep your hands off your face and use an acne spot treatment that helps get rid of pimples (or at least reduce their appearance) overnight.

Consult a Dermatologist Before Using an Acne Treatment

Sometimes sticking to a proper skincare routine is the only thing you need to control acne. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. If you have a severe case of acne, you should consult a dermatologist instead of using a random store-bought treatment. They will recommend an over-the-counter treatment or maybe even a prescription medication that should work best for your skin type.

Moisturize & Protect Your Skin

You probably think that it’s too early to worry about skin aging. In fact, the earlier you take the first steps to protect your skin from aging, the better it will look when you’re in your thirties. Of course, we don’t mean that you need to use anti age products; it is indeed too early for them.

However, you do need to moisturize your skin and protect it from UV rays. Dehydrated skin usually looks older than it actually is, and sun radiation can cause a lot of damage. To moisturize and protect your skin at the same time, buy a lightweight, non-comedogenic moisturizer with SPF.

Remove Makeup Before Bed

Puberty is the time when many girls start to wear makeup, and there’s nothing bad about it per se. Makeup is a great form of self-expression that has helped many teens cope with self-esteem issues. However, you should keep in mind that it can seriously worsen acne breakouts if you go to bed with your makeup on.

Your basic pre-bed skincare routine should look as follows: remove makeup with a gentle, oil-free makeup remover, wash your face, pat it dry, moisturize. You should also remove makeup before you exercise because sweat mixed with makeup products will clog your pores and cause inflammation. If you’re too exhausted to remove makeup properly, at least use a special cleansing wipe that will take off most of the makeup, skin oil and dirt that’s built up on your face during the day.