Teenage Skin and How to Care for It!

Whenever I have teenagers in for a facial, I always reminisce the days when my skin was so firm and line-free!  Albeit I don’t miss the breakouts, the oiliness and popping pimples incorrectly leaving blemishes twice the size of the pimple!

Parents often ask me what is a good age to start their children on a simple skincare routine.

Generally, I advise them to visit an esthetician as soon as they start puberty.  This way, we can get to the forefront of any potential issues – like acne, scarring caused by improper extractions and good personal hygiene practices. 

A simple routine for teenagers would be a gentle cleanser, balancing toner, moisturizer and spf and a spot treatment cream. 

All my teenage clients use Face Reality products as they are super gentle, free from pore-blocking ingredients and suitable for all skin types. 

How to use:

CLEANSE - It’s always a good idea for your teen to shower in the morning, to wake them up if nothing else!  Before getting out of the shower, take a nickle-size dollop of Ultra Gentle Cleanser, foam it by rubbing between your palms, then gently massage the cleanser all over your face and neck for two minutes, making sure not to miss the jawline, the hairline and around the crevices of the nose. 

Rinse well and then pat dry.  Make sure to wash your face after your hair as you don’t want any residue from your hair remaining on your face and potentially blocking your pores.  Cleansing removes any dirt, grime, bacteria and makeup from the skin and is essential for healthy, blemish-free skin.

TONE - After patting dry your skin, dampen a cotton round with some Moisture Balance Toner and wipe all over the face and neck, again making sure to be thorough. This closes the pores, balances oiliness and hydrates the skin. 

MOISTURIZE& SPF – Depending on how dry and tight your skin feels at this point, you can choose to just apply Ultimate SPF if it’s the morning time. SPF is essential all day every day, regardless if the sun is shining or otherwise. 

The sun’s rays which cause skin cancer and aging can penetrate the clouds which is why we wear SPF every day.  If you need the extra moisture, you can use Clear Derma moisturizer under your SPF first.  This will leave your skin soft and hydrated without causing additional oiliness. 

SPOT TREATMENT – Wake up with a massive red, pus-filled pimple that practically has his own zip code?? We call these guys pustules. If you pop pimples without doing it properly several things can happen:

1. The bacteria on your fingers (even when you wash your hands) will infect the pimple.

2. You won’t get the root of the pustule out so it will scab with a bunch of pus underneath it.

3. It will look ten times worse and even makeup won’t cover it properly.

4. You will leave a scar on your face or it will hyper-pigment (leave a permanent red / brown mark on your skin). 

So how do we treat these monstrosities? Ice, ice baby!  Fill a paper cup with water and freeze it.  Rub the frozen cup over the blemishes for 2 minutes day and night. This will reduce the inflammation and take down the redness.

Pop a little dot of Face Reality Sulfur Spot Treatment on morning and night to dry the spot up.  Please don’t pick it!

Things to do to reduce acne break outs:

1. Watch your sugar, iodine and dairy consumption – research has shown that foods like milk, cheese, sushi, miso soup, processed and baked high-sugar foods can trigger acne breakouts.  Having a heathy diet with limited fast food will help your skin immensely. 
2. Getting break outs on your cheeks? Sanitize your phone and wash your makeup brushes in 90% alcohol weekly.  Brushes harbor so much bacteria that you’ll be depositing straight onto the skin if you don’t keep those brushes clean. 
3. Guys getting breakouts on your jawline? Use a single blade razor and shave in the direction of the hair growth.  Use your cleanser instead of a shaving foam, then cleanse again and tone post shave.
4. Change your sheets and pillow regularly. I tell my acne client to only sleep on one side of the pillow then flip it the next night and change it on the third day.  Stop using dryer sheets and fabric softener – these leave a film on the material which can transfer onto your skin. 
5. Join our ACNE BOOTCAMP HERE! Virtual or in-person consultation, we ship to all 50 states!

And if you have any questions, send me a message and let's talk!