Do you have a teen who wants that clear skin glow? Or maybe their hormonal acne causes them to feel less confident around their peers? If you are a parent or guardian who is tired of feeling helpless regarding their teen’s skincare problems, you’re not alone.
Here at SKN BAR Rx, we work with you (and your teen) to take realistic steps toward healthier, clearer skin. Follow these ten skincare tips for teens to make them feel more confident as they blossom into independence.
Tip 1: Prioritize Your Wellness
By focusing on your wellness, you can balance your hormones, which for teens seems to be the biggest result in acne breakouts. During puberty, teenagers experience increased androgen levels, which stimulate overactivity in the oil glands. This creates an excess of sebum which causes pores to become clogged with skin cells.
Teens should practice wellness by exercising for at least 30 minutes to an hour a day. Doing such lowers cortisol levels decreasing inflammation and oil production. Exercising regularly reduces stress, improves blood circulation, and promotes detox. By focusing on your wellness, you improve your overall well-being: mentally and physically.
Keep in mind: exercise causes sweating, which helps regulate your body’s temperature. However, sweat is a salt-based fluid that can result in an acne breakout if aftercare isn’t established. Cleansing your face after a workout is the best way to prevent a breakout.
Tip 2: Maintain a Balanced Diet
Your external health goals are important; however, you must cleanse your body internally to reveal your body at its healthiest state. Incorporating fruits and vegetables is a great start to improving your internal health. Some fruits and vegetables to embrace in your diet include:
- Lemons
- Oranges
- Watermelon
- Cucumbers
- Avocados
- Tomatoes
- Kale
These fruits and vegetables contain vitamins A, C, D, E, K, B3, and B5 which are all beneficial for a healthy internal and external body. These foods can also be used in detoxification.
Incorporating whole grains, lean proteins, fibers, and healthy fats will also strengthen your body health. Some of these foods include:
- Oatmeal
- Brown rice
- Eggs
- Nuts
- Yogurt
- Fish
- Chicken
- Beans
Lastly, hydration! For your body to function properly, you will need to remain hydrated. Teenagers should drink about 6-8 cups of water a day. This not only keeps you hydrated throughout the day but also flushes out any toxins in your body that are stopping your skin and body health from reaching their fullest potential. The amount of water that you consume will vary depending on your activity level.
Remember to maintain a “balanced” diet. It’s normal to want a sweet treat or a salty snack here and there, and depriving your body of what it wants doesn’t make it healthy. Instead of completely cutting out those delicious treats that you love, eat your favorite sweet treat on occasion as a reward, or find alternative treats that taste similar but have healthier nutrients in them.
Tip 3: Understand Your Skin
To achieve the skin you want, you must learn what type of skin you have. Everyone has their own unique skin type with challenges that come with it.
Although everyone’s skin concerns are different, there are a few categories that your skin could fall under:
- Normal skin type is the baseline for all skin types. Typically, well-balanced and low maintenance.
- Dry skin type lacks moisture and natural oils, causing the skin to feel rough, flake, peel, and even crack. The skin appears dull with red spots.
- Oily skin type is the result of excess production of sebum, hormonal changes, and/or genetics. Usually occurs during adolescence. The most common skin type for teenagers.
- Combination skin type is the mixture of both oily and dry skin. Most commonly around the T-Zone (forehead, nose, and chin), while dry everywhere else.
- Sensitive skin type is when the skin barrier function is impaired, or the immune system becomes overactive. Dry skin is considered sensitive because dryness can cause harm to the skin barriers. Sensitive skin can also be prompted by your environment, animals, pollen, makeup, etc.
If you are unsure what your skin type is, reserve a consultation with our service providers at SKN BAR Rx to learn more. Doing so will help you find the most beneficial products and treatments to use on your skin.
Tip 4: Find a Quality Skincare Brand & Regimen
One of the most important skincare tips for teens is to begin a basic regimen with a quality skincare brand. The most important products to use are a cleanser, moisturizer, and SPF cream.
SKN BAR Rx only provides guests with a top-quality selection of skincare products and brands. Ultraceuticals is one such brand: a science-based, results-driven company that aims to formulate performance-based products and treatments that deliver transformative confidence.
Skin Medica is another science-based skincare brand that is tailored specifically for you. It is a ground-breaking leader in age-defying skincare as you and your skincare professionals can create and customize your own regimen for your skin’s needs. This leads to the most hydrated and protected skin for you.
Lastly, Colorescience is a science-based skincare brand that is an architect of skin health transformation. This brand wishes to meet you where you’re at regarding your skincare journey to better skin. It does more than treat, repair, strengthen, and protect your skin as it contains therapeutic minerals and specialty ingredients. This brand uses 100% pure, natural minerals, antioxidants, and botanicals.
Tip 5: Find a Cleanser
When beginning your skincare routine, finding a gentle cleanser should be your first step. Cleansers are used to remove impurities, leaving your skin clean and refreshed after each use. This step is essential because it removes dirt, debris, makeup, and oil from the skin without stripping your skin from its natural oils.
It is suggested that you cleanse your skin twice a day, once in the morning and twice in the evening. The reason for double cleansing in the evening is simple: the first cleanse is to remove surface-level dirt such as makeup, oils, sunscreen, or debris. The second cleanse is to remove the impurities that might be clogging your pores.
Ultraceuticals Cleanser
The Ultra Clear Foaming Cleanser is an Ultraceuticals product that helps clear excess sebum and removes dirt, debris, and makeup to keep the pores clear. This cleanser leaves the skin feeling refreshed and is great for oily and combination skin types. It contains antioxidant ingredients such as niacinamide, vitamin E phosphates, and witch hazel, along with salicylic acid (BHA) and mandelic acid (AHA).
Skin Medica Cleanser
The Pore Purifying Gel Cleanser is a Skin Medica product that is a non-irritating gel cleanser that gently dissolves makeup, oil, impurities, and dirt. This cleanser purifies pores, supports the skin’s barriers, and improves the appearance of skin texture. This cleanser is suitable for all skin types as it contains salicylic acid and BHA which gently exfoliates & minimizes the appearance of acne scars.
It also contains aloe & olive leaf which leaves the skin feeling soft and looking refreshed. Bakuchiol is another main ingredient that targets discoloration, reducing visible redness and the appearance of acne scars.
Tip 6: Find a Moisturizer
Moisturizer should be applied to the face and neck twice daily: once in the morning and once in the evening. We suggest applying moisturizer after your cleanser and before your SPF.
Ultraceuticals Moisturizer
The Ultra Moisturiser Cream is an Ultraceuticals product suitable for all skin types and helps maintain hydration within the skin. It contains vitamin E, sodium hyaluronate, ceramide NP, provitamin B5, and shea butter which leave the skin feeling soft, smooth, and hydrated.
Skin Medica Moisturizer
The Rejuvenate Moisturizer is a Skin Medica product that is suitable for normal to dry skin types. This moisturizer helps nourish, hydrate, and rejuvenate the skin. It’s suggested that you apply this twice daily, once in the morning and once at night.
This product contains tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (THD), which is an oil-based form of vitamin C, that produces collagen and improves hyperpigmentation. Other ingredients include restinyl palmitate, which is a natural retinol that helps keep the skin soft and supple.
Hyaluronic acid is also a key ingredient in this product as it adds moisture to the skin while soothing redness, and making the skin appear firmer. Lastly, Tocotrienols and tocopherol acetate are other ingredients that are compounds of vitamin E, which moisturize the skin, and help heal wounds.
Tip 7: Find a SPF
SPF is a must-have when customizing your skincare regimen. You should apply sunscreen to your skin multiple times throughout the day, especially if you plan on spending a lot of time in the sun. Although sunscreen is used to protect your skin from the sun, it should still be applied to the skin even if you plan on remaining inside or it is a cloudy day as UVA and UVB rays can pierce through clouds and glass.
Ultraceuticals SPF
The Ultra UV Protection Daily Moisturiser SPF50 + Mineral is an Ultraceuticals product used to protect the skin against UVA & UVB rays and contains caffeine and carnosine, two powerful antioxidants. It reduces blue light transmission and acts as a free radical barrier to reduce the effects of pollution. This sunscreen is suitable for all skin types and leaves the skin feeling soft and velvety. It prevents premature skin aging, including fine lines, wrinkles, uneven textures, and loss of firmness.
Colorescience SPF
The Sunforgettable Total Protection Face Shield Flex SPF 50 is a Colorescience product suitable for all skin types. This product is a lightweight mineral sunscreen with tinted color coverage in four flexible shades that leaves the skin flawless. While this product includes 12% zinc oxide, which typically leaves a white residue on the skin, it has been demonstrated to provide a matte finish, making it a potential substitute for foundation in your daily makeup routine.
This product is hydrating and contains antioxidants that are powered by a patented EnviroScreen Technology that defends against UVA/UVB, blue light, pollution, and infrared radiation.
Tip 8: Consider a SKN BAR Rx Facial or Chemical Peel
SKN BAR Rx offers many facials and chemical peels to choose from; however, if you are a beginner in the world of skincare, the SKN BAR Signature Facial, Signature HydraFacial, and the PHA Renewal Peel are great choices to start with. These facials and chemical peels renew and rejuvenate your skin, leaving it refreshed, hydrated, and smooth.
SKN BAR Signature Facial
The SKN BAR Signature Facial is designed to clear congestion, remove toxins within the skin, and promote cell turnover. It includes a deep cleansing, toning, extractions, and a mask.
Signature HydraFacial
The Signature HydraFacial use patented technology to cleanse & peel, extract & hydrate, and fuse & protect. Exfoliation uncovers a new layer of skin and removes debris from the pores. After, your skin is nourished with intense moisturizers and saturated with antioxidants and peptides for maximum glow.
PHA Renewal Peel
The Signature HydraFacial use patented technology to cleanse & peel, extract & hydrate, and fuse & protect. Exfoliation uncovers a new layer of skin and removes debris from the pores. After, your skin is nourished with intense moisturizers and saturated with antioxidants and peptides for maximum glow.
Tip 9: Leave Your Pimples Alone
Acne is normal. Whether you experience the unpleasantries of white heads, blackheads, papules, pustules, nodules, or cysts, you must remember one important thing: do not pop them. As annoying and persistent as your pimples can be, refrain from squeezing, poking, or extracting your pimples.
Doing this causes the bacteria from your fingers to enter the broken skin, which can worsen the inflammation, cause scarring, leave scabs, increase your risk of infection, and cause discoloration. Instead of popping your pimples, leave them alone and let them heal naturally.
To decrease the amount of inflammation and redness, you can rub an ice cube on the affected area. Do this as many times as you need throughout the day until you see results that you are happy with.
Tip 10: Practice Consistency
Consistency is the hardest, but most important, tip to follow. Following these tips won’t be beneficial if you aren’t making them a habit. Perfecting your skincare takes time and patience.
So, start with a simple skincare routine, make it habitual, and be patient. Your results may take longer than you’d like, but trust that they are on their way.
Skincare Tips for Teens: Taking the Next Step in Helping Boost Their Confidence
Here’s the truth: There is no such thing as perfect skin. It’s important to communicate with your teens about the non-existence of perfection and allow them to be vulnerable with their struggles, mentally and physically. Convey to them that they aren’t alone, and that you were once their age, and most likely shared similar skincare concerns as they do now.
We hope these simple tips help give your teen realistic solutions to problems that are causing that lack of confidence. If you are interested in learning more about any of the products or treatments listed above, visit a SKN BAR Rx location to purchase a product, or call to reserve an appointment for a treatment. See you soon!
