It’s that time of year - back to school. While your kids return to class, you’re fighting the crowds of other parents, scrambling to check off all those last-minute items from their school supply lists. Loose leaf paper? Check. Number 2 pencils? Check. New backpack and lunchbox? Check. Skincare?...
Skincare?
So you’ve checked everything off of your kids’ school supply lists. You’ve likely even remembered to get those extra items that they don’t necessarily need, but they WANT. (You understand!)
There’s something that you probably haven’t remembered to stock up on, though, for the new school year - skincare products.
Back to School Skincare
It’s no surprise that teenagers and healthy skin generally don’t go hand-in-hand (or face-in-face). You could just as easily start a list of your own…Acne? Check. Oily skin? Check. Dryness and itching? Check.
Let’s face it…When it comes to teenagers, their hygiene tends to be lacking. Caring for their skin is often the last thing they think about. (They’d much rather channel that energy into hanging out with friends, dating, or playing video games!)
Add to that all the homework that seems to pile up AND trying to get acclimated to all the newness that coincides with a new school year.
Sure, some may chalk it up to them being lackadaisical. Perhaps they just don’t know where to begin or understand the importance of skincare at their age. But regardless of the school-related responsibilities your teen is juggling again, they must remember to add “caring for their skin” to that list.
Why Having a Skincare Routine is Important
Truth be told, it’s important for everyone to have a skincare routine. For teens, however, it’s even more important. Here’s why…
Everyone has pores (openings in their skin) that produce sebum. The purpose of sebum is to keep your skin naturally moisturized and protected. When you’re in the adolescent stage, your body produces an influx of sebum.
For teenagers, this increase in sebum production makes their pores more prone to clogging…Which means more acne. (Acne is basically a collection of dead skin cells, bacteria, and an excess of oils.) Yikes!
Then, of course, there are all the hormonal changes that teenagers experience, causing an enlargement of oil glands and increased oil production.
So, while it may not seem important to a teenager, maintaining a skincare routine is crucial for preventing acne and other skin irritations.
Top 10 Skincare Tips for Teens
Once your teenager understands the importance of having a skincare routine, they need to know it is something they can manage (while still keeping up with their homework!). Here are some simple skincare tips for teens.
1. Wash Your Face Twice a Day
As soon as you wake up in the morning, wash your face. Then do it again right before you go to bed at night.
If you’re looking for a great cleanser for your teen, try our Rebel Skincare Purify Daily Cleanser. It’s made of all-natural ingredients, formulated to keep their skin fresh and hydrated without stripping away their natural oils.
2. Wash Your Face After Sweating
Is your teen on a sports team? In the marching band? Or do they just love sunbathing? Teach them to wash their face after each sweat session and help them implement a path to healthy skin! (They can keep some cleanser in their gym bag or purse for convenience.)
3. Practice Gentle Cleansing
Remind your teen of the importance of washing their face GENTLY. Rubbing their face too harshly can cause skin irritations, like inflammation or acne.
4. Use an Oil-Free Primer
For your makeup-loving teenagers, it is suggested that they use an oil-free primer. This will help keep their skin from becoming too oily (since their skin is already more oily during adolescence).
5. Always Remove Makeup Before Bed
One of the most important skincare tips for teens is never falling asleep with their makeup on. When they fall asleep with makeup on, they’re opening the door to welcoming clogged pores and acne breakouts.
6. Blot Oil Away During the Day
Let’s say your teen is on point with their cleansing (meaning they’re doing it right after they wake up and before they go to sleep). How can they keep their face from getting too oily during the school day, when they’re not near their sink to wash their face?
They can keep a pack of specialized tissues in their backpack, purse, or locker. Then all they’ll have to do is blot the oil away during the school day!
7. Avoid Excessive Exfoliation
It’s recommended that teens don’t exfoliate their skin more than twice per week. Exfoliation is wonderful, but only when done properly!
When they exfoliate properly, they’ll reap benefits like removing the top layer of dead skin cells and encouraging new skin cells to form on the surface of their skin.
8. Try the Dynamic Duo of Skincare Ingredients
When it comes to skincare ingredients targeted to treat acne, the most commonly used ones are benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid.
This is considered to be the dynamic duo, as salicylic acid dissolves debris that clogs pores and benzoyl peroxide destroys bacteria. They’ll also help to relieve any inflammation of the skin and make acne clear away faster!
9. Wash Your Hands
Like most people, teenagers tend to touch their faces often. So imagine the issues it can cause for their already acne-prone skin when touching their faces with dirty hands.
While washing your hands is always a great hygiene practice, it’s especially helpful in keeping your face free from breakouts.
10. Avoid Tanning Beds
At the start of a new school year, your teenager always wants to look their best, right? Unfortunately, this often means your teenager will be tempted to hit up their local tanning salon for a fresh back to school tan.
In terms of skincare, this is one of the worst things they can do. Sure, a tan may seem more appealing than having a pale skin tone. However, it’s awful for their overall skin health, as it can cause premature skin aging and increase their risk of developing skin cancer.
Skincare for Young Adults: Top 7 Tips
Teenagers don’t have a monopoly on needing to care for their skin, though. It’s also important for young adults to practice a good skincare regimen, as they may often experience skin breakouts. Here are some tips on skincare for young adults.
1. Use Sunscreen
Regardless of your age, sunscreen is extremely important in terms of skincare. If you want to avoid premature aging, skin irritations, and an increased risk of developing skin cancer, then sunscreen should be your best friend!
Cover all exposed areas of your skin as often as possible when you’re exposed to sunlight.
2. Use a Gentle Makeup Remover
Many young adults tend to wear makeup, so it’s important to understand how to properly remove it, without damaging your skin.
Look for a gentle makeup remover that won’t harm your skin. Another option would be to use micellar water which contains micelles. These act as magnets, removing unwanted buildup from your pores.
3. Choose Skincare Products Carefully
One of the most helpful skincare tips for young adults is to choose your skincare products wisely. You’ll want to set your skin up for a healthy future.
The best way to do so is to choose skincare products containing all-natural ingredients that won’t harm your skin. Check out our line of all-natural skincare products at Rebel Skincare and read about the benefits people like you have experienced from them!
4. Don’t Forget to Wash Your Hair
This may seem like a strange skincare tip (because it’s about hair and not skin). However, when you have oily hair, that oil can get onto your face and make it even more oily. So shampoo regularly!
5. Moisturize Regularly
Moisturizing regularly is not only good for keeping your skin hydrated, but it can also help keep acne away. It is necessary, though, to look for a moisturizer that is non-comedogenic (meaning it won’t clog your pores).
6. Choose Your Diet Wisely
As for skincare for young adults, always be mindful of what you’re putting in your body. Eating healthy foods (like fresh fruits and vegetables and grass-fed meats) will play a huge role in your overall skin health.
It’s also recommended to eat a balanced diet, avoid processed foods containing unnatural ingredients, and eat dairy products seldom.
7. Manage Your Stress
Easier said than done, right? But it’s vital to try to minimize stress. When you’re stressed, it can affect your sleep and even your hormone levels. High stress tends to cause skin breakouts.
Skincare Wrap-Up
And that concludes your lesson on back to school skincare tips for teens. You’ve also been “schooled” on proper skincare for young adults.
While these tips are separated here for either teens or young adults, they’re not exclusive for one or the other group of people. In other words…The tips listed here for teens are also applicable to young adults, and vice versa.
So grab those leftover school supplies and jot down these notes so teens and young adults can have one less thing to stress about this school year!