The following article is long, quite nerdy, and helpful. You will learn about skin care routine for teens, acne, external factors, what skin concerns are most common, maskne, dermatitis, dry and dehydrated skin, how to pop a pimple, tricks and tips and helpful advice.

This article is suitable for moms with teens, anyone between 14 and 25 years old youngsters or beauty therapists who wants to learn more, agree or disagree with me. And of course, curiosity and hunger for knowledge is welcome as well.

Nowadays, the teenage years can be full of pressure, uncertainty, and change. More and more information that you can find on the internet sometimes can be overwhelming and may confuse you.

Let’s start with the most important thing that is happening in your body at the moment.

HORMONES. The main cause of imbalances and imperfections on your skin, but there are also a few more important internal and external factors that may lead to unpleasant skin concerns.

Puberty is the process when your body starts to change and develop and that may cause hormonal imbalances. Absolutely normal!

The male hormone, testosterone, is at the highest at puberty, released to develop male functions and it triggers sebaceous glands to go crazy. Clogged pores, oiliness, most of the time leading to acne. During teenage years, boys are more prone to get acne than girls but after 20’s guess whose hormones are going crazy? That is because girls happen to have in their puberty, a monthly thing called “Santa”, sorry…menstruation.

And again, that may cause every time some breakouts and that is okay! Females will be more susceptible to get acne after their 20’s because there are other stages of hormonal imbalances like pregnancy, menopause, and even some health conditions.

Teen Acne or juvenile acne

Breakouts are hands down nowadays, being the No.1 issue among teens that not just only affects the skin, it also affects their self-esteem and confidence.

This skin condition highly affects teens but also adults due to emotional and social pressure and also could be triggered by diet, lifestyle and poor skincare, and other bad choices. 👀

A worrying thing for me is that, people are misinformed even though we live in the internet era.

Starting from puberty, anyone must know that a visit to a skin therapist either online or at the salon. They can prevent acne or even make it better. Yes! A SKIN THERAPIST aka Beautician, Skin Expert, Beauty Therapist, you name it.

We are studying skin in depth for years, including anatomy and biology, chemistry and we stay up to date with trends, products, and training. I know you feel like a dermatologist should do the work, but you need to understand that is not the case most of the time.

We are able to treat juvenile acne (teen acne) and sometimes even better than a dermatologist. Why? Nowadays, we can talk about multiple approaches to the same issue from a medical, holistic, or cosmetological point of view. While a medical practitioner will prescribe you things that will ameliorate your skin for a while, drying it out and sensitizing it, with all kinds of antibiotics that are intended to push away the infection.

Don’t get me wrong, they are more qualified with years of medical practice, and there are amazing ones that can help your skin big time. The sad part is that not every one of them actually cares – the same as beauty therapists or anyone who mostly work only for money and not to help.

In most of the cases I dealt with along my career, the common practice, even for just a few spots, the medic will recommend a well-known strong drug that can destabilize even more not just the skin but the whole body and mind. There is medical research that shows that teenagers who took Accutane are more prone to suffer from depression and anxiety and develop other skin conditions like rosacea.

What I am saying is that only a very aggravated form of acne can be treated with Accutane, and how I like to say it- this is the last resort for someone that is suffering from acne should have in mind that most of the drugs are coming with few or more side effects.

Understand that not all the cases are the same, we are all different beings and everybody deserves a customized treatment. Just think about it: let’s say you have mild-moderate acne. Your skincare is basically none – you use water to cleanse and a very basic moisturizer. Your skin is getting worse…and you are going to the medic to receive a medical prescription. What you need to learn is the fact that there are too many ways to take care of your skin and your body with some simple steps.

First of all ,you need a proper skincare regimen – that will include a proper cleanse, tone, exfoliation, SPF during the daytime, and your treatment night time which may include Retinoid, Salicylic Acid or Benzoyl Peroxide

Diet

You’ll need to be aware of your diet, which is a major factor in your skin health. I guess we all know that nowadays meat and dairy is filled with all kind of hormones that leads to other health issues or skin conditions. You don’t need those extra hormones right? You have your own!

If you are still having issues with acne, even though you have a great skin regimen, drink enough water, do some sports during the week, etc., maybe you can try to cut out just for a while dairy and meat.

More greens, veggies, fruits. Basically, test things out. Cut that, add this. Get to know your body better, take a photo before starting skincare – take another one after 3 months of using it accordingly – do you see any results? You need to understand that everything is connected here – mind, body, and soul.

Take care of your body like you take care of your mind and soul. Learn how to feed it with good things like healthy relationships, true friendships, good diet, laugh, sports, good grades, satisfaction, having fun, being in love, and the joy of new clothes or video games.

Think about it.

Your skin always shows what is wrong. Never let that demotivate you because this is not only about how you look. Don’t look in the mirror 24/7 and say “ugh, look at this awful pimple, I have so many blackheads, I look disgusting”. NOPE. This is not you, you are not disgusting. Sometimes you may have a pimple and that is okay. Accept that some things are like that, and if you know you did your best, then stop putting pressure on yourself. People who really love you will never judge, just because you have some extra pounds or you’re too skinny, or you have red cheeks or acne.😊❤

Do changes when you feel like it. If you don’t like your skin, do something about it! If you don’t like a t-shirt, probably you don’t wear it. Don’t stick around toxic people just because they look cool. People come and go and also teenage years. Enjoy as much as you can. Everybody went through some drama in their teenage years. You are not the only one. Remember that you are loved.

Skin care routine for teens:

Going back to acne and oily skin – let’s talk about how a recommended skincare regimen should look like.

1. Precleanse – if you are wearing makeup or extremely oily – balms, oils that melts makeup, debris, dust – may contain mineral oil;
2. Cleanse – removes any oil, residues, dust, mineral oil, SPF – must be a gel, lightweight (micellar water is not the best choice);
3. Tone – gentle, non-alcohol based.  My recommendation is to buy Thermal Water and use it as a toner – also on inflamed acne just spritz it to avoid friction with cotton pads.
4. Serum –  2% Salicylic acid, Tea Trea, Niacinamide, Zinc, Retinol, something that targets your blackheads and breakouts;
5. 30 SPF in a mattifying moisturizer – lightweight products, avoid super greasy stuff and wear SPF every freakin’ morning;
6. Night treatment like retinoids or corrective serums;
7. Night cream/gel – again look for names that contain ‘HYDRA” something – means that is moisturizing and lightweight;
8. Spot treatment – used any time during the day;
9. Exfoliation – one of the most important things to do. Use natural gentle exfoliation, enzymes, salicylic acid-based, lactic acid, rice bran, very gentle particles to scrub away dead cells and unclog your pores.
10. A clay mask will do wonders once a week to absorb excess sebum and resize pores.

Basic skin routine includes a cleanser, exfoliant, spf and night cream.

Remember if you focus only on your acne, it may lead to irritation and dehydration so you need to find a balance between treatment and maintaining skin’s barrier function.

Must reduce inflammation in the skin, hydrate it. Use oats, tea tree, salicylic acid, aloe vera, echinacea, clay masks, chamomile,

To hydrate it use hyaluronic acid, glycerin, aloe vera,

Even if your skin is perfect you still need to cleanse, exfoliate, wear SPF daily and use a hydrating cream night time. Maintain that beauty! 😎

Important facts to consider

Sweating increases blood flow and dehydrates so you need to cleanse properly and apply a moisturizer no matter what time of the day is. Always keep a little cleanser in your gym bag.

Hair friction irritates skin and may produce even more breakouts that is why I recommend tying your hair and to wear hair wraps or bandanas over your acne.

Hygiene – very important! You need to be aware of bacterial infections! There is already one in your skin called “Propionibacterium Acne” so please avoid touching your face at any cost, change your pillowcase every week, use your own face cloth (washed often without fabric softener), do not wipe or dry your skin with the general hand towel, and if you are a girl, never sleep with the makeup on. Make sure that your cotton pad is clean like the sky. Always cleanse and then use a gentle toner to remove any leftovers on your skin.

🍪🍩🍧🍨Sugars can trigger hormone fluctuation and lead to more inflammation so be careful how many sweets you consume. Try dark chocolate! YUM and Healthy!

🍷🍺🥂🍸Alcohol. If you’re over 18, a glass of wine won’t kill anyone but in excess, yes (true story). Also aggravates any form of acne, causing inflammation and slowing down the healing process.

🍕🍔🍟🌭Fast Food. We cannot say no to a pizza sometimes but again having a diet based on bad fats and sugar affects the skin leading to inflammation and overall bad skin. I did find a balance between fries/chips🍟 and an intense skin routine.

Okay right, there is not a secret anymore that diet affects skin. 🤷‍♀️🙋‍♂️

Genetics. Unfortunately, many teenagers are more likely to get acne from their genealogic tree. Up to 45% of some people genetically produce more skin cells.

Breaking out before your prom?

What happens if you break out just before an important event? First and foremost, calm down! Then, use baking soda or your exfoliant (salicylic acid does miracles) if you don’t have any of these just apply smashed aspirin mixed with honey or water on the spots. Leave for 15-20 min. Apply a cold compress if it’s red and inflamed.  If it has a huge white head follow the steps I will mention soon. 👇👇👇

Please remember to be patient. This is a process and you should trust it. Make sure you are also doing your best at home. Homecare regimen is 80% and 20 % is your visit to get professional treatments.

Professional treatment includes extraction –or picking, you name it. You probably did it already when a pimple decided to show up just before an important date, isn’t it?😆😏

Remember if you do that, you are more likely to get more breakouts, scar the tissue, get more bacteria because you did not wash your hands, and promote inflammation. We, as professionals do it in a clean, controlled environment, having all the necessary tools in order to get the best results.

What if your parents can’t afford you to have treatment every month? That is okay, I will teach you how to do it at home easily and safely with just a few strict rules.

How to pop a pimple or a blackhead:

1. Cleanse or double cleanse;
2. Steam bath – add some boiled water in a bowl and cover yourself with a towel to benefit from that steam, melt the sebum, and allow the skin to relax. You can add botanicals like mint, chamomile, lavender, lemongrass, lime, orange peels – stay there 15 min – do not do this if you have respiratory problems (asthma) or other health conditions.
3. Exfoliate – let’s say you don’t have any exfoliation at home, you can use baking soda to scrub your face a little bit. Do it gently and don’t press on the redness or inflamed areas- you can use this maybe once, meantime try to find a good exfoliant for your skin.
4. Tap your skin with a clean towel – never wipe or use friction.
5. Wrap around your pointing fingers some soft tissues, make sure your nail doesn’t go through it.
6. Press only on blackheads, and only on pimples that have a massive white head. Always press from the bottom against the skin, until the first drop of pure blood is coming out. Don’t force it if nothing comes out.
7. Use surgical spirit to apply on extracted areas. (tap don’t wipe)
8. Please understand this is a process and again takes time, focus on a few ones on each part – don’t try to take out all of them. You will end up with scarring and with even more inflammation.
9. Use clay masks – like bentonite or kaolin clay – best to absorb excess sebum.
10. Don’t look in the mirror nonstop. Your skin is healing. Give it some time. You may break out again in the next few days.

Remember, oily skin type is extremely common to a teenager. Have a skincare regimen even if you don’t suffer from acne. Even if your skin is perfect.

Maskne

Now with the worldwide situation and the need to wear the mask every time we are outside, a common skin issue is going on lately. Is the acne caused by wearing a mask – maskne.

Why is this happening? First, is the wet/warm environment that allows bacteria to flare up and spread and not just from our saliva that contains so many good and bad germs but it’s also the friction and lack of oxygen that is happening around your chin and neck.

What I recommend is to start using a spot treatment that can contain Niacinamide (vitamin B3) or tea tree or salicylic acid. Helps to create a sterile environment. Change your mask every two hours or wash it every day.  Exfoliate and avoid make-up. I had some awful breakouts and I did what I just mentioned. Also, I just stopped worrying about what people say because these things happen. It’s something that comes and go and as much as is important to take care of your skin you also need to chill out and remember that some breakouts do not define you as a human being.

Dry or Dehydrated?

As a skin professional, I need to explain these two terms. Probably you heard people saying ‘oh my skin feels so dry’. Dry skin is basically a genetic skin condition where oil glands are not working properly, or are almost inexistent, but it also can be gained during lifetime. It looks thin, flaky, dull, and tight, many fine lines and dry patches may be around as well. It also may lead to other skin conditions like rosacea, psoriasis and even eczema.

Dehydrated, on the other hand, it means a lack of water in the skin. That happens when your skin’s barrier is impaired, your microbiome is unbalanced, and when you use harsh things on your skin like soap, shower gel, alcohol-based products to remove that excess oil. Or simply, you use nothing. 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♀️

Drinking water does help your body overall, for your health but there are no studies that show that drinking water makes your skin plumped and hydrated. Still, keep drinking water. The best timhttps://skineducation.eu/dry-or-dehydrated-skin/e to drink water is after an intense workout.

Remember:  You can still be OILY and DEHYDRATED in the same time.

Use lightweight products, not heavy creams, no creamy cleansers, but you can use oils as well as long as you know they are pure or good quality (Tea Tree oil is amazing for oily skin – add 1-2 drops and mix with cleanser).

Dermatitis

Quite common among teens. it’s an inflamed skin condition that looks like irritation or rash. More common to females. Dermatitis is the medical name, and it has many types: eczema, allergic dermatitis, contact dermatitis. It may be flaky, red, and itchy and sometimes with crusts or dry patches.

You may need to contact your doctor if your skin it’s infected or getting very uncomfortable. My advice is first to try and go to a skin clinic and get some advice if you are not sure. We will know when to send you to see a derm.

Dermatitis is caused by a combination of factors like dry skin, lifestyle, environment, skincare, genetics, seasonal. It may flare up from irritating substances or vapors, stress, and even hormonal changes. To take care of this kind of skin condition, it may vary.

First, remember to use gentle products that can calm and soothe skin. Look at natural ingredients like oats, fragrances free, without artificial colorants, basically look for hypoallergenic products. I would also recommend avoiding way too cheap cosmetics.

In the treatment room: don’t be afraid to ask things, be yourself, and say what you need to say. You will be great. Never be ashamed of saying things. I love my approach with teenagers because I feel like I become a teenager as well…but with knowledge. I treat you as I would have loved to get treated back when I was 16-ish.

All skin therapists are different but always choose with heart. You need a connection in order to trust someone, always use your instincts. 

Don’t put something on your skin just because your friend recommended it or just because is fancy and cool. The skin should be treated seriously in order to prevent damage. Because later can cost you tons of money to fix it.

Sun Protection Factor aka SPF – you heard about it right?

These days with such pollution and environmental stress made these rays more dangerous even for young skin. If you suffer from a skin condition like acne or sensitivity, always opt-out for a day cream with SPF30 at least. You might ask ‘what if is cloudy all day?’ It doesn’t matter, rays are still there ready to damage the skin matrix by sensitizing it even more. All by creating those brown spots and inflammation. Protect your skin no matter what. Find a mattifying, oil-free SPF. For girls, having SPF in your make-up is not enough unfortunately but if you put it on top of that it’s actually better for more protection.

✌Random things to know about:

• You don’t need to be loyal to one skincare brand;
• The more luxurious and famous is the product the less is probably going to help you. Maybe help your ego but not the skin. It depends but you may find affordable brands that your skin will love it.
• The more natural and organic you go, the longer it takes the results to show up. Be patient if you choose natural or organic.
• Wear BROAD SPECTRUM SPF 365 days /year. Even if it’s cloudy and rainy.
• Love yourself more and stop caring what other people think. The more you grow up the more you will see no one matter but you.
• You can remove your blackheads but do it in a controlled and clean environment and be patient. If you pick you randomly all the time your skin, prepare for more breakouts.
• Do not listen to influencers or popular social media stars that recommend skincare products just because it worked for them. And most of the time they don’t even try that product or do it for the $$$. Spend your money wisely.
• Look for remedies at home as well if you don’t afford products. But it could be for a matter of time…
• Stress and anxiety affect the skin overall – stay positive because you’re still a kid. Enjoy these years because adulthood is not funny 🤣
• Exfoliation is a must! Removes dead cells, balances oiliness promotes hydration, softens blackheads, prevents pimples, and allows better penetration to other serum and creams.
• Avoid cleansing wipes and cloths – they no good sir.
• Be kind with yourself, get informed but make sure the source is legit and educational. (Share this article if you find it helpful 😎✌🤞)
• If you have the chance use face masks all the time you can. There are great sheet masks for hydration and clays for oiliness.
• If you’re over 25 you can start adding in your skincare maybe a lactic acid-based cleanser, serums and eye creams.

Disclaimer. This information is in a general manner. We all are different but you may use all these things to make your best experience. Educational and informational purposes only. Please note: I have nothing against derms. A lot that I have met personally and based on my client’s stories kind of disappointed me. I respect and appreciate everyone who loves their job and helps people genuinely. For more please read Disclaimer and Advice Page.

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