Teenage skin can be something of a pest and most teenagers or young adults will suffer from some sort of skin problem at some point in their lives.
Teenage skin can be something of a pest and most teenagers or young adults will suffer from some sort of skin problem at some point in their lives.
It is something most teenagers will hate as no one likes to have bad skin and with the influx of perfectly skinned bloggers and influencers it makes teenagers feel quite inadequate. However, there are some things you can tell your teenager about having good skin and should their skin continue to be troublesome perhaps, consider consulting a skin doctor or your family doctor.
Start with the basics
Firstly, you need to know what type of skin your teenager has before you can get them the best products for their skin so begin with a skin analysis. Is your teenager's skin oily? Is it dry or is it a combination of both? Oily skin is oily and is usually prone to acne or bad spots. Dry skin can be flaky, dry and red while combination skin is a mix of the both. Rarely do teenagers have perfect skin unless they are lucky to have amazing genetics!
Here are some things teenagers should do or not do every day to keep their skin clear:
- Wash their face with a good face wash suitable for their skin.
- Drink lots of water, fresh juice and avoid drinking fizzy drinks.
- Eat a good diet of fresh vegetables and fruit as well as healthy dinners/lunches each day.
- Don’t eat too many sweets/crisps or fast food as it causes a lot of skin problems.
- Go easy on the make-up (if your teenager wears it) as it can clog pores and make skin worse than it is.
- Keep hands off the face and wash hands regularly to avoid dirt getting onto skin. Don’t pick at skin and anger the sore areas instead leave skin to heal to reduce the chances of scarring.
- Exfoliate regularly and consider using a weekly face mask to get rid of all the nasty stuff.
- Moisturise skin well even if it is oily already. Choose a moisturiser that is ideal for oily skin and it should help balance the skin and make it less greasy looking.
- Use sunblock to reduce the chances of ageing – not something teenagers are concerned with, but skin cancer is on the rise too. Best to protect skin now instead of making up for the damage in the future.
- Don’t let stress attack as sometimes bad skin can be because of too much stress in daily lives. Find ways to relax, take time to rest and get out and exercise. Exercise is good for skin too.
- Don’t overdo it on serums and fancy stuff as when skin is young it doesn’t need too much except to be clean and moisturised. Too much stuff will only build on your skin.
- This goes without saying but smoking or drinking does nothing for skin. Remind your teenagers of this.
- As mentioned above, if skin is still being difficult consult a doctor. The good news is most skin problems go away by themselves.
Emma Hayes is a thirty-something mum of two girls aged 16 and 10, planting her right into the teenage and tween-age years! Follow her on Twitter at @EmmaHayes25.