Skincare Routine for Teenagers

What are the characteristics of teenage skin?

When it comes to mastering skincare for teens, the first step on the journey is understanding why teenagers have unique skincare needs compared to children or adults. Puberty can impact teenagers at different rates, but it’s important to understand the basics of teenage skin concerns to equip yourself with the necessary knowledge to help manage present or future teenage skin concerns.

During the teenage years, hormonal changes often lead to a change in skin type or increase in skin concerns, meaning implementing a consistent skincare regime becomes more important. Hormonal changes can cause increased sebum production. Sebum is the skin’s natural oil that helps stave off dryness, but an excess can cause oily or combination skin, blackheads, whiteheads, blemishes and skin prone to acne.

How can excess sebum cause blemishes? There are two main factors. Extra oil can create clogged pores as it combines with dead skin cells and debris to form a plug. These clogged pores can also turn into larger blemishes because acne causing bacteria can feed off sebum. Overall, the more excess sebum, the more chance of blemishes occurring

Your CeraVe teenage skincare routine

Navigating the world of teenage skincare products can be confusing to navigate, with so many different formulas and ingredients to choose from. We’ve put together the guide below to help you build a simple, everyday teenage skincare routine. We’ll give you an overview of which ingredients to look for and how to apply each product for optimal skin benefits.

Wash your face with a gentle cleanser twice a day

If you’re thinking about using your regular soap to clean your face, think again. Soaps are too intense for facial skin and will strip away too much moisture, ultimately encouraging your skin to produce more oil in compensation.

Instead, opt for a gentle facial cleanser enriched with ceramides to help support your skin barrier. If you have combination skin, we recommend using our CeraVe Foaming Cleanser. On the other hand, we recommend using a 

salicylic acid cleanser like our CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser if you have oily and blemish-prone skin. Read our guide to salicylic acid for oily and acne-prone skin to learn how this ingredient can help remove excess oil and unclog pores. Be sure to cleanse your face carefully and pat your face dry rather than rubbing with a towel.

Use a hydrating serum

The second step in your teenage skincare routine should be an ultra-hydrating facial serum – because oily skin needs hydration too! Serums may sound complicated, but they don’t have to be. Simply pat on a few drops of our CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum on freshly cleansed skin and let the formula attract water molecules to the surface of your skin. This serum will build on the good work your gentle cleanser is doing in terms of avoiding triggering further oil production.

Protect your skin with an SPF moisturiser

Always remembering to use SPF is one of the most important parts of skincare for teens. Even if you don’t get sunburnt, UV radiation adds up over time to increase signs of ageing and your risk of developing skin cancer.

One simple way to avoid this is to seal in your skincare each morning with a facial moisturiser enriched with SPF. Apply a liberal amount of our CeraVe AM Facial Moisturising Lotion with SPF 15 for Broad Spectrum sunscreen protection alongside hydrating and comforting ingredients. You can be assured that this formula is non-comedogenic, meaning it won’t clog pores.

Use a light yet nourishing moisturiser at night

You don’t need SPF at night, so switch out your daytime moisturiser for our CeraVe Facial Moisturising Lotion. This lightweight, oil-free formula gives your skin all the moisture it needs without being too heavy. Niacinamide comforts your skin while ceramides help boost your skin barrier.

Apply a thin layer to your whole face and neck and drift off to sleep knowing you’ve taken great care of your skin!

 Practical tips for teenage skincare

To conclude, here are a few key tips to help look after teenage skin on a daily basis:

• Apply SPF every day – this helps minimise the chances of developing post-acne hyperpigmentation.

• Take a balanced approach to food.

• Get into the habit of reading product ingredients.

• Stay hydrated by drinking lots of water.

• Avoid touching your face often.

• Don’t pop or pick at blemishes.