Teenage Skincare

Hi Everyone, 
I've had a few people recently ask me about teenage skincare, and the whole beauty market which just target's teenage skin care. Due to my obsessive behaviour when I was once a thirteen year old, and I over analysed every pimple on my face, I know pretty much all I can about the skin care industry which spends millions of dollars just on getting a school girl or boy, to pick up a oil-free salicylic acid pumped foaming cleanser with the fragrance of hundred angels. But instead of discussing the problems within the industry it self, I though I might quickly create a few guidelines for those within the teenage years, or those interested in purchasing products for teenage skin, to go by. 


Pimples, zits, bumps, acne. That is seemingly all that the teenagers care about, but in fact, it's pretty much impossible to reduce pimples just by skin care. Often, teenagers seek for the oil-free cleansers which dry up the pimples within days, but it's clear that pimples mostly result for hormonal changes, which are prominent within the teenage years due to puberty. Instead of targeting the smooth and sensitive skin teenagers have with harsh chemicals, I would avoid:
Oil-free
Foaming
Alchol based cleansers, toners or moisturisers
These products dry out the skin, and that can cause irritation (number one thing you DON'T want), hence causing pimples. I would recommend not even looking at the acne section of the skin care aisle, and instead spending some time in the sensitive skin area, which is helping to soothe irritated skin.

Oily skin - something a lot of teenagers think they have, and worry about it. But, NO research shows that teenagers have oilier skin than adults. what? Neutrogena, you've been lying to me. The oily skin is actually just a marketing hoax, which makes teens think oil-free products - espeically found in Neutrogena branded products, more applying.
 Teenagers skin isn't going to settle to a perfect skin type for the first few years, but treating it with harsher chemicals targeting the oily parts, isn't going to help it at all. Instead, avoid those oil free claims, and add all the oil you need for your skin to feel comfortable and not ill and tired. The best way for teens to really figure out what works well, is giving them samples of water based moisturisers - (look at ingredients list, and water/aqua should be in top two). These moisturisers do still have oil (most anyway), and seemingly soak in faster than other moisturisers, which reduces the 'oily skin' feeling, while still hydrating the skin. Never skip on moisturisers, because that is so important in teen skin care. 

Foaming Cleansers.  No. No. No. No. No. Just don't even tell me about foaming cleansers for teenage skin. Who ever decided that foaming cleansers are good for marketing purposes needs to read a skin care book, and realise that they need to stop spreading their misery of killing someone's skin. 
Foaming cleansers dry out the skin, and the foam is just a myth of 'cleaning'. It actually does nothing on skin, and in fact doesn't clean the skin at all. 
A lot of foaming cleansers have this 'squeaky clean' feeling, which is actually the removal of sebum on the face - in which is damaging the skin. Avoid. Avoid. Avoid. 
It causes irritation, addiction to the squeaky clean feeling, obsessive scrubbing in the future, and just so much damage. 
Stick with cream cleansers or gentle cleansers.

There are a few brands I would recommend not to touch, though I always have exceptions in their line, and as always, this is based on with personal opinion and looking at their general ingredients they mainly use in teen skin care. Please don't take offensive.

-Neutrogena
-Clean and Clear  
-Proactive 
-Biore
-Nivea teen line.

As always, my main aim is to inform people that you should take care of the skin, by using really mild chemicals on the skin, and keeping the irritation down to a minimum. There are multiple brands and companies out there with fabulous skin care lines and products which are perfect, and I would recommend you find a product which suits the skin the best you can :)
Best of luck x
z