Teen Skincare: Which Ingredients To Avoid

In a world full of social media stars, it can be tempting for your tween or teen to slap on 10 different skincare products. While trendy, most of these products are doing more harm than good for your teen; understanding why is the first step to simplifying their skincare routine for healthy, glowing skin.

Trendy Or Tried-And-True?

Entering the world of skincare can be confusing for tweens and teens. There’s so many brands and products vying for their attention, and sometimes it’s easiest to buy them the new trendy thing. However, most of those popular skincare products are too much for young skin and will do more harm than good (and break the bank!). 

Your next instinct might just be to keep it simple and buy your teen the same products that you use. Sadly, this isn’t always the best idea either. Products that an adult might benefit from are likely to overload your teen’s skin.

Know Your Skin

As we get older, our skin begins to lose its natural ability to take care of itself. Collagen production goes down and sebum (oil) levels don’t regulate as well, meaning that you’re dealing with aging, discoloration, dryness, oiliness, loss of elasticity, and many other issues. Your products will likely reflect those issues and be perfectly suited to help you combat them, but young skin is a lot more resilient. 

While many teens do deal with skin issues such as hormonal acne, a simple cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen is enough for them (except in severe cases). While we’re young, our skin naturally produces its own collagen and regulates sebum production much better. Introducing products to solve issues that don’t exist in young skin can actually create problems that weren’t there before.

What Skincare Am I Looking For?

There are a lot of ingredients that you’ll want to avoid while your teen is still young. We’ll explore these in more detail shortly, but for now, let’s talk about what skincare products they should be using.

The Three-Step Skincare Routine

Healthcare professionals recommend a simple, three step routine for youthful skin. This consists of a cleanser, moisturizer, and mineral sunscreen. These three products wash away impurities, replenish moisture, and protect from the harmful effects of the sun without overloading the skin barrier.

The Glowing Girly Routine from Girlyish Skincare is a great option for tweens and teens. Girlyish is dedicated to providing clean formulas with safe ingredients (free of fragrances, hormone-disruptors, harsh chemicals, and more). This foundational skincare routine doesn’t come with the huge price tag and harmful ingredients. It is simple skincare that girls love and moms trust!

Deep Dive Into Skincare Ingredients: What to Avoid

Now that we know that not all skincare product ingredients are created equal, let’s dive deeper into a few ingredients to look out for and why they may not be the best options for young skin. Understanding their benefits and potential risks can help you and your teen make an informed decision when purchasing skincare!

Retinol (Vitamin A)

Retinol is the ultimate anti-aging hero, which should tell you exactly why your teen doesn’t need it. Retinol is quite potent and too much can cause rashes and sun sensitivity. While it can, in severe cases, be prescribed by a dermatologist for acne, in general, there is no need for your teen to use retinol products. And trust us, their skin and your wallet will thank you!

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)

To put it frankly, Vitamin C products are not at all useful for teens. They still have that youthful glow that Vitamin C helps to restore, and most teens don’t need help reducing dark spots. Vitamin C can irritate youthful skin and cause stinging, redness and even breakouts. If there is no need for it and it may cause potential issues, let's just have your teen put that Vitamin C product back on the shelf. 

Beta-Hydroxy-Acids (BHAs)

BHAs are an oil-soluble chemical exfoliant. For youthful skin, exfoliation is not necessary and can hurt the sensitive skin barrier. Using BHAs on young skin can lead to dryness and flakiness, sun sensitivity, and result in premature aging. BHAs can, in extreme cases of acne, be prescribed by a dermatologist, but they should not be used unless recommended by a professional. Because BHAs, like salicylic acid, tropic acid, and trethocanic acid appear in so many skincare products, it’s common for teens to overlap BHA products. Many cleansers, serums, and toners use these ingredients which can pose a greater risk of over use when combined. Remember-if you keep it simple, it’s easy to avoid the risks.

Endocrine Disruptors (Hormone Disruptors)

Did you know that common ingredients in skincare products can disrupt your tween or teen’s hormones? Scary right? Common ingredients such as parabens, phthalates, some synthetic fragrances and even UV blockers in sunscreens are just a few of the types of ingredients that can be harmful to the endocrine system. Girlyish Skincare takes special care to ensure that the cleanser, moisturizer and mineral sunscreen in The Glowing Girly Routine are free from hormone disruptors and other harmful ingredients so you can rest easy knowing that your teen’s skin is supported with products made with them in mind.

Keep It Simple, Keep It Safe

Hopefully you’ve been able to gain a greater understanding of skincare and how to tailor it for your teen’s needs. It can be overwhelming, especially if you aren’t even sure what you need for yourself! Just remember, when it comes to teen skincare, simple is safest! A clean three step routine, like the one from Girlyish Skincare, is your ticket to starting your teen on their skincare journey!