This is your ultimate guide to the skincare basics, and the dos and don’ts that every teenager needs to begin your skincare journey using safer, cleaner skincare. Even if you’re not in your teens, check out our skincare basics section to understand more about the basic principles of starting a safe (organic) skincare routine for you.
Keep it simple - cleanse, moisturize, and protect against the sun
Tip 1 - You don’t really need a skincare routine
It’s the least well-kept secret…there’s too many products marketed by brands to you these days, which all claim that you are missing out if you don’t use it. But as a teenager it’s important not to get sucked into the hype and FOMO. Only pick and choose what you really need, starting off with the basic two products: cleanser and moisturizer.
If you have no idea where to start, choose one skincare product from each of these categories - one that is labelled as gentle or for sensitive skin, because these tend to contain less irritants, toxins and potential allergens.
Only choose products targeting specific skin needs if your skin really needs it, such as skin brightening, or oil-controlling products. For a more detailed rundown of what skincare ingredients to look out for, see our dedicated post here.
For example, I have combination skin, and personally use the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser (vitasprings) because it’s the most effective cleanser I’ve found that does the best job at removing sebum (for all skin types) while not drying out the skin. However, it does contain parabens, so you can experiment with different cleansers to find one best suited to your skin type.
By the way…some the skincare we recommend are available on iHerb, which we use to buy a lot of our organic skincare. You can use our code AEJ0519 at checkout to get 5% off.
Tip 2 - Find out what skin type you have
To work out what additional skincare you might need, find out what skin type you are. If you can’t tell, cleanse your face and don’t put any products on for 10 minutes. If after 10 minutes, your skin feels oily or looks shiny, then you have oily skin (no-brainer). If your skin is looking shiny but feels dry, then it’s likely a type of skin called “oily-dehydrated”. If it is oily in some areas but dry in others, then you have combination skin. If it looks flakey or feels dry everywhere, then you have dry skin, and if it feels and looks good everywhere, then you have normal skin!
Often you will fall somewhere in between these categories on the spectrum. For example, if your skin mostly looks and feels normal, but there are still some oily bits, then you have “normal to combination” skin.
Tip 3 - Never forget sunscreen
It’s never too early to start wearing sun screen every day. UV radiation is great for giving you a tan, but causes premature signs of aging, as well as being a risk for skin cancer. Check out our post on anti-aging skincare for more information.
Tip 4 - Clear breakouts
Finally, make sure you stay on top of breakouts. See our dedicated post on this topic. But make sure you see a medical doctor if you think you might be suffering from acne. This is probably obvious, but the information presented here doesn’t constitute medical advice - always check with your doctor!
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