Pimples are a fact of life in the teenage years. It doesn’t help that teens may receive conflicting advice about skincare from the Internet, magazines, friends, and even parents.
But, there are definitely ways you can help your teen reduce their number of breakouts as well as limit the lifecycle of a pimple when it appears. Here are five ways your teen can maintain clear, healthy skin.
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1 Daily Care Twice a Day
By using a face wash twice every day, teens can keep bacteria at bay and their skin clean and clear. However, don’t let your teen wash their face more than twice a day as this can irritate and dry out the skin.
Also, your teen should be sure not to vigorously rub the face wash into the skin, as this can inflame it. Instead, the wash should be massaged into the skin with gentle circular motions.
2 Choose the Right Face Wash and Moisturizer
When looking for a good face wash, a wash that also contains exfoliating elements can serve double duty for removing dirt and dead skin. Consider a product that uses micro-crystal benzoyl peroxide: These extra-fine particles are both an exfoliating wash and a great acne treatment that kills bacteria.
Using moisturizer on acne-prone skin may seem counterintuitive, since one may assume the oils in the product would clog pores. However, the downside to most acne treatments is they dry out skin. When skin is dry, it goes into overdrive with oil production which could potentially cause more breakouts. Using moisturizer can actually decrease the skin’s oil production, since the skin doesn’t need to work as hard to stay hydrated. Moisturizer should be gently applied to the skin with fingertips in a circular motion. If your teen has especially oily skin, you may want to consider an oli-free moisturizer instead.
It may take some experimenting to find the right fit between wash and moisturizer, so don’t be surprised if it takes a week or more for your teen’s skin to clear up.
3 Go Easy on Makeup
Using face wash at night is even more important than washing skin in the morning, especially for girls who wear makeup. The chemicals and oils in makeup can clog pores and weigh-down skin, making it more prone to breakouts.
Your teen may way to consider oil-free makeup products if her face is not clearing up despite a good skin regimen. Girls may even want to take a break from makeup for a day or two to let their skin breathe. This is an especially good idea if your teen needs to clear up a recent breakout.
4 Try a Face Mask
Does your teen have a special event coming up? A facial mask can quickly remove oils, get rid of dead skin, and clear off any deep-rooted bacteria. Using a mask once a week leading up to an event can leave your teen’s skin looking its best.
Look for deep-cleansing masks that remove bacteria and oil. You can even make a variety of all-natural homemade face masks using ingredients you probably have in the fridge.
5 Keep Devices and Glasses Clean
While makeup can clog pores and make acne worse, other things like dirty glasses and cellphones can rub plenty of their own grim onto sensitive skin. By washing glasses and cleaning cellphones, you can prevent these items from adding to your teen’s breakouts. Oils and dirt from hands can also add to acne problems, so remind your teen to keep hands away from their face and to wash their hands before applying makeup.
While these five tips offer the basics to keeping skin clear, there are many other tips for clear skin that include homemade remedies, eating habits, and supplements. What tips or tricks have kept your teen’s skin clear?