Basic Skin Care for Teenagers

Keeping a simple skin care regimen or routine for a teenager will go a long way to ensure that healthy, clean skin is one less thing to worry about. Teenage life is complicated enough, let's help by keeping the skin clean and clear. This is also great for teenage girls because this gives them a good, clean foundation to put on make up (if they choose).

Developing a skin care regimen is pretty simple, however, it is easy to get overwhelmed if your skin is plagued by acne or other skin disorders such as rosacea.

A basic skin care regimen is composed of really just 3 steps and why they're important:

1. Cleanse

Your skin type will usually determine what kind of cleanser you use on your skin. Typical categories for skin include normal, normal/dry, normal/oily or combination, and oily. Remember that your skin may tend towards oiliness during warmer weather but be dry in cooler weather. So, depending on the time of year and what your skin is doing, you need to pick the right cleanser. That cleanser could be a foaming cleanser, and exfoliant (or scrub), or a special soap bar (like you would find at Clinique) but it will be clear what type of skin the cleanser is for.

Some brands have skin care sets for acne-prone skin that is formulated for all skin care types. However, make sure that you test out the products before putting it on your entire face just in case the "one size fits all" does not work for your skin.

2. Tone (optional)

After cleansing the face, a toner, or astringent, can be used to get rid of all remaining traces of dirt, oil and make up. However, this step is not necessary for every skin type. If you have chosen a good cleanser, then there should be no need for a toner. However, if you prefer the way your skin feels with the use of a toner, then feel free to add it as part of your routine. This will usually be the case with oily skin.

3. Moisturize/Sun Protection

This last step can be done for those with all types of skin. The difference is what weight of the moisturizer. So, for example, those will oily skin are going to have a lightweight moisturizer versus those whose skin is dry and will need more moisture. Again, your chosen product will tell you what kind of skin that moisturizer is for.

Another option for girls is to use a tinted moisturizer instead of a separate moisturizer and foundation on the days when you choose to wear make up. A tinted moisturizer will serve both purposes and also give you much needed SPF to protect your face. Actually, make sure any moisturizer you choose has an SPF since it is typically the last thing you are putting on your face before heading out.

These are the simple steps to skin care for teenagers (and really anyone) but the goal is to keep your regimen as simple as possible. While you can get your skin care products from a store like Target or CVS or go to the department store, if you are unsure about what you really need, then it is a good idea to visit a department store to get a consultation. Don't feel pressured to buy something just because the salesperson recommended it and they work on commission.

The most important thing is getting what is right and best for your skin. If there is a store such as Sephora near you, then you can see many different skin care lines without the pressure of commissioned salespeople. Ask lots of questions and be sure you find a product you are comfortable with, even if it costs a little more to get the solutions you need.

Sources:

Sephora Skin Care

Clinique Skin Care

Target Skin Care

Smart Skin Care: Skin Care Basics

Skin Care: The 4 Basic Skin Care Needs