Skincare For Teens

I'm sure a lot of you younger people out there might only have access to drugstore skincare and makeup, which is totally fine. You can find some wonderful, amazing products at the drugstore or even at Walmart and Target. So, today I'll be talking about how teenagers can take good care of their skin with the right products from the drugstore.

Now I know when I was a teenager, I couldn't stop the oil on my face. It was just so greasy and very annoying at times. It was hard finding a good cleanser that got rid of the oil on my face, but not dry it out real bad. I remember using the Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash. Oh the memories. For me, it was just okay. It didn't do anything miraculous for my skin and at times it just dried it out and made it uncomfortable. It also didn't do much for the acne I had. Granted, that was like the first skin cleanser I ever tried back when I was 11 ( that's almost 13 years ago!), so they might have changed it or reformulated it somehow so it can be a decent cleanser for starting out a routine. Personally, I think you'd have better luck with Clean & Clear cleansers. I still use Clean & Clear cleansers to this day because I think they're wonderful. Their Morning Burst Facial cleanser is fantastic! Seriously, if you wake up in the morning feeling really tired, this will wake you right up. It has a nice citrus scent that's not overpowering, and its got Vitamin C and Ginseng which help to wake up your skin. If your skin is looking and feeling a little dull, try the Morning Burst Skin Brightening Facial Cleanser. This will kick your skin up a notch and make it look vibrant and refreshed.

Toners aren't absolutely necessarily for teenagers. Most toners geared toward teen skin is way too harsh anyways because a lot of them are alcohol based, which is so not healthy for your skin. They'll just over-dry your skin, therefore producing more oil to compensate for the dryness. It's not a fun cycle to go through. If you really do want to try a toner though just for the sake of having a routine, a good one is Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner. Like the name says, it doesn't have that nasty alcohol in it and it's just a simple, basic toner. Another good one is Simple Soothing Facial Toner. This toner is wonderful for acne prone skin because it'll help calm down all the inflammation of acne. 

Another thing I feel I should mention is, don't feel it's necessary to stick with a brands 3-step system. There are so many brands that have a cleanser, treatment and moisturizer combination set. 9 times out of 10, and I hate to say this, but the systems won't work. Trust me, there were times where I'd try out different systems, and they broke me out so bad and made my skin so red and irritated because they were just too harsh. My acne was worse than before, so I had to stop using the system. I'd then try maybe the cleanser of that system but use a different toner and moisturizer and my skin cleared up. So really, try some different brands, try the 3-step systems if you like, but I'm just warning you, it might not work.

Now onto moisturizers. Personally, I would try to find a moisturizer with SPF in it to save time and a little extra money. You also want to start early with using SPF because that'll help slow down the aging process. (we all want that, don't we?) A good moisturizer with SPF in it, if you have pretty normal skin with a touch of acne is Simple Vital Vitamin Day Cream SPF 15. This is thicker than a lotion or gel, which is why I recommend it for more normal skin. If you're oily, try a light lotion based moisturizer like Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture in either SPF 15 or 35. I prefer 35 since it's got more sun protection in it, but 15 is the absolute lowest you should go. Neutrogena has a very nice line of moisturizers with SPF, so look around and see if you like something better too. for nighttime, you definitely don't need the SPF moisturizer. If you have oily, acne prone skin, try Neutrogena Oil-Free Anti-Acne Moisturizer. This has salicylic acid in it, which helps to clear out your pores, healing and helping to prevent more acne from forming. If you have more normal skin with not too many issues, try the Oil-Free Moisture - Combination Skin. I have this in my closet for when it gets a little cooler outside since it's a tad bit heavy to use right now. Also, as you can tell, I'm a huge Neutrogena fan. Even though that one cleanser wasn't that good, I still love a ton of their products.

It's also a good idea to always use sunblock all over your body when you're outside in the sun all day. You might not believe when I say this, but tanning is bad for you. Yep, I said it, it's bad for you. When you get a tan, sunburns also, you're damaging your skin cells. Tans and sunburns are caused by harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation and that's what attacks your skin cells making them darker. Tans may look good on some people, but trust me, the consequences in the long run aren't good. Your skin can look a lot older than it is, therefore making you look older than you are, and you can get skin cancer, and I know no one wants that.

I really hope this helped out any teen girl (or guy even) looking to start a simple everyday routine. I know it can sometimes be a pain sticking with a routine, especially with school and whatnot, but try to make the effort and wake up 5 to 10 minutes earlier to do your skincare routine. Then at night, take that same amount of time roughly and do it again. You can even wash your face in the shower quick and do the rest when you get out. Trust me, if you stick with it, in the long run, you'll be so much better off. You'll have beautiful skin that everyone will compliment on, and you'll look younger too!