What are the most common skincare concerns among teenagers today?
There is the usual teenage acne that on average affects around 85% of all teenagers to some extent. What we’ve noticed in our clinic is the increase in skin issues that we would previously have associated with older age groups such as rosacea and peri-oral dermatitis.
Are teenagers overusing skincare products? If so, what impact can this have on their skin?
In my experience many of the teenagers have been using multiple actives from a pre-teen period when the skin is immature and vulnerable to damage. The consequence of teenage hormones is the maturation of the sebaceous glands in the skin. It is this increase in oil that plays its part in the development of acne. Pre-teen skin does not however the protection of oil against harsh actives such as retinols and acids, hence the damage can be very swift, this damage is carried into teenage years of not corrected and in my view contributes to the inflammatory skin issues we are seeing in both groups.
What ingredients or products should teenagers avoid due to their sensitive skin?
I am not a fan of over cleansing. I feel that quite often as soon as a teen sees a blemish the ten step skin care begins with so many actives and little to help soothe and repair the skin. I would avoid harsh cleansers that leave the skin tight and dry. Unless a retinoid has been prescribed or recommended for an acne skin, there is no benefit for a normal skin care routine, it will almost certainly cause dryness and irritation in a sensitive skin. I would also approach any AHA and BHA’s with caution. The skin turnover in a young skin is rapid and as such I can’t see a place for too many acids and exfoliants. Likewise deep cleansing masks e,g. clay masks can be very drying in some skin types, ask yourself what purpose is this serving?
Are there any skincare ingredients that could be harmful if used too early?
As aboveI would say broadly using an active skin care regime that is targeting photodamage is an absolute no. The concentration of actives to treat this mature often more resilient photodamaged skin will not suit a young skin and often creates significant issues including dryness, sensitivity and often breakouts that tend to cease once the skin is rebalanced.
How important is it for teenagers to use sunscreen, and how should they incorporate it into their routines?
We know statically 25% of photodamage has happened by your twenties. The majority of our lifetime sun exposure is in childhood and sunburn as a child is an independent risk factor for the most serious skin cancer melanoma. So, sun protection for teens is very important. If for example a teen has a darker phototype and there is an active acne, it is very important to incorporate ingredients to reduce post acne pigmentation e.g. niacinamide and azelaic acid, and protecting from UV is important. That said if high factor broad spectrum suncream is going to be worn daily thinking about vitamin D supplementation from October to April as per NICE guidance, especially in those with Fitzpatrick skin type 4-6 where more UVB exposure is needed to reach requisite vitamin D levels.
Should there be age guidelines for certain skincare ingredients, like retinoids or acids? Do you think this should come into play soon?
I do think there should be clearer guidance when it comes to use of potentially damaging actives such a retinols and acids. I also think that there should be clear guidance regarding inappropriate marketing to young people. I am seeing in clinic so many young people with skin issues that were previously associated with a more mature skin such as rosacea and peri-oral dermatitis, to me inappropriate skin care use is definitely driving this change.
What does a basic, dermatologist-approved skincare routine look like for a teenager?
It will depend on any specific needs they have, but in essense it should be really simple: gentle cleanser, moisturiser and SPF in the spring and summer months and daily if wishing to protect against photodamage with the above caveats regarding vitamin D.
How can teenagers identify when their skin is being “over-treated” or irritated?
If the skin starts to feel tight or dry after cleansing, this is the first indication that skin is becoming sensitive and more gentle products are needed. If the teen is aware of their skin during the day ie it start to feel dry or irritated again this suggests the skin is out of balance. Obviously, redness, itching and an increase in breakouts may also be a sign.
Are there specific skincare brands or products that are especially safe or effective for teenage skin?
I would always look to trusted brands and ideally those that are created to work with the skin and its natural microbiome etc. This immediately leads me to French pharmacy brands such as La Roche Posay.
How can teenagers manage skin concerns like acne without relying heavily on multiple skincare products?
I would suggest looking for a gentle but effective routine. For me that looks like CeraVe hydrating cleanser followed by Effaclar Duo from La Roche posay for example. This is gentle and effective, but most importantly unlikely to cause harm and further disruption to the skin barrier.
Have you observed any trends in skincare misuse among teenagers (e.g., “skin cycling” or frequent exfoliation)? Any you disagree with and why?
At least with skin cycling there is some rest days from actives. The question I would ask is why are teenagers using actives in the first place? Unless these actives have been recommended by skin specialist for example to treat acne, I do not feel they are needed. Likewise, over exfoliation of skin is one of the quickest routes to skin sensitivity and the subsequent skin issues we frequently see that follows such disruption. As with most things in life … less is more.
What role does diet, and lifestyle play in teenage skincare, and can it sometimes outweigh the use of products?
I always worry when teenagers start exclusion diets, nutrition is vital at this age so restrictive diets can have significant consequences. I do believe that a healthy balanced diet with non-processed foods and rainbow fruits and vegetables will benefit the general health of a teenager including their mental health, and of course their skin. I do. Not recommend smoking or vaping, the latter have very specific skin side effects. Finally regular exercise will also have global benefits.
Any other key things to note surrounding the teens skin pandemic currently happening? Any other bits of advice?
I would encourage any parent of carer to stand firm, especially when being pressed for complicated and often expensive skin care products. Encourage your teenagers to seek out the advice of qualified dermatology professionals, there is a lot of excellent advice and guidance out there. If there is an issue with skin irritation, dryness or breakouts encourage the gentlest soothing and simple skin care regime. Look at the Toleriane range from La Roche Posay as this is usually very well tolerate and unlikely to cause further problems whilst waiting for specialist advice.
Lastly, what products DO get it right for younger skin?
For adry irritated skin that has become sensitised from overuse of actives I recommend using the Toleriane Dermocleanser from La Roche Posay. After cleansing use the Cicaplast serum from the same brand to start to soothe and repair the skin barrier, finally the Dermallergo soothing cream will moisturise the skin, whilst reducing any burning or stinging with its Neurosensine peptide. I almost always see a swift improvement with this rescue combination. For an acne prone skin as above a gentle cleanser with Cetaphil gentle cleanser and CeraVe hydrating cleansers amongst my favourite, then the Efflaclar Duo moisturiser to both treat active acne, soothe the skin and remove post acne marks, this is my favourite product. For really good, affordable skin care that can treat most teenage skin issues, Cerave is an excellent brand also.
Complications of using active and harsh skin products on young skin : Dr Justine Hextall
I’d like to know:
– Has there been a rise in the past year of teens/tweens seeking help for skin. I have definitely seen younger teens and tweens who have managed to disrupt their skin with incredibly complicated skin care routines. I find it extraordinary that 10 and 11 years olds are wanting to use face masks and more worryingly actives such as facial acids on a regular basis.
– How the TikTok multi step skincare routines are impacting young people’s skin and why (e.g. 14-year-olds using very potent products and brands on their young, sensitive skin. Plus, how multistep skincare routines can aggravate acne and why this is particularly relevant to young skin) You have to remember that it is the hormones of puberty that stimulate the sebaceous glands to create oil. In pre- pubescent skin the oil content and microbiome is different and is very often much more sensitive and unable to tolerate actives such as acids, deep cleansing products and masks. The issue is a disruption of the skin barrier often starting with a change in the delicately acidic skin PH. The downstream effects are an increase in moisture loss from the skin and a change to the all-important microbiome that protects and balances a healthy skin barrier. The result is often dryness, irritation and often an exacerbation of what probably started as a mild limited acne. Almost without fail as soon as I start to strip back this complicated regime and introduce calming hydrating skin products the skin starts to improve. If only we could stop this in the first place.
-Science of the impact these products have on skin – how that varies between young and old… e.g. what damage can applying potent ingredients and multitude of products as the result of Tiktok videos do to a 13 y/o’s skin as opposed to someone with more mature skin? The oil glands are less active in pre-pubescents and as such there likely to be less protection against actives such as acids and retinoids that we might use for example in an older teen with acne. Over cleansing a young skin, using too many actives and exfoliant masks may well disrupt the skin barrier and its delicate microbiome leading to increased inflammation, dryness and irritation. Also, when an individual is treating a legitimate concern such as photodamage or acne, it is clear where the endpoint lies. A younger tween just following Tick Tock without obvious skin care needs will continue to use actives without understanding when to pull back i.e. When the skin becomes dry or tight. They will not have the understanding to balance active with repair and skin will almost certainly end up with dry and sensitised. All of that said, getting tweens into the habit of using a gentle hydrating cleanser, a light moisturiser and SPF is going to help them when puberty starts to create skin issues. I always feel that a lot of teenage acne is exacerbated by over cleansing and using harsh stripping products that disrupt the skin’s microbiome and ultimately leads to further inflammation, so it’s never too soon to introduce a healthy skin care routine.