Starting your youngster on a skin care routine

My daughters are still young—8 years old and 10 years old. When should I start them on a simple skin program?

The best time to begin teaching your kids about taking care of their skin is when puberty starts. It is during puberty that changes begin to take place, although not always in the form of breakouts and other skin issues. Usually before puberty the skin is functioning perfectly and there are few if any problems with a child’s skin.

Clean skin is important regardless of age, so if you wanted to teach them how to properly clean their skin, that would be a wonderful first step to their eventual skin care routine. I’d recommend having them cleanse in the evening before bedtime. After a day of school and outdoor activities, learning the importance of going to bed with clean skin will benefit them in the future—especially when they start wearing makeup. One of the biggest skin care no-nos is to go to bed with makeup on!

Later on, when they get a bit older, and especially if one or both of them starts having problems with their skin, you can add products and procedures that will benefit whatever is going on. Eventually they will want to do The Basics 1-2-3 (see link below) throughout their lives along with exfoliating and clay masks (The Extras). For now, simple cleansing is a great start for your young girls.

My teenage daughter is just getting interested in taking care of her skin. Do you have any suggestions as to what a young lady should do?

If your daughter has clean, blemish-free skin, she probably doesn’t need much in the way of a program other than a good cleanser. If she is wanting to start a skin care regime or is already wearing makeup, then here is what I would recommend for a teenager with clear skin. 

• Have her use a gentle cleanser, like Cetaphil, which you can find at any grocery or drug store. 
• Follow this with a toner that does not contain alcohol. I recommend putting the toner in a spray bottle. 
• As far as moisturizer, she may not need one yet, but if so, you may have to experiment before you find one that works for her. It shouldn’t contain much oil, and certainly not mineral oil. 
• At her age, she really doesn’t need eye cream. She can start using it after she has turned the corner on 20 or so. 

Remember, as a young person, your daughter’s skin is probably functioning perfectly, more so than at any other time in her life. Once she passes into the childbearing years, her skin will be subject to changing due to hormone fluctuations. If she’s already well into her teen years, she may not experience breakouts due to hormone fluctuations since she, no doubt, is already having hormone surges.

For more details on what to do and what not to do for your teenager’s skin (whether problems are present or not), see:

• Teenage Skin—what you need to know  
• The Basics 1-2-3 Program  
• Product Recommendations—a teenager Q & A

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comment:

1. 
   Marine March 24, 2015 at 8:11 PM

   My daughter is 14 and very involved with taking care of her skin. She always gets compliments on how clear and glowing it is. I introduced her to cleansing, masks and facials last year and how she has good habits for life.