When I entered my teens 15 years ago, I wish someone could have taught me a correct skincare routine, because I believe it would have made a big difference in how my skin turned out.
All the products I tried because I thought they catered to my skin’s needs turned out to be the worse, because I didn’t consider other factors like hormones, skin texture and exposure to the sun. I only knew that I had oily skin and needed something to deal with that.
Fortunately, with more information coming to the surface, teenagers of this generation don’t have to go through half the stuff my peers and I went through.
Ruan Winter from South African skincare brand Vitaderm says skincare for teens is not a one size fits all.
“Not all teen skin is the same, some may suffer from oily skin, others just a few isolated breakouts, and there are those teenagers who may experience severe break outs and a visit to a dermatologist may be required.”
However, there are ways in which you can combat skincare concerns, and these include watching what you eat, avoiding touching your face, using an alcohol-free toner and moisturising.
Winter says your skin reflects not only your good eating habits, but the bad ones, too. Try to incorporate fruit and vegetables into your diet and increase your water intake to help flush toxins out of the body.
Avoid spreading bacteria by constantly touching your face, and if you do touch it, your hands must be clean. Also, get into the habit of cleansing your face with wipes to reduce the spread of bacteria, especially before exercising or playing sports. However, this shouldn’t replace cleaning your skin properly with daily cleanser and incorporating an exfoliator twice a week.
Go for an alcohol-free toner like the Vitaderm Antiseptic Toner, which contains extracts of juniper, cedarwood and tea tree, helping restore the natural balance of problematic skin while normalising oil production.
Just because your skin is oily doesn’t mean you should not moisturise it. Choose a light moisturiser that will calm the skin and provide protection against the elements.
And don’t forget to wear a sunscreen.