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If you’ve found your preteen or teen peering in the bathroom mirror performing a time-consuming, multistep skin care routine, you’re not alone.

A 2024 Benchmarking Co. survey found 76% of parents with girls and 65% of parents with boys reported their 7- to 17-year-olds already had their own skin care routines.

Social media influencers and celebrities sharing their own multistep skin care regimens — complete with pricey products — are helping to drive a global skin care market expected to reach $189.3 billion by 2026, according to Allied Market Research.

But are multistep skin care routines with expensive products necessary for young people?

What’s A Good Skin Care Routine for Teens?

For most preteens and teens, dermatologists recommend a simple approach to skin care.

A good basic teen skin care routine consists of three essential elements: cleansing, moisturizing, and protecting.

1. Cleansing

Cleansers remove dirt, oil, and makeup to slough off dead skin cells, preventing blocked pores and breakouts. Look for a gentle, non-irritating cleanser that doesn’t contain alcohol.

There’s no need to break the bank on expensive cleansers, either. Well-known over-the-counter (OTC) cleansers, such as CeraVe, Cetaphil, and Dove, are fine for most teens and tweens.

Try these three easy steps for a clean face:

1. Wet your face with lukewarm water.
2. Place a small amount of cleanser on your fingertips and gently apply it to your face, making circular motions in each area until you reach your hairline. Use gentle sweeping motions to work the cleanser under your chin up to your earlobes.
3. Rinse your face and neck thoroughly with lukewarm water, then pat dry with a soft towel.

Tips for keeping skin clean and healthy:

• Always remove makeup before going to bed.
• Avoid getting cleanser in your eyes. Rinse immediately with cool water if you do.
• Avoid mesh facial pads, puffs, and washcloths that are too harsh for young skin.
• Change your pillowcase frequently.
• Don’t pop or pick pimples, which can push bacteria deeper into the skin and make matters worse.
• Limit face-washing to twice a day and after sweating to prevent dryness.
• Try not to scrub your skin. Scrubbing can irritate it.
• Use lukewarm water to lather and rinse. Hot water can aggravate skin issues.

2. Moisturizing

Moisturizing is an important part of caring for teenage skin, helping to:

• Hydrate skin — Even though teenage skin is often oilier due to hormonal changes, it still needs hydration. Moisturizers help maintain the skin’s natural moisture balance, preventing it from becoming too dry or too oily.
• Improve skin texture — Regular use of moisturizers can improve the overall texture and appearance of the skin, making it look smoother and more radiant.
• Manage acne — Proper moisturizing can help manage acne. When the skin is well-hydrated, it’s less likely to produce excess oil, which can clog pores and lead to breakouts. Noncomedogenic moisturizers are particularly beneficial because they don’t clog pores.
• Prevent early aging — Consistent moisturizing can help prevent the early signs of aging. Well-moisturized skin is more resilient and less prone to fine lines and wrinkles.
• Provide barrier protection — Moisturizers strengthen the skin’s barrier, protecting it from environmental pollutants, bacteria, and other harmful elements. This is crucial for teenagers, who often experience exposure to various environmental factors.
• Soothe irritation — Teenage skin is often sensitive and prone to irritation from acne treatments or environmental factors. Moisturizers with soothing ingredients like aloe vera or chamomile can help calm the skin.

Teens should apply a light moisturizer, especially if their skin is dry or itchy. Look for a moisturizer that says it’s oil-free and noncomedogenic, so it doesn’t clog pores.

CeraVe, Cetaphil, and Dove also offer moderately priced moisturizers suitable for preteens and teens.

Moisturize daily, especially if you have acne. Dry skin can actually lead to more acne because the body tries to produce extra oil to protect the dry facial skin.

Tips for moisturizing:

• Apply creams or moisturizers to damp skin to lock in moisture.
• Apply moisturizer gently around your eyes, taking care not to pull or stretch delicate skin.
• Consider using petroleum jelly. This inexpensive product has many uses, including moisturizing dry skin and nails and treating minor injuries.
• Don’t overdo it. A little goes a long way.
• Gently massage moisturizer into your skin using circular motions.
• Moisturize your face twice a day, after washing, for best results.
• Remember to moisturize your lips and body, too, even if you have oily skin.

3. Protecting

Applying protective sunscreen is an essential step in the basic three-step skin care routine that many adults often try to skip.

But it’s just as important for teens as it is for adults, including those with black and brown skin.

Is sunscreen important for kids and teens?

In a word: yes.

Sunscreen helps protect the skin from the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) rays. UV rays can cause sunburns and skin damage and increase the risk of skin cancer.

This protection is essential for all skin types and tones. It’s especially important for kids and teens, whose skin is still developing and is often more sensitive to environmental factors.

Other benefits of regular sunscreen use for all skin types include:

• Maintains overall skin health — It prevents damage from UV rays.
• Prevents hyperpigmentation — Teens with dark skin are more prone to hyperpigmentation, where certain areas of the skin become darker than the surrounding skin. Sunscreen helps prevent these dark spots from becoming more pronounced.
• Prevents premature aging — UV rays can accelerate the aging process, leading to wrinkles, fine lines, and loss of skin elasticity. Sunscreen helps maintain youthful skin by protecting it from these aging effects.
• Reduces acne scarring — Sunscreen can help reduce the appearance of acne scars. UV exposure can darken these scars, making them more noticeable. By using sunscreen, teens can protect their skin and help scars heal more evenly.

Tips for choosing a sunscreen

When choosing sunscreen for teenage skin, it’s important to select a broad-spectrum formula with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 to protect against both UVA and UVB rays.

Teens with oily or acne-prone skin should look for the words “noncomedogenic” and “oil-free” on their sunscreens. These products prevent pore clogging and breakouts. Additionally, water-resistant sunscreens are ideal for active teens who spend time outdoors or engage in sports.

Sun protection is important for every child, but especially for teens with acne. The sun’s rays can irritate skin and make acne and scars much worse.

Should kids use toners or serums?

Teens and younger kids don’t need toners or serums because their skin is already more resilient and less prone to the issues these products address. Instead, a gentle cleanser and moisturizer are better for most teens and tweens.

When should a teen start using acne treatments?

Teens can start using over-the-counter (OTC) acne products when they begin to experience mild to moderate acne, typically around the onset of puberty. Look for products specifically designed for their skin type. They should also contain active ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, which are effective in treating acne.

When should a teen see a doctor about acne?

Teens should see a dermatologist when:

• Acne causes emotional distress, such as low self-esteem or anxiety.
• Acne is painful, severe, or widespread.
• Acne keeps coming back despite multiple treatment attempts.
• Acne products available OTC don’t work after several weeks.
• Breakouts occur in unusual areas (like the groin or armpits) or after starting new medications.
• Scars or dark spots start appearing.
• Skin lesions, warts, or other unidentified marks appear.

Early visits to the dermatologist can improve skin, prevent lasting marks, and boost mental well-being.

How does skin care affect teen self-esteem?

Our faces are how we show ourselves to the world, and our skin is the first thing people see. Between idealized images on social media, peer pressure, and a society demanding airbrushed perfectionism, it’s no wonder teens have angst about their skin.

Tips for guiding teens with skin-related self-esteem issues

An article in Psychology Today provided a few tips to help guide teens in adopting balanced approaches to skin care:

• Don’t buy too many products — Limit the number of products you use, which can save money and prevent skin irritations, especially for sensitive or acne-prone skin.
• Reframe skin care as self-care — Make it less of a chore and more of a treat. Focus less on appearance and more on self-love and self-compassion. Practicing regular self-care and self-compassion can enhance mental well-being and put skin care in a healthier perspective.
• Rely on education instead of marketing — Most marketed products are for mature skin and aren’t suitable for teenage skin anyway. Encourage teens to learn about their skin type and consult their doctor or dermatologist before trying new products, so they choose reputable sources — rather than marketing hype — to make informed choices.
• Set realistic expectations — Everyone’s skin is different, and there’s no such thing as perfect skin. Help teens focus on having healthy skin rather than on idealized beauty goals. When you’re a teen, zits happen.

For teens and tweens, the old saying of “less is more” is appropriate when it comes to simple, effective skin care routines that take the right amount of time and money. And they’ll have the rest of their lives to spend on 10-step routines and expensive youth-restoring products.