Millions of people across the world will suffer from some form of acne during their teenage years. It can be annoying, painful, and unsightly.
Thankfully, through careful and smart skincare management, you can control your acne by constructing the perfect routine using the correct products.
Here’s what we think is the best skincare routine to treat teenage acne. Let’s go!
What is acne?
Firstly, let’s define acne so we’re all on the same page. Acne is an extremely common skin condition that can affect people of all ages. It is usually identified via breakouts, blemishes, redness, oiliness, and other visual forms of skin irritation.
Teenagers are often the biggest demographic who suffer from the symptoms of acne. This is due to hormonal changes in the body during puberty, which can trigger certain internal reactions that then lead to breakouts of acne. While there is no “cure” for acne, its symptoms can be massively reduced over time with the proper use of skincare products.
The best skincare routine for teenage acne
So, what’s the best routine to treat teenage acne? We’ve got the answer. Follow the routine below to effectively control your acne symptoms and care for your skin.
Step 1: Cleanse
The first step in any acne skincare routine is preparing the skin. We suggest using an oil-based cleanser to clean the skin of any excess dirt, debris, pollutants, and dryness.
Mix the cleanser with lukewarm water to ensure every last bit of gunk and makeup is washed away sufficiently. This will prime the skin for the rest of the routine and make things go a lot smoother.
Step 2: Exfoliate
Using a powerful exfoliator 2-3 times a week (depending on your skin type) is a fantastic way of maintaining a high level of cleanliness in the skin.
Exfoliators, or scrubs, contain thousands of tiny rock-like particles that help to literally scrape away tough dirt and muck, freeing the pores and protecting them from blockages. They also remove dead cells from the surface of the skin, leading to a better complexion and improved skin cell turnover.
Perhaps the most important quality exfoliators provide lies beneath the skin itself. Exfoliators can help to stimulate the production of collagen, which is an essential protein that plays a vital role in skin health. Exfoliators also help increase blood flow, reduce the signs of aging, and restore elasticity in the skin.
Overall, exfoliators are brilliant in keeping the skin in a high general state of health, which will contribute greatly to proper acne management.
Step 3: Toner
Once the skin has been thoroughly exfoliated, it’s time to apply toner. Toner works to balance the skin’s pH levels, while also delivering crucial anti-inflammatory properties and nourishing antioxidants.
Using a toner will help prepare and rebalance the skin for the later stages of the routine. Though we suggest opting for an alcohol-free toner, as alcohol can dry out the skin and make acne symptoms worse.
Step 4: Moisturize
At this stage of the routine, it’s super important to soothe the skin and restore vital hydration and moisture.
A good moisturizer will not only refresh and revitalize the skin by providing hydration, but it will also extend the effectiveness of the previous products in the routine by helping to lock them into the skin. Additionally, the moisturizer will provide healthy nutrients and vitamins to the skin, fortifying it against pollutants and exterior hazards for longer.
Depending on your skin type, there are many moisturizers to choose from. Dryer skin will benefit more from rich and creamy moisturizers, whereas oily skin is better suited to lighter and thinner moisturizers like gels. Make the best choice for you.
Step 5: Sunscreen
The final stage of our acne routine is perhaps the most important one. Applying an effective form of sun protection or SPF is the key to shielding the skin from the awful damage that can be caused by too much exposure to the sun’s UV rays.
The sun can dry out your skin, cause burns, irritation, and even contribute to skin cancer. Taking the time to always protect your skin with sunscreen is something we should all get into the regular habit of. Acne can be made so much worse by sun damage, and we can’t stress the importance of using sunscreen enough.
Conclusion
Keeping the symptoms of acne in check requires dedication and care. Our skincare routine above is relatively simple, but when done regularly is more than adequate for managing teenage acne.
Acne tends to clear up and improve over time, but the process can at least be made easier and smoother by following a good skincare routine.
Good luck!
