Feeling a bit lost about putting your first teen skincare routine together? We’re here to help! Learn how to build a simple yet effective regime with our best teenage skincare products.

Know Your Skin Type

Putting together a routine of teenage skincare products right for your skin all begins with identifying your skin type!

This gives you a great starting point to build a routine that suits your skin and treats specific concerns. Using the wrong products and ingredients will hinder, rather than help your skin.

The most common skin types are sensitive, dry, normal, oily, and combination.

You may already know your skin type but if you need a little help figuring it out read our guide here.

Skincare for Teenagers — Acne, Excessive Oil and Congestion

One of the big skin complaints about teen skin is excessive oil production which results in congestion and teen acne.

Why is an oily skin problem so common for teens? One word: hormones!

During puberty, your hormone levels surge. This causes your sebaceous glands (oil glands) to enlarge which leads to increased production of oil (sebum) in the skin.

Excess oil mixing with dead cells and other debris on the skin surface can quickly lead to blocked pores causing blackheads, whiteheads, and even cysts.

Hormones aren’t the only culprit for breakouts in your teen years. Genetics can also play a role; if your parents had acne it’s more likely you’ll experience it too. Stress, diet, and lifestyle choices can also contribute to acne flare ups.

Morning Skincare Routine for Teens

Cleanse

The most important step in your teen skincare routine is cleansing! Removing the build up that finds its way onto your skin every day (dead cells, makeup, oil, dirt) is key to keeping your complexion clear and fresh.

Stick with a gentle cleanser. Many cleansers targeted towards teenage acne can be very harsh and strip the skin of its natural oils. Stripping the skin only makes oily issues worse as your sebaceous glands are triggered to produce yet more oil to compensate for what’s been lost.

A gentle, non-comedogenic cleanser is the best face wash for teenage skin. Choose a gentle formulation that includes active ingredients to target specific issues, depending on your skin type and concern.

We recommend:

The Uncomplicated Cleanser

The original Uncomplicated Cleanser is gentle and ideal to remove surface products.

If you’re experiencing cystic acne or acne that is inflamed, we recommend a double cleanse in the morning and evening.

The Uncomplicated Cleanser plus Anti-Redness (acne prone | double cleanse)

You can opt for The Uncomplicated Cleanser plus Anti-Redness for the second cleanse. Containing antibacterial properties, this cleanser is ideal for soothing inflammation and minimising acne flare-ups.

Serum

Containing potent ingredients to target specific skincare concerns, a serum is something you can opt to include in your teen skincare routine.

Niacinamide and hyaluronic acid are good all-rounders to start with to improve skin hydration - these humectant ingredients draw moisture to the skin. No matter your age or skin type, extra hydration can benefit everyone.

We recommend:

Hyaluronic Hydrating Serum

Hyaluronic Serum contains Vit B3 (niacinamide) which will help to balance skin and regulate oil flow which can act as a preventative for breakouts. It also accelerates healing and repair post-breakout.

Acai Hydrate & Nourish Duo (Acne prone skin)

The 'gentle' dose of actives in this formulation is perfect for teens and helps to balance and strengthen skin, promote repair, and soothe skin.

Moisturise

Moisturiser plays a crucial role in your teen skincare routine - even if you have oily skin.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that if you have oily skin you don’t need moisturiser. This step is especially important if you are taking acne medication or using over-the-counter spot treatments which can be particularly drying for the skin.

Moisturiser forms a protective barrier on the surface to help minimise water evaporating from the skin and help prevent environmental irritants from entering in.

Facial oils are suitable for most skin types - even oily ones - to replace a cream based moisturiser or apply over the top of one.

We recommend:

Acai Skin Balancing Face Oil

Ideal for all skin types, especially oily skin with balance concerns, this nourishing oil can replace moisturiser to improve tone, calm and hydrate while regulating oil flow.

Peppermint Green Oil (Acne prone skin)

Highly moisturising with antiseptic and astringent properties to treat acne-prone skin, as well as anti-inflammatory properties targeting redness and inflammation.

Apply SPF

Let your teenage years be the time you commit to wearing sunscreen every day - this is a skincare habit you’ll never regret. The earlier you start this step, the better your skin will be in the future. Trust us!

We recommend:

Skin Shield Natural Sunscreen SPF30

PM Routine For Teen Skincare

Cleanse

We always recommend you double cleanse in the evening.

The first cleanse is to remove any products (like SPF or makeup) and the second is to get deep into the pores to remove debris and any built-up oil.

You can use the same cleanser for both or a combination of cleansers to achieve more targeted results. Similar to your morning routine, if you're dealing with teenage acne, we recommend double cleansing in the evening.

We recommend:

The Uncomplicated Cleanser is ideal for the first cleanse.

You can follow with a second cleanse using The Uncomplicated Cleanser plus Charcoal. Ideal for all skin types prone to congestion, breakouts, and large pores, the active ingredient charcoal purifies and balances oils for a refined, clearer complexion.

If you’re experiencing cystic acne or acne that is inflamed, you could opt for The Uncomplicated Cleanser plus Anti-Redness again.

Spot treatment

Depending on your skin type and concerns, you may want to include a targeted spot treatment as part of your teen skincare routine.

The evening is a good time to do this. Apply the treatment and wait for it to dry before adding serum.

Serum

Hyaluronic Hydrating Serum, opt for the Acai Hydrate & Nourish Duo again or, if you’re dealing with breakouts, try the Anti-Redness Minty Green Smoothie.

Moisturise

Acai Skin Balancing Face Oil or Peppermint Green Oil (Acne prone skin)

Weekly Treatments For Teenage Skin Care Routine

Mask

Face masks can be beneficial but finding the formulations that work best for your skin type and concerns is important - so is going not overboard with treatments.

It’s best to introduce masks once your skin is responding well to the core products in your teen skincare regime - cleanser, moisturiser, and serum.

We recommend:

Soft Skin Refining Charcoal Clay Booster Mask

The mild exfoliation action of kaolin clay is kind to sensitive and breakout-prone skin, soothes and regulates oil production while deeply cleansing to remove impurities.

Teenagers should introduce this step slowly, once the skin is used to the actives in the cleansers and serums.

Exfoliate

Teenage skin can benefit from exfoliating in the right way with the right ingredients to remove dead cells, keep pores clear, and encourage a smoother complexion overall.

There are a few methods you can use to approach exfoliation; chemical (acids and enzymes), physical (scrubs, granules, textured mitt), or a combination of both.

Chemical exfoliation works by dissolving any breakout forming build-up on the surface (oil, dirt, dead cells) to keep pores clear.

Physical exfoliation removes build up by manually moving the scrub, granules, or mitt/washcloth across your skin's surface.

We recommend:

Detoxifying Exfoliating Charcoal Serum (Acne prone / congestion)

Using this 2-3 times per week will help to clear dead skin cells from the surface and detoxify the skin by drawing out impurities.

This serum contains powerful drawing agents, it will draw out any underlying congestion - so don’t be alarmed if your skin purges. Continue use after impurities have emerged to aid healing.

Or you could opt for Fresh Sea And Salty Sand. This exotic Polynesian sand physical exfoliator combined with the additional exfoliating power of papaya enzymes gently but effectively exfoliates away dead skin cells.

The 5 Best Teenage Skin Care Products

• The Uncomplicated Cleanser is ideal for daily use to gently cleansing teenage skin without stripping the skin of natural oils.
• Hyaluronic Hydrating Serum to deeply hydrate skin and regulate oil flow to prevent breakouts.
• Acai Skin Balancing Face Oil to moisturise skin using a gentle dose of actives that are perfect for teenage skin.
• Detoxifying Exfoliating Charcoal Serum to exfoliate in the evenings 2-3 times each week.
• Soft Skin Refining Charcoal Clay Booster Mask for deep cleansing. Should be slowly intergrated and used once a week.

Find the Best Teenage Skincare Routine for You with esmi Skin Minerals

Find the best skin care products for teenage acne and skin care with the esmi range of cruelty-free, vegan and mineral-based products. Explore our range of effective acne products and cleansers.

Learn More About Skincare

What Type Of Acne Do I Have?

Causes Of Acne

The Best Cleanser for Your Skin Type

Our Guide To A Basic Skincare Routine