What to do if your teens (or younger) are clamouring for expensive skincare
Sephora kids, your nemesis is here
Things have changed a lot since a teenager’s biggest decision was whether they were Team White Musk or Team Dewberry at the Body Shop. There’s an increasing trend for younger and younger teens/children wanting to jump on the skincare bandwagon.
Here’s what I think you can do.
First things first
Do not give in to their demands
If your children are mithering1 you for expensive products, just say no2.
You are not doing them any favours by conceding.
If you start them using multi-ingredient concentrated products as teenagers (or younger), you’re more likely to harm their skin barriers and put them on the route to a lifetime of skin sensitivity than anything else.
Dermatologist
If your child has eczema/dermatitis/acne/rosacea/any other visible and recurring skin condition and is asking you to start spending £££ on skincare to treat these, take them to a dermatologist first.
NHS waiting lists are terrifying right now, but paying to go private will still be cheaper in the long run than committing to £200 worth of products that may not work and will need replacing every 3 months3
No idea how to find a derm? Start here.
Do not purchase actives for under 18s unless a dermatologist has prescribed/recommended.
Do, though, take any skin conditions seriously. These can be incredibly traumatising and some can cause scarring that it will take many years of expensive treatments to remedy in the future if not handled effectively and sensitively when they develop.
Your dermatologist is still better qualified to help you and your child(ren) through this than a 15 year-old skinfluencer4 on TikTok.
Other things that are more effective than spending money on skincare for teenagers
If your child doesn’t have an underlying skin condition, but wants to be let loose in the aisles of Sephora, all of these things trump expensive, complex products:
Being aware of their skin type, rather than buying whatever The Herd is buying
Establishing a simple, regular routine (more below)
Applying SPF
Not smoking/vaping
Not drinking more than 6 units of alcohol a week
If you have teenagers that are demanding expensive anti-ageing skincare, let them know that if they’re smoking5/vaping/drinking/eating a load of crap, they need to stop doing those things before you’ll fund their skincare purchases.
(To manage your expectations: they’re highly unlikely to actually stop.)
Routine
The best skincare routine is the easiest:
Morning:
Wash face with a gentle cleanser - keep an eye on this and monitor for any rashes/breakouts/sensitivity, they might not even need to wash in the mornings and can skip straight to
SPF - the most important thing if they genuinely want to prevent the visible signs of skin ageing
It may be tempting to give them a moisturiser with SPF, but they may not need a separate moisturiser and it’s better to give them a product whose primary function is SPF with moisturising properties rather than a moisturiser with SPF added.
Night:
Wash face with a gentle cleanser - this is most important at night; their skin to get clogged if their SPF hasn’t been washed off properly
If they’re wearing make-up, double cleansing with gentle products at night is probably a good idea.
Moisturiser - check it doesn’t contain an SPF (clogging, again).
Reminder to you and them that there are no guarantees and genes play a greater role in how/how visibly their skin will age than any product can or will
Brands that can satisfy their consumer urges without bankrupting you
Simple
This brand’s MO has always been to be cheap and unfussy. This is perfect for your teen.
Superdrug
Maddeningly, Superdrug seem to be in the process of discontinuing their Simply Pure range, which would be ideal.
Safe options are the Solait SPF and Vitamin E ranges.
Everything else risks being too concentrated or spendy for their requirements
Byoma
Their packaging is cute, the products are solid and the entire ethos of the brand is to respect the skin barrier. Yes!
La Roche Posay
It’s not a skincare post unless I wang on about LRP at some point.
Now, most of their stuff is too concentrated for average teen skin, or I’d struggle to justify the expense vs the cheaper options above, but this cleanser is gentle and the 400ml should last them most of the year, which makes it an insane bargain.
Their SPFs are also world beating.
Biore
As night follows day. It’s another LRP/Biore doubleheader.
For your teen, the UK formulation of The Greatest Non-Tinted Facial SPF Of All Time6 is more than fine.
Their gentle moisturiser is also fantastic for younger skin. The rest of their skincare is likely too concentrated.
Absolutely not (unless recommended to them by a derm)
Glycolic acid
Salicylic acid (aka BHA)
The Ordinary, Inkey
These brands contain actives in concentrations that aren’t meant for young skins
The ranges are often tricky for those with adult skin to navigate, I wouldn’t unleash your kids on them
Bubbles
This brand seems to have been created specifically to be marketed aggressively to kids
A majority of their facial products are too strong for teenage skins. Don’t take my word for it, their website will tell you the same thing7
At first glance, it doesn’t look too expensive, but their packaging sizes are very small, so the price per ml is astronomical, in some cases
Drunk Elephant (where a lot of this began)
I specifically called them out as a brand that adults shouldn’t be wasting their money on last year, so definitely do not waste any cash buying this for kids
I feel the same about Glossier (I know, I know, they’ve made the brand super appealing to your kid. Blame them, not me.)
Anything from Lancome, Estee Lauder, Clinique, YSL, Chanel, Creme de la Mer, Augustinus Bader etc etc etc
The luxe skin brands are generally monstrously over-priced for adults who have more complex skin concerns. No way these should be in the bathroom cabinet of a teenager.
Teenagers don’t need eye cream. Adults probably don’t need eye cream8.
NB Be *careful* with Cetaphil and CeraVe unless derm recommended, they’re not an absolute no, but they can overwhelm younger skin, so check for redness or irritation if your child starts using.
Final reminder
I’m going to end as I began:
If you start them using multi-ingredient concentrated products as teenagers (or younger), you’re more likely to harm their skin barriers and put them on the route to a lifetime of skin sensitivity than anything else.
Maths
Not my word, don’t blame me
Weed counts
Probably
I would never normally link to a skincare manufacturer as a source, but Paula is legendary and if a skincare manufacturer is telling you you may not need a product, you should probably listen.
Insightful and helpful as always. I shall be sharing far and wide!
I think I was dewberry… were you white musk?