Teenage Acne Is Normal, but Your Skincare Routine Could Be Making It Worse

For many teenagers, puberty brings more than growth spurts, changing voices and shifting emotions. It can also bring an unwelcome change to the skin.

Accoridng to this article, about 80% of people aged 13 to 18 experience acne, making breakouts one of the most common skin problems associated with adolescence. Yet the growing popularity of elaborate skincare routines on social media may be encouraging teenagers to use more products than their young skin actually needs.

Dermatologists say that, when it comes to teenage skincare, simpler is often better.

A consultant dermatologist, Dr Zainab Laftah explains that many of the skin changes associated with puberty are driven by hormones, particularly testosterone.

As testosterone levels rise, the skin can produce more oil, increasing the likelihood of blocked pores and acne. Boys may experience these changes more noticeably, but girls also produce testosterone and can develop many of the same symptoms.

“Acne is very, very common and it’s normal and treatable,” Laftah says.

The combination of excess oil, blocked hair follicles and inflammation can produce the familiar blackheads, whiteheads and inflamed spots that affect so many teenagers.

What do teenagers actually need?

With the beauty industry offering an ever-expanding range of cleansers, toners, serums, masks and exfoliants, teenagers can easily assume that better skin requires a complicated routine. Dermatologists disagree.

Laftah recommends starting with just three essentials: a gentle cleanser, a fragrance-free moisturiser and a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher.

The objective is not to overwhelm the skin, but to keep it clean, moisturised and protected from ultraviolet radiation.

A more complicated routine is not necessarily a more effective one because sometimes, more products can mean more problems.

Social media has made adult-style skincare routines increasingly popular among teenagers, with young people experimenting with multiple active ingredients in an attempt to achieve flawless skin.

But repeated exfoliation and the excessive use of powerful acids or retinoids can compromise the skin barrier.

Another dermatologist, Dr Jonathan Kentley says he has seen a significant increase in teenagers experiencing perioral dermatitis, a condition that can be associated with excessive use of products that irritate or strip the skin barrier.

Laftah says teenagers are increasingly using “numerous serums, toners, masks and actives”, without necessarily understanding how those ingredients interact with young skin.

The result can be a frustrating cycle: a teenager notices a breakout, adds another product, develops irritation, interprets the irritation as another skin problem and adds yet another product.

Rather than treating the underlying problem, the routine can end up making the skin more sensitive.

What’s the benefit of Salicylic acid?

One ingredient that can be useful for teenagers with oily or acne-prone skin is salicylic acid. The ingredient can penetrate oil-filled pores and help remove accumulated sebum and dead skin cells, potentially reducing blockages that contribute to acne.

However, Laftah warns that unnecessary or excessive use of salicylic acid can cause dryness and irritation. Teenagers should therefore avoid treating every blemish with increasingly strong products.

The same principle applies to other active ingredients: introduce products cautiously rather than building a routine around several potent treatments at once.

Sleep and diet may also affect breakouts. Yes. Skincare does not begin and end with what goes on the face.

Lifestyle factors can also play a role in acne, although the relationship between diet and breakouts varies between individuals.

Laftah points to sleep as an important consideration. Insufficient sleep can increase levels of cortisol, a hormone associated with the body’s stress response, and elevated stress may contribute to acne flare-ups.

Dietary patterns have also been studied in relation to acne.

Kentley says research has linked diets high in refined carbohydrates and sugar, as well as whey protein commonly found in some protein shakes, with acne flare-ups in some people.

That does not mean every teenager who eats white rice, pasta or sugary foods will develop acne. Skin behaves differently from person to person.

As Kentley notes, “some people may find that other things flare up their skin.”

The message, therefore, is not to adopt an unnecessarily restrictive diet, but to pay attention to individual patterns while maintaining a balanced diet and getting sufficient sleep.