Teenagers and their skin!
Treating teenage and early twenties skin is a third of my overall weekly customer base. So I see my fair share of young skin. For this age group there is one particular stand out pattern in their habits that correlates with problematic skin. Make-up. Girls (and increasingly more young men) are using "catwalk" make-up foundation for everyday use. Even to school in the middle of a Queensland summer. Parents I would urge you to consider this as one of those battles that you should gently target. Yes cybersafety, academic acheivement, getting them to do more than grunt at you, good nutrition, sleep habits, are all top of the list in importance. So if you can at all muster the energy then please either start a conversation about make-up use. Or get an aunt, family friend or skin therapist to talk to them.
There is one particular brand of make-up sold here in Australia by a famous make-up artist. I have the utmost respect for this brand and the artist themselves. My favourite make-up brush ever is one of theirs. I must say though the foundation and primer is formulated for "catwalk" use. It is made as a second skin to deal with artificial lighting and the best professional photography in the world. It blocks the surrounding humidity, which is essential for our most outer layer of skin to stay hydrated. Guess what, dehydrated skin leads to inflammation and this encourages breakouts.
When I see a 14 - 25 yr old with problem skin and discuss their habits - guess which foundation features prominently in the routine? Catwalk make-up is not for school, the gym or even a music festival. Sure for a night out, concert or the perfect selfie go for it.
So instead of telling them what not to do. Let's give them some options for what to do.
-Buy the right products. There a some excellent quality mineral sunscreens, BB creams and foundations out there that not only allow the skin to breath but can treat it too and they are affordable. My salon products average the $40 mark. Much less than the catwalk brands yet the quality is exceptional. If money is tight in your household then there are a couple of lower price supermarket and pharmacy brands that are less likely to cause acne as their ingredients are kept simple. That's why a skin consult is always helpful, this can be discussed. So too, how to clean make-up brushes and how to choose the correct colour.
This general approach is good for mature skin too. A tinted moisturiser with a broad spectrum SPF makes a great base. A BB mineral cream (again there are poor quality brands promoted in the media, so ask a professional) gives a luminous coverage. Then a light mineral powder allows for even better coverage and a finished make-up look.
If the teenager is using their own earnings to buy the foundation, then it is obviously their choice. Most of the time though it is the parents that pay. So please guide them to smarter choices, just like you would with food. If you have a pre-teen then this is the perfect time to educate good make-up habits. If they want something from the high end, enticing make-up shop then eye shimmers, lip gloss and cream blush are better choices.
One important thing to note is how to remove the make-up. Despite the advertising claims of many skincare companies. A cleanser alone will not remove make-up sufficiently. A warm wash cloth or wipe should be used first to remove the bulk - then a cleanser to get into the follicle (pore) and avoid blockages. Always, always, always follow up with a moisturiser. Cleansing without moisturising interferes with the barrier function of the epidermis. It can them become too dry or more often too oily.