Skincare Advice I Wish I Had as a Teen

Navigating life as a teenager is stressful. You’re worried about exam grades, getting into college, figuring out your career path – and now, your skin won’t stop breaking out! At this age, managing your skin gets quite difficult. Your body produces more hormones causing oily skin, acne, and breakouts. To top it off, there are thousands of Youtube videos and blogs that provide misleading information for teens.

With more time being spent in the comforts of home, now is the perfect opportunity to implement healthier skincare habits. While you wait, we’ve provided 15 tips we all wish we knew as a teenager.

1. Do NOT touch your face! Before 2020, we’ve always advised against this. Your hands come into contact with tons of bacteria and by constantly touching the face, you could be causing more breakouts.
2. Avoid popping pimples and picking spots. This can feel gratifying, but have you noticed that after popping a pimple, your face breaks out more? Similar to Tip #1, when you pop a pimple or pick a scab, you are pushing dirt & bacteria further into the skin. Instead of this, use a spot treatment for targeted blemishes. Recommended: Spot Treatment
3. Please, put down the toothpaste. Despite its popularity, toothpaste does not work. It only causes more irritation and breakouts in the future.
4. Swap the sodas for water and natural juices. We know, sodas feel refreshing. However, carbonated drinks are packed with sugar and acids. This causes skin inflammation which appears in the form of cystic acne and breakouts.
5. Cleanse your skin no more than 3 times a day. As a teen, we tend to either cleanse too much or too little. By over-washing, the skin becomes too dry, producing more oil than necessary. By under-washing, you are not removing impurities that you come into contact with every day. You should cleanse your skin twice daily. If you have very oily skin or are physically active, you may need to cleanse 3 times a day. Recommended: Exfoliating Cleanser
6. Avoid products with alcohol and fragrances. Alcohol and fragrances leave the skin extremely dry and irritated. When looking for the right skin products, you want to find products that are ‘alcohol-free’ and ‘hypoallergenic’. Recommended: Clarifying Gel
7. Eat a balanced diet. Your body’s health plays a big factor in your skin. We can tell when our body is lacking essential nutrients by looking at our skin. Eating a balanced diet with less acidic foods is necessary for controlling acne. Avoid eating acidic foods like fried chicken, sodas, dairy, fries, tomatoes, and citric fruits.
8. Stay active. Exercising is a great way of balancing your hormones and preventing acne flare-ups. Joining your school’s sports team or finding an active hobby are great ways of doing this.
9. The harder you scrub is not the better. Over-scrubbing makes the skin worse; causing micro-tears which can lead to irritation and inflammation. Remember your skin is sensitive. Exfoliate twice a week by using a soft buff or a natural daily scrub.
10. Change your sheets and towels weekly. Towels and sheets carry lots of bacteria. You should always change out your towels and bedding every week.
11. Clean your phone. Your face and other devices also carry lots of impurities that can end up on your skin. Use a disinfectant to wipe down your devices.
12. Always use moisturizer with sunscreen. Wearing a lightweight, oil-free (‘noncomedogenic’) moisturizer helps to manage your skin’s oil production. Follow up with sunscreen to prevent discoloration, breakouts and dark marks from the sun’s UVB rays. Recommended: Miracle Moisturizer
13. See a Skincare Professional. While Google is a great tool for finding information, it can also misguide your skincare journey. It’s suggested that you consult with a skincare professional at least every 3 months. While you wait, feel free to contact one of our Happiness Gurus via hello@perfec-tone for the best advice from the comfort of your bed.
14. Give yourself a facial. Perfec-Tone’s CEO often mentions that a weekly Perfec-Tone Facial has been a great help for his skin as a teen. Facials do a great job of getting deep beneath the pores to get rid of set-in dirt, oil & bacteria.
15. Relax, Rest, Don’t Stress! Managing school and your personal life is stressful as a teenager. To maintain healthy skin, it’s important to control your stress and hormonal levels. You can take this opportunity by getting a full 8-hr sleep, and committing to one leisure activity (i.e. yoga, reading, journaling) a day.

Let us know how our tips have improved your skin by tagging us on social media using #WhileYouWait. Read our skincare routine blog to finalise your skincare journey.

SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR YOU…

Each Tuesday brings a new surprise. While you wait, Perfec-Tone will be offering a series of gifts and discounts on your product faves! Stay tuned to the newest offer by following our Facebook and Instagram.