50 Brilliant Tween And Teenage Skincare Products
This post is part of our archived content. While we’ve shifted focus, it still may be useful.
Spots, large pores, greasy, dry and/or oily skin are common tween and teenage skincare problems.
Their hair, skin and hormones/emotions are all over the place and they need a teenage skin care routine especially suited to their needs.
We’ve rounded up the best skincare for tween and teenage skin which, when coupled with a healthy diet, not eating too much sugar and not smoking can prevent or reduce the anxiety that comes with acne.
The best skincare for teens is essential for maintaining healthy and radiant skin during adolescence. During this period, hormonal changes often lead to various skin issues, such as acne, oiliness, and sensitivity.
To effectively address these concerns, it is crucial for teenagers to establish a consistent skincare routine.
While researching – and before buying – the best skincare products for teens, it’s important to understand your skin type:
If you want to know how to get rid of pimples, this guide will help.
Combination Skin
Blemishes, large pores and oily skin in the T-zone (the forehead, eyebrows, nose and chin).
Your cheeks are dry and sometimes tight.
Oily Skin
Your skin is shiny and has large pores.
This skin type is most likely to have teenage acne and blackheads on the forehead, nose, chin, upper chest area or back.
This happens because sebum (oil) production is working harder than necessary, usually due to hormonal changes during puberty (and a reason why a teenager skin care routine is important).
Sensitive Skin
Tender and delicate skin with small pores which is especially sensitive to environmental influences and stress.
Using the wrong skincare for teens can result in anything from redness to feelings of tightness right through to allergic reactions.
Spots are less common and rough flakes often appear on the skin.
Normal Skin
Unusual in teens, this skin type is characterised by naturally matte, smooth and clear skin.
You might get a spot every now and then, but that’s absolutely natural when you’re a teenager, as they are caused by hormones.
Pores are small and the skin has a good balance between dry and oily as your sebum production is optimal.
A common skin care for teens myth is that toothpaste helps to dry out spots. However, this could actually have the reverse effect.
Toothpaste contains fluoride and whitening ingredients which can seriously irritate the skin and lead to allergic reactions.
Some well-known skincare for teens advice involves keeping your face and hands clean, avoiding touching your face, drinking lots of water and maintaining a healthy diet.
But if nothing seems to be working then topical treatments are a good next step, you should go to see your GP who can give you advice on what to do, or, provide you with a prescription.
The aim is to kill bacteria on the surface of the skin and reduce the appearance of comedones, also known as whiteheads or blackheads.
Things that produce this type of acne are called ‘comedogenic’.
When looking for teen beauty products or the best skincare brands for teens, try to find ones that are labelled ‘non-comedogenic’.
An integral part of skin care for teenagers should include washing your makeup off (with a face wash for teenage acne) before going to the gym and sweating so that your pores do not block up.
A good teen skincare routine needs to be proactive.
Try to stop spots before they arrive by:
- Cleaning your makeup brushes regularly
- Changing your pillowcases every week. Clean cases = clearer cheeks
- Always take your makeup off before going to bed. Use the best facial cleanser for teens you can find. Do not use cleansing wipes.
Best Skincare Products For Teens:
The Clean Beauty Club, is a skincare brand with a curated range of 100% natural products, all hand-blended in the UK using only natural ingredients and no fillers, preservatives or synthetic additives.
Their Wonder Balm is cult favourite – a multi-tasking balm that melts away makeup, SPF and impurities without irritation. You can also use it to soothe burns, eczema and sunburn.
Q + A Skincare Blemish Buster Bundle
Great for tweens just needing a simple yet effective skincare routine, this bundle is formulated with products that contain ingredients to gently cleanse, balance, and hydrate without clogging pores.
The set contains:
- Niacinamide Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser
- Glycolic Acid Daily Toner (can also use on your body)
- Zinc PCA Facial Serum
- Amino Acid Oil-Free Moisturiser
Kanzen Skincare: Derma Full Collection
Kanzen Skincare was created to provide solutions for those struggling with skin conditions like acne.
All of their formulations are free from parabens, sulfates, and phthalates, and are designed to combat redness, reduce pore size, and regulate sebum levels.
The Derma Full Collection is a great starter skincare range for tweens and contains:
- Antibacterial Cleansing Water
- Derma Nourishing Moisturiser
- Pore Purifier
- Hyaluronic Serum
You know how your hair, life and skin are terrible leading up to and when you’re on your period?
This skincare mask aims to do away with bad skin with a multi-purpose skincare product (use as a moisturizer, primer or overnight mask) that’s especially for that crazy, hormonal time.
Use it pre, during and post period to help you step off the seesaw of temperamental skin and kick potential breakouts to the kerb.
The vegan and cruelty-free mask also moisturises the skin, calms inflammation, minimises pore size and improves skin tone and texture.
The range has recently expanded to include ‘Dull’ and ‘Dirty’ cleansing washes.
Dirty gets rid of make up, dirt, SPF and pollution without stripping the skin while Dull doubles up as a cleanser and a mask if you leave it on for ten minutes.
The UK-made, vegan brand gives some of its profits to period poverty and menopause charities which makes us love them a little bit more.
Playful but effective, this acne-clearing kit contains a blemish balm to cleanse, a serum to help clear up acne and blemish dots to apply to breakouts.
The range is good for when you can feel a zit forming.
It’s very Gen Z and the packaging means it would make a great gift.
The entire range is cruelty-free and allergy tested.
Aveeno Calm + Restore Oat Gel Moisturiser
This lightweight, fragrance-free moisturiser contains soothing prebiotic oat, making it ideal for sensitive skin. It hydrates without leaving a greasy feel.
Neutrogena Clear + Defend Facial Wash
An oil-free cleanser formulated with salicylic acid to help prevent breakouts by deeply cleansing the skin.
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
This cleanser features ceramides and niacinamide to thoroughly clean the skin without causing tightness or dryness.
The Inkey List Polyglutamic Acid Dewy Sunscreen SPF30
A fast-absorbing sunscreen that provides hydration and a smooth base for makeup, suitable for all skin types.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Moisturiser
This oil-free moisturiser contains hyaluronic acid to provide intense hydration without clogging pores.
CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturising Gel
A lightweight moisturiser ideal for oily skin, offering hydration without a greasy feel.
Cetaphil Oil-Free Moisturising Lotion
A lightweight, non-greasy moisturiser that provides hydration without clogging pores, suitable for acne-prone skin.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Dual Action Acne Treatment
A treatment that targets acne with benzoyl peroxide and micro-exfoliating LHA to clear existing blemishes and prevent new ones.
The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
An exfoliating toner that helps improve skin texture and clarity, promoting a brighter complexion.
Bare Addiction is an ethically sourced, vegan skincare range that combines the best of science and nature.
The collection is small but mighty and was specially formulated for people in their teens and twenties.
Our favourite product is the Rapid Action Spot Cream which effectively helps reduce the appearance of redness and the size of blackheads, whiteheads, and acne.
There’s also a Daily Foaming Gel Cleanser, Anti-blemish Boost Serum, Nightly Refresh Moisturiser and a Daily Defence Moisturiser with SPF30.
Because yes, even teens should be using a daily SPF.
10% of their profits are donated to mental health organisations that work with young people.
My Clarins is a skincare range for teens and young adults aged 18 to 29 from skincare giants Clarins.
They’ve put their decades of skincare experience into a plant-powered range designed to appeal to a younger audience.
The My Clarins CLEAR-OUT Targets Imperfections is quickly gaining a reputation as the best spot treatment for teenage skin.
They want My Clarins to be recognised as the best skincare for teenagers.
Stranger Things fans will be familiar with teen star Millie Bobby Brown.
Her makeup and skincare range is infused with botanicals and vitamins and contains no parabens, sulphates or dyes.
Being a teen herself, Millie has tried to create some of the best acne products for teens that she and her friends would be proud to use.
If you’re looking for skin care products for teenage girls, try Millie’s range.
We particularly like the Mind Glowing Peel Off Mask.
The range contains what we think is the best moisturizer for teenage girls.
Mario Badescu Repairing Facial Spray
You can use this Repairing Facial Spray for a wide range of skin concerns including acne, eczema, psoriasis, piercings, bug bites, body odour, and more.
It’s perfect for young, sensitive skin and National Eczema Association approved, dermatologist-tested, clinically tested, cruelty-free, and free of parabens, dyes, alcohol, and fragrance.
Use it for:
- Skin bumps, red spots, angry skin
- Post gym, under arms, chafing
- Skin tools, makeup brushes
- Visible redness, post wax, razor bumps
- Post face touch, post pop
- Tattoo, piercing and hand cleansing
We love a multi-purpose product!
Sebiaclear from Laboratoire SVR
French pharmacy brands are beloved by beauty experts due to their simple yet highly effective products.
The Sebiaclear range from Laboratoire SVR is an anti-blemish skin care range with concentrated active ingredients for pimples and blackheads.
The formulas contain a powerful duo of anti-blemish active ingredients:
- gluconolactone, a potent anti-inflammatory agent
- niacinamide which has incredible antibacterial and sebum-regulating properties.
There are seven multi benefit products in the range:
- keratolytic
- anti-inflammatory
- antibacterial
- sebum-regulating
- anti-marks
- moisturising
- mattifying.
An oldie but a goodie, the Tea Tree range from The Body Shop is one of the best skincare brands for teenage skin for a reason – they work!
Tackle blemishes, blackheads and oily skin with the cleansing power of natural tea tree, clinically proven to give clearer skin from one week.
Looking for the best cleanser for teenage skin?
Try the Facial Wash; it’s 100% vegan, and one of the best face wash for teenage skin as it deeply cleanses blemished skin and removes impurities and excess oil, leaving skin feeling purified.
Their Tea Tree Mattifying Toner has a deserved reputation as the best toner for teenage skin.
Skin Care Tip
How clean is your phone?
Every time you go out (think school, college or university) you’re touching dirty things and using those hands to navigate your phone.
All the bacteria from your hands love the warm surface of your phone’s screen so use an antibacterial wipe once a week to clean your screen.
The award winning Cleanance range has been specially formulated for blemish prone and oily skin types.
We’re particularly fond of the soap-free cleanser which prevents over-drying while treating blemishes and regulates oil production to help prevent further breakouts.
Mild face washes such as Cetaphil can be effective or you can choose one with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide in to help unclog pores.
Cetaphil is often called the best face wash for teenage acne and we can see why!
Origins Super Spot Remover Blemish Treatment Gel
The targeted gel is one of the best spot treatments for teenage skin as it helps to banish blemishes via Salicylic Acid.
Skin-calming Red Algae helps calm the skin.
It’s free from Parabens, Phthalates, Propylene Glycol, Mineral Oil, PABA, Petrolatum, Paraffin and DEA.
Spots and Stripes Gentle Cleansing Lotion
Spots and Stripes was created by an ex-beauty director and magazine editor (she previously worked on Vogue, ELLE, Marie Claire and Glamour) so she knows a thing or two about skincare.
All the products are earth-friendly, sustainably sourced, highly natural and free of parabens, phthalates and SLS.
Looking for the best tween skin care products?
The range is perfect for tween and teenage skincare – your kids are too old for the baby ranges but not old enough for products with more active ingredients.
Our favourite product is the Gentle Cleansing Lotion; it’s a great cleanser for teenage skin.
Ingredients like coconut and kukui oil, chamomile, lavender and mint help calm irritated skin and gently clean the skin without stripping delicate, young skin of its moisture.
It also contains Kanuka essential oil which is anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory yet soothing which is great for older teens with acne because it cleanses without stripping their (often oily) skin.
Looking for the best skincare for teenage acne?
31st State is the only vegan and natural range of skin care products for teenage boys.
The collection was created by a mum of teen boys who wanted skin care for teen boys that would help clear up their skin without the awful chemicals found in most men’s grooming products.
The skincare range includes:
- Foaming Face Wash with natural Magnesium, Copper and Zinc to help prevent breakouts and restore tired skin
- Manuka and Tea Tree infused Overnight Clearing Pads help clear congested skin and clear pores
- Spot Control Gel helps reduce and soothe spots, itchiness and redness.
Glossier Mega Greens Galaxy Pack
Perfect for oily skin, cult brand Glossier has formulated a face mask that’s allergy and dermatologist-tested.
It’s appropriate for all skin types, appropriate for sensitive skin, fragrance-free, paraben-free, cruelty-free and vegan.
It contains Creamy, White Kaolin Clay to gently cleanse and vitamin-rich leafy greens and superfruit antioxidants nourish the skin.
After consistent use, pores appear smaller and skin looks clearer and matte.
The Ordinary Products For Teenage Skin
The Ordinary’s range is anything but ordinary!
They provide simple skincare in simple packaging that actually delivers.
The range has something of a cult following among skincare aficionados due to its low price and excellent results.
The 100% Plant-Derived Squalane moisturises without clogging pores and can also be used on hair as a heat protectant.
Use the Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Serum on oily, congested skin to help regulate sebum production and minimise the look of blemishes.
For more skincare tips, check out this brilliant guide to the best Korean moisturizers.
Apply one of these vegan, cruelty-free patches to mature spots overnight and wake up to a less angry blemish.
We asked you to submit your burning skincare for teens questions and we’ve answered them below:
Which skincare brand is best for teenage skin?
Our favourites include 31st State, CeraVe and Simple but any of the brands in this list would make a good choice.
Figure out your child’s skin type and go from there.
What skincare should a 12 year old use?
Something mind, gentle and formulated for young and sensitive skin.
Who makes the best natural skincare for teenage skin?
The best skin care for teens includes gentle cleansers and non-comedogenic moisturizers.
Our favourites are Pai Skincare and Ren.
What should I look for in skincare for teenage girls?
As many natural ingredients as possible but if your daughter has cystic acne, speak to her GP or dermatologist.
Active ingredients – whether natural or manmade – can really help with acne and blackheads.
Her skin may change over the years so what works when she’s 12 may not work when she 16.
What are the best skin care products for 12 year olds?
A gentle cleanser, toner and moisturiser.
Don’t forget about a natural sunscreen, especially if her skin is fair.
What should I look for in skin care for 10 year olds?
As many natural ingredients as possible!
Natural skincare tends to cost more but young skins often need a softer touch.
What are the best skincare products for 12 year old girls?
Skincare products for teenage girls are specifically formulated to address common skin issues during adolescence.
Raging hormones plus monthly periods mean her skin is probably bearing the brunt.
Try Garden of Wisdom. They aren’t cheap but they are effective.
What skincare products should a 12 year old use?
A skin care set for teenage girls should include a cleanser, toner, moisturizer, and sunscreen.
The best face wash for a 12-year-old girl, recommended by dermatologists, is a gentle cleanser suitable for young and sensitive skin.
Try to convince her to wash her face as soon as she comes in from school.
The best face cream for a 12-year-old is specifically formulated for young skin and provides gentle hydration without clogging pores.
What skincare products should a 10 year old use?
Definitely a cleanser (can be a soap or liquid) and moisturiser.
Try and keep things as simple as possible.
Start with a range from The Body Shop.
What is a good skin care routine for tweens?
It depends on their skin.
Everyone’s skin needs cleansing and moisturising twice a day.
Who makes the best skincare for tweens?
The Body Shop, Pai Skincare and 31st State.
Who makes the best face wash for teen boys?
We like Garden of Wisdom, Pai Skincare and 31St State.
The best teen skincare products are designed to address common skin concerns faced by teenagers, such as acne and oily skin.