By Hasten Penfold

There are a lot of downs about social media but one of the many is pushing too much skincare on kids, tweens, and young teens. In this article I will tell you about the social media skincare problem and what skincare you really need as a tween or young teen.

Social media pushes complex, multi-step routines with most including products for adults. Some things you want to avoid are serums, toners, harsh acids or chemicals, and most of all, avoid retinol and anti-aging products. Retinol and anti-aging products are meant for much older skin than yours. If you use them at your age they will ruin your skin, avoid them at all costs. Most serums and toners won’t do you any harm, but right now they are just unnecessary so just don’t use them.

Harsh chemicals or acids are something you don’t want to use at any age, especially if you have sensitive skin. The best tween and young teen is simple:

1. A gentle, hydrating cleanser or face wash. This cleans the face and removes dirt and extra oil from your skin.

2. A hydrating, lightweight moisturizer. This helps hydrate and soothe your skin.

3. An everyday, oil free sunscreen. This helps protect your skin from the sun.

That’s it! You don’t need a big, complex skincare routine to have nice skin, just a few simple products. You don’t have to do skincare if you don’t want to, but it can help your skin as you are going into and through puberty. Remember you’re beautiful inside and out!