Medik8 Clarifying Foam cleanser

When Should a Teenager Start Skincare?

This comes up most weeks, and the honest answer is shorter than most people expect.

What actually changes at puberty

Sebum production rises with the hormonal changes of puberty. Cotterill and colleagues documented how skin surface lipid composition and sebum excretion rate vary with age and sex, which is the measurable version of what parents notice.1

That change is normal and it is not a problem to be corrected. It is the reason a routine built for adult skin often makes teenage skin worse.

Where the evidence actually is

The strong evidence in teenage skin is about acne, not about anti-ageing. Eichenfield and colleagues published evidence-based recommendations for diagnosing and treating acne in children and adolescents,2 and the American Academy of Dermatology's guidelines of care for acne vulgaris were updated by Reynolds and colleagues in 2024.3

Both are clinical documents about treating a condition. Neither supports the elaborate routines being recommended to teenagers online, and there is no good evidence that starting anti-ageing actives early prevents anything.

What we would actually suggest

For skin that is behaving:

  • A gentle cleanser, once or twice a day. Not a scrub, and not something that leaves skin squeaky.
  • A light moisturiser if skin feels tight. Not everyone needs one.
  • Sunscreen. The one thing with a genuine long-term case, and the one most often skipped.

That is the whole routine. Three things, and one of them is optional.

For persistent or painful acne, particularly if it is scarring or affecting confidence, the right step is a doctor rather than a shelf. Acne is a medical condition with effective treatments, and there is a point at which a shop is the wrong place to be asking.

What we would leave out

Retinoids, acids and vitamin C are not automatically harmful for teenagers, but they are usually unnecessary, and layering them is a reliable way to end up with an irritated barrier that looks worse than where you started. Skin that is stripped and inflamed is a common reason people come to us, and it is nearly always from doing too much.

Ask us

Bring them in. We would rather spend ten minutes talking a teenager out of a routine they do not need than sell them five products, and we will say plainly when something belongs with a doctor instead.

References

Each PMID resolves on Europe PMC, so you can read the paper rather than take our word for it.

  1. Cotterill JA. Age and sex variation in skin surface lipid composition and sebum excretion rate. British Journal of Dermatology, 1972. PMID 5077864
  2. Eichenfield LF. Evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric acne. Pediatrics, 2013. PMID 23637225
  3. Reynolds RV. Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2024. PMID 38300170

Frequently asked questions

What age should a teenager start using skincare?
When skin changes enough to need it, usually around puberty. A gentle cleanser and sunscreen cover most of what is needed; a moisturiser if skin feels tight.
Should teenagers use retinol or acids?
Usually not. They are rarely necessary at that age and layering them is a common cause of an irritated barrier that looks worse than the starting point.
When should we see a doctor about acne?
If it is persistent, painful, scarring or affecting confidence. Acne is a medical condition with effective treatments and a shop is the wrong place to be asking.
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