Tween skincare: How to tell your tween they don’t need Retinol
Got a tween obsessed with skincare?
Here’s how to tell them they don’t need a 7-step routine
It’s a typical weekend and there’s a group of girls huddled around the Drunk Elephant skincare display at beauty retailer Mecca. They’re rubbing moisturiser onto the backs of their hands and discussing cleansers, serums and glycolic acid with the intensity of a footy Grand Final commentator at the end of the final quarter. But take a closer look – most are in primary school and many aren’t even teens. In fact, most won’t need the sold-out Retinol serum they’ve come to try for a good 20 years. Welcome to Gen Alpha’s obsession with skincare.
If you’ve got a tween who’s suddenly developed a penchant for high-end brands like Drunk Elephant, Summer Fridays, Charlotte Tilbury and Glow Recipe you aren’t alone. Inspired by TikTok influencers, girls aged 13 and under – Gen Alpha – are a growing demographic of skincare consumers whose fixation with popular beauty brands is as much about fitting in as it is about experimentation. And whilst this isn’t new, after all experimenting and self-expression are exactly what teens are known for, how should you approach your beauty-obsessed tween or teen when they start reaching for a Retinol serum or more potent skincare product that can be harmful to young skin?
According to Mecca Junior Content Editor Ruby Devlin, education is key to meeting the curiosity of skincare obsessed youngsters. In an article published on The MECCA Memo, Ruby relates her experience working as a Mecca skincare specialist.
“I was asked about skincare by tweens and young teenagers every single time I stepped onto the shop floor,” says Ruby. “In my experience, tweens were less concerned with specific ingredients and more with brands like Drunk Elephant, Glow Recipe and Summer Fridays.”
“I always liked to handle the situation by focusing on education; once I explained what certain ingredients did and who they were best suited to, most tweens and teens understood why they weren’t right for their skin,” she says, adding that having their parents present was a great way to steer them toward more appropriate products.
But what if your tween or teen is obsessed with Retinol – the ‘it’ ingredient in many skincare products today.
If you’ve not yet jumped on the Retinol band wagon, here’s a quick refresher: a powerful form of Vitamin A, Retinol helps to boost skin’s cellular turnover, a process that naturally slows down with age, and in products with the right concentration, the results can be dramatic. From softening wrinkles, fresher and plumper skin and a more even skin tone. But the benefits of Retinol are negligible if not irritating for young skin. Think redness, skin peeling and flaking, dryness and sensitivity – aka the Retinol ‘burn’. So be ready to have that discussion if you have a teen who’s keen to try Retinol and isn’t clear on why it’s not suitable for them just yet.
So what is an appropriate skin care regime for tweens or teens?
In an interview with Mamamia beauty podcast, YouBeauty, dermatologist Dr Eleni Yiasemides of SouthDerm in Kogarah says a skin care routine that’s easy and fuss-free is best.
“The first thing is that the skincare routine [has to be] pretty basic,” says Dr Yiasemdes. “It doesn’t need to be complicated or include multiple steps. In the morning, I ask my tweens to do one thing and one thing only: to get into the habit of putting on a cream that contains SPF.”
“There are lots of day creams with SPF and sunscreens. As long as it’s labelled SPF, slap it on the face in the morning. That’s all you need to do.”
Best of all, unlike the eye-watering prices of some high-end brands, Dr Yiasemides says that tween appropriate skincare products are “things you can get from your pharmacy or supermarket.”
According to the dermatologist, kids don’t need expensive or complicated cleansers or moisturisers at this age.
In terms of what to stay away from, Dr Yiasemides suggests younger skin care users steer away from scrubs, masks and ‘treatments’ as the products typically contain ingredients that create problems for the skin. But she gives trialing with make-up a thumbs up.
“Experiment with makeup and other things which are less likely to irritate or cause problems,” says the dermatologist.
++
Do you have a tween or teen who’s obsessed with skin care? Drop us a note in the comments section and share your experience of managing your child’s skin care interest.
About Author
