The most common question we get asked as skin care professionals by parents is, “When should my child start a skincare routine?” DermaFIX recommends that by the age of 10 some form of gentle skin care routine should be in place. Prevention is always better than cure, so don’t wait until hormones are rife and skin is not playing fair before investigating a good skin care routine.
That being said, not all 10-year-olds are going to be on the same page and may not have an interest about looking after their skin. Start out gradually with an easy-to-follow skin care routine when your child shows an interest. What you are actually doing here is instilling healthy habits and creating awareness to reach an end goal, that looking after one skin is important as you grow older. Whether you have an over eager daughter or an uninterested son or vice versa, getting them to use a gentle cleanser such as DermaFix Gentle Cleansing Gel which can be kept in the shower along with their other personal hygiene goodies is a must. It is also important to make sure they are applying a good sunscreen such as DermaFix DermaShield SPF 40 – Broad Spectrum UVA/UVB/HEV Light Protection Sunscreen is also non-acnegenic. Zinc is very good for skin health especially in pre-teenage skins offering healing and anti-inflammatory properties.
Usually around the age of 12 to 14, they will get their first sign of breakouts appearing, usually in the form of blackheads on and around the T-Zone (nose, chin, and forehead). This is all dependant on puberty and genetics. You will find if your child wasn’t interested in looking after their skin before they will be more invested now. The routine still needs to be kept as quick and simple as possible.
An exfoliator may be included in the skin care routine and performed after cleansing at night or in the morning 2-3 times per week, this helps keep the pores clean. DermaFix DermaPolish or DermaPolish+ Activated Charcoal are good options. These enzymatic based exfoliators will gently remove any redundant skin cells whilst deep cleaning the pores. Depending on skin type and condition will depend on which DermaPolish you choose. More oily and congested skins may prefer DermaPolish+ while drier more sensitive skins will stick to the original DermaPolish.
DermaPolish + Charcoal
DermaPolish + Activated Charcoal is an enzymatic exfoliator that removes redundant skin cell build-up, offering skin brightening results whilst stimulating cell growth. DermaPolish + Activated Charcoal promotes anti-ageing skin benefits with an improved wound healing response.
DermaPolish
DermaPolish is a unique blend of organic enzyme rich powders, micro-exfoliates and cleanses the skin, leaving it noticeably smoother and brighter. DermaPolish is packed in dry form to maintain its effectiveness and freshness. Water activates the enzymes together with hydroxy acids, smoothing, softening and brightening the skin. Lightly exfoliates dead cells and accelerates cell renewal.
If the skin is showing signs of excessive oiliness and breakout at this stage, look at changing up the cleanser. DermaFix Active Cleansing Gel contains salicylic acid to assist in removing dead skin cell build-up as well as degreasing the skin. Another option is the MD Prescriptives Mandelic Cleanser. This cleanser contains Mandelic Acid, an AHA that assists with inflammation and Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) that encourages cell turn over, which is important in oily skins as the natural skin renewing process becomes slower causing a knock-on effect, blocking the pore and creating more breakouts.
A targeted serum can also be added into the nightly routine. ACC Vitamin C contains a specific type of vitamin C called Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. ACC Copper is also a good choice as it helps to keep redness at bay as well as boost collagen to aid in healing. Both of these products are in gel form and are high in their active ingredient.
Moisturisers also need to be encouraged at this stage. This step is often deemed unnecessary for those with oily skin. However, the goal of a healthy skin is finding a good balance between both oil and water levels in the skin. DermaFix CBD Lotion and Vitamin B Cream, both being water based are perfect candidates as both help to balance oil secretions in the sebaceous (oil) gland in the skin as well as offering much needed hydration. They will also continue to use their DermaFix DermaShield SPF 40 Broad Spectrum UVA/UVB/HEV Light Protection Sunscreen during the day.
Armed with this information please also bear in mind as your child enters the early teen years it is important that they balance their lives with work and relaxation to help keep stress levels to a minimum. Stress will impact their hormones and in turn those hormones can impact the health of their skin.