As we pick up our smartphones each day to have a mindless scroll through our favourite social media platforms, one can’t help but notice the sudden influx of tweens dominating our screens with their lavish 10-step skincare routines.
They’re using high-end products and applying each one like a pro. It makes you think – when you were between the ages of 9–12, skincare was truly a minor concern in your daily life. How times have changed. But is it for the better? Kelli Clifton chats to dermatologists Dr Vanessa Lapiner, Dr Tarryn Jacobs and Dr Sian Hartshorne, and asks them all the burning questions you’ve been dying to know about tween skincare.
Let’s cut to the chase: Should tweens (aged 9–12 years old) be using skincare products?
“It would be beneficial for tweens to learn a good but relatively simple skincare routine,” says Dr Sian Hartshorne.
“The most important skincare product still remains sunscreen, as the long-term benefits far outweigh the benefits of any other skincare product, and include skin cancer prevention, pigmentation prevention, and anti-ageing.
“As the skin now tends to become more oily, choosing a lightweight, non-oily sunscreen is essential in preventing and/or precipitating acne. Also, look for a sunscreen product that does not leave a white, thick residue on the skin, which then lessens the self-consciousness of wearing a product that gives a strange outward appearance. There are many clear sunscreen products available that are non-oily and have no creamy white base.
“The next product to consider is a cleanser. With oily skin, acne becomes an issue and using a gentle cleanser that’s also good for acne-prone skin is a beneficial choice, as it negates choosing two separate products, i.e. acts as a cleanser and an acne treatment. The main problem may be if the product dries the skin out too much, resulting in irritation. Exfoliating ingredients such as salicylic acid are good to help decrease oiliness and acne, but may simultaneously be too irritating for a tween skin that’s starting to become more oily.”
Products your tween should avoid
“Tweens typically require gentler formulations with minimal active ingredients to avoid irritation,” advises Dr Vanessa Lapiner. “This means that products with higher concentrations of skincare functional actives are often not suitable for their skin. Certain actives are just completely unnecessary: here I’m talking about alpha-hydroxy acids to increase their skin cell turnover cycle (it does not need to be escalated!), any physical exfoliants that will disrupt their skin barrier/acid mantle, any retinoids geared towards anti-ageing (the exception are retinoids used if they are starting to break out), and actives geared towards fibroblast stimulation, such as peptides, growth factors, or other anti-ageing actives like stem cell factors. Skincare products aimed at specific issues such as hyperpigmentation with tyrosinase inhibitors are also completely unsuitable for tween skin. Anything that is abrasive (physical exfoliants, masks that are pulled off, any products that cause stinging or burning) will increase their susceptibility to environmental irritants as well as the sun, and are to be avoided at all costs.
“Another issue shrouded in controversy is the topic of ‘clean’ beauty. A key principle in medicine is to ‘first do no harm’. This means that you don’t want to apply actives to the skin that can have any possible negative consequence. In tween skin, this is particularly pertinent.
“These are my ABCDEs of ‘safe’ beauty, in that you want to avoid ingredients that will cause:
- A: Allergic contact dermatitis: Just because you react to a cream doesn’t make it a ‘bad’ or ‘dangerous’ cream, in the same way that peanuts can be beneficial for some people and cause dangerous reactions in others. But there are certain ingredients, which are the ‘usual suspects’ when it comes to causing reactions on the skin. In general, I advise avoiding the following: fragrance or perfume, preservatives such as parabens, formaldehyde-releasers, and imidazolidinyl urea.
- B: Disrupt the barrier of the skin: We need the top layer of our skin to have a well-organised matrix of lipids, an acidic pH, and a ‘happy’ balanced bacterial ecosystem to function optimally. Harsh surfactants in cleansers such as sodium lauryl sulfates and sodium laureth sulfates not only denature proteins and strip the skin barrier increasing skin sensitivity, but they also upset the delicate ecosystem of ‘good bacteria’, which make up our skin microbiome.
- C: Have potential carcinogens: This is more controversial, but certain ingredients such as formaldehyde-releasing preservatives have been linked to cancer. There have been concerns around contamination with other ingredients (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; 1,4-dioxane). There is a lot of backlash around this topic, but it is something to be aware of. I liken this to the choice of whether you’ll buy your tween snacks with aspartame for example. It’s a choice!
- D: Disrupt hormones (the endocrine disruptors): In the early 1990s, scientists at a conference in Wisconsin coined the term ‘endocrine disrupting chemicals’. These chemicals bind to endocrine nuclear receptors as ligands and act as either agonists (meaning that they switch on that receptor) or antagonists (they can block that receptor). Understandably, at such a hormonally sensitive age where young girls are starting menstruating at a younger age, for example, this is a major concern. The worry is that the molecular structure of certain ingredients (parabens and chemical sunscreen filters like oxybenzone being top offenders) are confusingly similar to oestrogen. The theory is that our body – despite how smart it is – can be confused by this, too. It allows these ingredients to bind to our oestrogen receptors and effectively act like oestrogen. Other ingredients, like phthalates in all fragranced products, bind to testosterone receptors and block them. Another chemical filter, octinoxate, has concerns when it comes to affecting our thyroid hormones. The bottom line is that we’re still understanding the degree to which this is a concern, but in the tween/teen years, this is of particular significance.
- E: Impact the environment negatively: One more note: I hear so many times from my patients that they seek products with the fewest ingredients and that if they can’t say the ingredient, they would rather not put it on their skin. Skincare nomenclature can certainly sound scary. Navigating an INCI list (the ingredient list at the back of products) can make you run screaming for the hills if you do not hold a degree in cosmetology. It doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s ‘bad’. If you’re worried, look it up! But many unpronounceable ingredients are perfectly safe.”
Can they expect long-term damage due to complicated skin routines?
“There is no real long-term damage that excessive skincare may cause, except if severe acne is triggered by using too many moisturising or oily products,” says Dr Hartshorne. “Acne always has the risk of causing scarring and pigmentation at a later stage in life if too severe and inflammatory.”
The difference between a tween’s skin (both male and female) vs a young adult’s skin (21 years old)
“Generally, acne can start from the age of 10–13 years. About 85% of teenagers may be affected by acne,” says Dr Tarryn Jacobs.
“During puberty, androgen hormones (which are male sex hormones that males and females have) increase the size of the skin’s oil glands, and the increased oil production clogs pores. In addition to this, in acne, the dead skin cells in the hair follicle become ‘sticky’, start clumping together, and block the pore. There is also a change in the bacteria that live on the skin called Cutibacterium acnes that stimulates inflammation. Acne can also affect and persist into the young adult age.”
The most sought-after products
“Tweens will gravitate towards products with colourful, Instagrammable packaging, such as foaming cleansers with fun consistencies (think milk-to-foam, powder cleansers, colour-changing cleansers, or products with pearlescent shimmers),” says Dr Lapiner. “My daughter, for example, loves the brand Bubble – their USP was the fact that their moisturiser pumps the formula out in the shape of a flower. I’ve made peace with pretty packaging trumping my advice anytime. Tweens are starting to exert their own self-expression, but ironically, all want the same things in the skincare space. Skincare has also become a fun way for tweens to socialise, with masking being a top activity the girls love doing together. The number of times I see a pic of one of my daughter’s friends on Snapchat with a facial mask on is mind-boggling!”
Dr Jacobs adds: “One can’t deny the influence of social media culture in which skincare has become incredibly trendy, where luxurious products such as serums, masks, and exfoliants are featured,” says Dr Jacobs. “The packaging is fun, the marketing hype is compelling, and it’s normal for tweens to be influenced by content creators in the skincare space.”
The skincare brands to get your tween
“I recommend sticking to the pharma-cosmetic brands with lots of research behind them,” says Dr Lapiner. “They’ve been faithfully used for decades, which means that the risk of reactions to these products is lessened. Brands such as La Roche Posay, CeraVe, Cetaphil, Bioderma and Eucerin are perfect for this age group.
The truth about make-up
If your tween wears make-up, they’re susceptible to:
- Clogged pores: Some make-up products, especially those with heavy or comedogenic ingredients, can clog pores and contribute to the development of acne or exacerbate existing breakouts. This is particularly concerning in tweens who may already be experiencing hormonal changes and increased oil production.
- Skin irritation: Certain make-up ingredients, such as fragrances, dyes, and preservatives, can be irritating to the skin, leading to redness, itching, or allergic reactions. Tweens may have a higher risk of sensitivity to these ingredients due to their developing skin barrier.
- Disruption of natural skin functions: Make-up can alter the natural pH balance of the skin and disrupt its ability to regulate moisture and protect against environmental aggressors. Overuse or improper removal of make-up can compromise the skin’s barrier function, leading to dryness, inflammation, and increased susceptibility to infections.
Do you have a skincare enthusiast tween? Take this advice from the docs
Dr Vanessa Lapiner: “Channel their curiosity and passion appropriately. Encourage them to learn as much as possible. Find resources and influencers that you trust and encourage them to follow them. They are so impressionable at this age and easily nudged in the right direction. Keep on emphasising the idea of skin health over beauty and set limits: at the end of the day, you are the one with the buying power!”
Dr Tarryn Jacobs: “I think it can create a good conversation about healthy skin and hygiene habits. It would be best that we, as parents, be the main source of education on this. Healthy skin habits start with adequate sun protection and healthy sun-safe behaviours, like avoiding tanning and tanning beds.”
Dr Sian Hartshorne: “Try to be the voice of reason. Keep the routine simple, uncomplicated and cost-effective with enough correct effect.”
The upside to tween skincare mania
Collectively, the doctors believe that the whole skincare movement is a good thing, and we have to agree. If tweens are learning about the importance of sunscreen and overall skin health through social media trends and new product launches, it’s a win-win situation.
Kelli’s no stranger to the beauty biz, with this being her thirteenth year in the industry. She’s got over 100 issues of FAIRLADY Magazine under her belt, where she worked her way up from Beauty Intern to Beauty Editor. She had two loves – beauty styling, along with beauty writing but the main reason for her putting pen to paper each issue was the community she built – full of fellow beauty enthusiasts, sharing everything from their favourite fragrances to their skincare woes. Since leaving FAIRLADY in 2018 to pursue her own business of beauty content creation, consulting, social media management and more, she’s had the honour of working with both local and international brands, creating successful, personalised workshops in the makeup, skincare and fragrance space. She currently manages the marketing of some of SA’s most loved beauty brands and freelances for glossy Modern Beauty, Edgars Beauty Hub and Benefits Magazine. And now, she gets to add Aesthetic Appointment to her proud list of accomplishments.
- Kelli Cliftonhttps://www.aestheticappointment.co.za/author/kelli-clifton
- Kelli Cliftonhttps://www.aestheticappointment.co.za/author/kelli-clifton
- Kelli Cliftonhttps://www.aestheticappointment.co.za/author/kelli-clifton
- Kelli Cliftonhttps://www.aestheticappointment.co.za/author/kelli-clifton
