The Ultimate Skincare Routine for Teenagers & Young Adults

It’s coming up to that time of year when you have sunburns and freckles from the summer weather and you’re asking your parents or flatmates where the after-sun bottle is (Ouch!).

 Whether you’re completely new to skincare or you’re an experienced pro, anyone could use some tips and tricks, such as how to achieve brighter skin, cleanse pores, or what skincare brands are best for oily skin types or acne-prone skin. In short, you might be searching for the best skincare routine for young skin, to help you prevent future breakouts.

After all, we all want our skincare routine to trend on TikTok right? #skincareroutine

Why Is Skincare Important Even When You’re Young?

Whilst a skincare regimen might require some time to get used to doing frequently, the outcomes are worth it. It’s important to start developing a skincare routine that works best for you early on, so if you haven’t started caring for your skin, then now is the time.

We recommend if you are currently going through puberty, start a routine ASAP as your skin will be more prone to breakouts due to your changing teenage hormones.

You may be thinking, is a daily routine even worth the effort? Well, it is!

We’ll help you on the journey to clear and youthful-looking skin, so listen up. A skincare routine at a young age will not only help to prevent acne outbreaks but will also delay the onset of wrinkles and fine lines, reducing the signs of visible aging – before they even begin (cosmetic science here)!

Sticking to a routine early on means it’s incorporated into your daily life and isn’t something you’ll have to adapt to when you’re older. Trust us you’ll thank yourself later.

Keep reading for our recommendations on the best skincare for young skin, to help you achieve the balanced skin everyone dreams of.

Finding Out Your Skin Type

The first part of caring for your skin is discovering your skin type. This can be determined by the way your skin feels or presents itself. There are four different skin types which are normal, dry, oily, or combination skin:

• Normal skin – Smooth textured, being a balance of neither dry nor oily.
• Dry and sensitive skin – Lacks moisture, typically dull.
• Oily skin – your skin may appear shiny or feel greasy and you may be more likely to have acne breakouts.
• Combination skin – A mixture of both oily skin in some areas and dry skin in other areas.

So now you’ve learned about the different types of skin, go look in the mirror and see what type your skin is!

1. Begin Your Skin Routine With a Gentle Cleanser

Okay so now you’ve finished looking into the mirror to determine your own skin type, time to get onto the proper stuff. How to keep your skin looking healthy, because who doesn’t love their skin when it’s glowing?

To get started with your best skincare routine, you need to incorporate a good foaming cleanser into the mix. If your skin isn’t clean first, then the other parts of the routine such as moisturising are in essence, a bit pointless.

Find a facial cleanser that best suits your skin type and your budget. You don’t have to go all out with spending money on fancy skincare brands, head into your local Boots.

Exfoliating your skin is also an all-important first step to remove dead skin cells, but this should only be done once a week, not every day as it will leave your skin feeling rough and won’t help your teenage acne.

2. Now It’s Time for Toning

Next within your routine is toning which should always be done after you’ve finished with your gentle cleansing lotion, although it can be optional in your routine.

You’re probably thinking, what’s the point in a toner? Well,  a toner is a water-based product that will prep the skin for the use of serums or moisturisers.

Using a toner product on your skin will get rid of any excess oil, dirt or make-up, and will help close pores leaving your skin feeling brighter, refreshed, and ready for your next step.  It is also a great additional step if you have a sensitive or delicate skin, as it ensures it’s ready to absorb the rest of the product.

 3. The Benefits of Serums

Onto step three, which is incorporating serums into your routine whether that be Vitamin C serums, Hyaluronic acid, Salicylic Acid or any other ingredients.

We recommend checking out Superdrugs skincare range Me+ which focuses on skincare booster serums that are all designed to help your skin in a variety of ways.

Always apply your serum of choice before moisturising, there are loads of different serums that cater to various skin types.  Once you’ve applied a serum you’ll begin to understand the benefits already!

Using a serum within your day-to-day routine will have your skin feeling super soothed and soft especially if you have sensitive skin. They are very light products meaning they absorb super quickly so they won’t leave your skin feeling greasy. Do you ever apply a product and feel like it’s just sitting on your skin? Eww!

 4. Under Eye Cream

Eye time baby!

Applying an eye product whether that be a cream or a serum, under your eyes is a vital part of caring for your skin. This is because it will help reduce bags, puffiness, and sagging. Although younger people don’t necessarily have to worry about wrinkles just yet, they can be preventative for the future.

Using eye products daily will improve the area underneath your eyes by brightening your skin tone. When applying eye cream, gently massage around the area underneath which will help improve the circulation around them.

Do you always look tired no matter what you try? Well, maybe it’s time to bring some eye care into your daily life. We reckon you’ll like the CeraVe Eye Repair Cream!

 5. The Favourite One – Moisturising

Yep, you guessed it, now onto moisturising!

Most people who are not that into skincare, tend to at least use a moisturiser before applying make-up or when they’ve got out of the shower.

The truth is, you should really moisturise every day and sometimes multiple times a day if you have sensitive skin or extreme dryness like in the winter months due to cold weather.

Moisturising leaves your skin feeling hydrated and super smooth. Another benefit is how smooth it makes your makeup base, there’s nothing worse than applying foundation to your skin and it just ends up feeling crusty.

Regardless of your skin type, everyone should moisturise their skin. Find one that works for you and apply it in the morning and before you go to bed, or whenever you like really.

Ssshh – don’t tell anyone but moisturising is definitely our favorite part of our routine.

6. Relax With a Face Mask

Face masks, who doesn’t love a self-care night with a facemask on!

Again, this is an optional part of your skincare routine, and you shouldn’t use masks too often, once or twice a week is enough. You also need to use a targeted face mask for your skin type to see the best results.

Whilst a peel-off mask might feel nice and refreshing, it might not be what you need if you have dry skin as it can irritate your skin.

There are loads of different types from sheet masks to mud masks, masks enriched with vitamin c, tea tree or mineral oils – explore what masks work best for you!

 7. And Now Onto Priming

Now, this step is only important if you’re going to be applying makeup – priming!

Primers are used as a base for your skin before you apply foundation or any sort of makeup, although you can get eye-specific primers.

Primers are like the gods of makeup routines, as they help your makeup stay in place and look its best rather than melting off halfway through class.

There are different primers that combine different with foundations from water-based to oil-based, finding out which are suitable for which skin types can be difficult but don’t stress, we’re here to fill you in.

• Matte Primer – A matte primer is good for people with oily skin as it does what it says on the tin – helps to control oil! Matte Primers blur your pores and help your make-up to stay on longer.
• Hydrating Primer – An oil-based primer that is good for people with dry skin as it’s full of ingredients that will moisturise the skin, so your make-up won’t look cakey.
• Illuminating Primer- This is the key to the dewiest skin! This primer will add a subtle glow to your skin and is good for all skin types.
• Colour correcting primer- If you suffer from redness, then using a colour-correcting primer will help to balance and neutralise your skin tone.

8. SPF is Not Just for The Summer

When sunbathing, wherever that may be, from sun lounger to sunbed, you need to remember to incorporate sunscreen into your routine, as well as to ensure you wear SPF (Sun Protection Factor) products to protect from UV rays and sun damage. After all, who wants wrinkles when they’re young?

Realistically, you should use an SPF product on your skin every day to help protect your skin from sun damage.

If you tend to be outside a lot then apply SPF multiple times a day, even if it doesn’t appear to be scorching weather!

You may be curious as to how to apply SPF – rest assured, it’s not like a sun cream, which will leave white blobs or marks on your body. We recommend applying an SPF moisturiser and doing this before applying foundation or powder products so the skin can fully absorb its important properties. This will give you protection against UV-A and UV-B rays.

Repeat!

Although this isn’t really a proper step in your routine, you need to repeat your routine frequently. Realistically most of us won’t repeat this long routine every morning but if you want to see results then stick to these steps to know if they work for you and your skin.

And that’s it, your ultimate guide to caring for young skin!

We hope you’ve enjoyed finding out about the best skincare products for teenagers and young adults, and have entered a new wave of loving your skin!

As it’s coming up to the summer season, we recommend always remembering to apply sun cream when exposed to the hot weather and frequently. If you enjoyed this guide, then check out our blog on the Top 10 Festival Fashion Trends & Outfit Ideas for 2022/23. 

We will ensure your student accommodation has plenty of space to store all your skincare products!