5 tips for building a healthy skincare routine for tweens and teens

Social media is pushing elaborate routines for young skin — and not always for the best

Pastel colorful cosmetics bottles on pink table with abstract geometric figures on turquoise mint green background
Long-term use of some products can put young skin barriers at risk
(Image credit: Aleksandra Konoplia / Getty Images)

Teens and tweens have a growing skincare obsession perpetuated by fresh-faced underage influencers hawking elaborate, expensive routines. A new peer-reviewed study, published in Pediatrics by researchers at Northwestern University, found that girls as young as seven are following routines that are doing more harm than good. The news confirms the fears many parents have about introducing skincare to their children, but experts say there are ways to do it safely. This is how.

Cut down on unnecessary active ingredients

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Theara Coleman, The Week US

Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.