Teen Hygiene 101

Helping Your Teen Succeed with an Easy and Effective Skin Care Routine

You never really forget the awkwardness that accompanies your teenage years. Bodily changes, raging hormones, acne, and peer pressure all converge to make it an unwieldy time for nearly all adolescents. 

While there’s little you can do to ensure your teen skates through puberty without experiencing some insecurities or embarrassment, you can take active steps to bolster their confidence, and it often starts with good hygiene.   

Body Care

Moving from childhood to the pre-teen years comes with a learning curve. Once puberty begins, what constitutes good hygiene needs to change – and change quickly. To help make this transition as easy as possible for your young teenager, it’s important to have open discussions with them about hygiene and self-care. Things you may think should be obvious might be a brand-new concept to them, so it’s important that you assume nothing.

We believe it is also important to approach these conversations without making our normal bodily functions seem gross or something to be embarrassed about. We all go through it! Body odor, greasy skin, monthly menstruation cycles, breakouts, it’s all a normal part of life for most of us. Luckily there are great products and routines that can help you make the most of growing up.   

Showering

While elementary-aged children don’t typically need to bathe every day, you should encourage your teen to take shower every day. You can make the process of showering more enjoyable by investing in body products they’ll enjoy using and in a scent they like. Get them involved in the process by smelling different types of body washes and choosing their favorite. By being in on the decision it will hopefully make bath time something they look forward to.

For morning shower takers, something refreshing like our Peppermint Body Wash provides a cooling wake-up call while leaving skin thoroughly cleansed, soft, and ready to take on the day. For teens that struggle to wake up in the morning, the peppermint boost is an added bonus!

Deodorant

Ever wonder why teens seem to be a little extra smelly no matter what they do? It all comes down to hormones. And while there’s not much we can do about hormones, your teen can keep smelly pits at bay through good hygiene.

While we’re all born with sweat glands, they become much more active as soon as puberty hits, making you produce more sweat. In addition to producing more sweat, the chemical composition changes that are triggered during puberty also make your sweat smell stronger.

Since you’ll probably notice the change before your teen does, you should be prepared to give them the run-down on the importance of applying deodorant daily.

Instead of starting your teen out with a chemical-laden antiperspirant, try using a natural deodorant, like our Deozein. Your body was meant to sweat. It gets rid of toxins and regulates body temperature. AND natural formulas won’t have your teen walking around in a fragrance cloud that fills the whole house.

Facial Care

For most teenagers, the main skin care concern is the development of acne. Acne can have a big effect on your teen’s confidence, so helping them to establish an effective acne management program is important. 

To really keep acne under control, daily maintenance is a must. However, as the American Academy of Dermatology suggests, parents or guardians of teens should remind teens about caring for their skin with “caution” as doing it too often can be seen as “nagging” and can tap into teens need to rebel. It also can seem stressful and overwhelming, so keeping things easy breezy is a good strategy, but remember the emotional and physical effects of acne can be intense, just waiting it out isn’t ideal.

In addition to providing them with a facial cleanser that is suited to their skin type, you should reiterate a couple of other crucial habits, including: 

1. Washing their face daily, both morning and night
2. Avoiding face-touching and picking at breakouts

If there’s nothing else you can get your teen to do, washing their face each and every day is the most important step. Teenage acne tends to be associated with hormones and diet. Hormones for some can trigger the overproduction of oil and an overgrowth of certain types of bacteria. If the skin isn’t clean, the buildup or dirt, oil, grime and bacteria in pores will get trapped, causing inflammation and breakouts. So, keeping the skin clear of excess oil and grime can go a long way to keeping pimples at bay. However, for severe acne that may not be enough.

We recommend avoiding acne treatments that are overly aggressive. Drying out the skin can exacerbate the problem. Work with them to find products that aren’t too complicated and work with their skin type. Just because they are teens doesn’t automatically mean they have oily skin, it can be dry, normal or combination, just like the rest of us.

If your teen is receptive to spending more time caring for their skin, we recommend investing in a simple, all-in-one kit like our Acne Cleansing Starter Kit. This gentle but effective kit includes our Algae Deep Cleanse, Acne & Blemish Infusion, Aromatic Emulsion Pure, and Clear Skin Cream.

Unlike other harsh acne kits on the market, ours incorporates pure essential oils, mineral-rich seaweed, and natural botanicals, to nourish the skin while clearing breakouts. Smooth, healthy-looking skin makes everyone feel more confident!

When it comes to puberty, there are certainly high-highs and low-lows, especially regarding hygiene and the overall physical changes that teenagers experience. If you’re looking for specific recommendations to help care for your teen’s skin (or your own) feel free to reach out to us by calling 800-880-6457 or emailing us at sales@sourcevital.com. Our team has decades of experience with skin care and can help you customize a program that’s perfect for your individual needs.