10 minutes read

Those of you that follow my articles will probably be wondering, why today I’m focusing on skincare for the young, when I normally focus on the skincare routines and approaches that are appropriate for the more mature reader. But there is a very good reason for considering what is important for children in hygiene self-care, and even if you are fully informed on this subject, bear with me.

Recently, I was asked by a concerned mom about the ideal age to introduce kids to skin care, to which I replied that it is the hygiene self-care that needs to be introduced as early as possible, like from birth. There are 2 excellent reasons why hygiene self-care habits in children rather than skincare routines ought to be adopted.

A Young Person’s Guide to Personal Hygiene

Baby Care

Although loving touch has been shown to be essential for infants to develop properly, I would not rush to buy a basket of off the shelf baby skin and hair care products, as these sometimes contain ingredients that are not suitable and contain potentially hazardous chemicals.  So, understanding what is safe and critical to making good choices. 

Also, even be aware of natural or organic products that contain essential oils as scent providers, and although these are being presented as a healthy substitute for fragrances, the composition of essential oils includes some chemicals that can lead to irritation of the skin and interfere with metabolism in ways that may not be apparent.

My preference would be for people not to use any essential oils on infants' skin, but if you do, use as little as possible, well diluted in for instance grape seed oil, but only of those essential oils that are considered safe.

Teach Your Children Well

Like everybody else in the world, children learn to cope with the environment around them, and this is achieved through understanding how to relate to others while they grow and develop from a state of family dependency to being able to forge on their own. However, hygiene self-care may not come to the top of their priorities, unless guidance is provided on how to make personal hygiene not just a good habit, but a fun one also.

Below are a few habits recommended by Training Express, a UK organisation that runs numerous life skills courses, but they also excellent freely available information on their website. Worth a visit.

1. Good Hand Washing Practice

 2. Oral Hygiene

3. Toilet Hygiene - from nappies, to potty, to toilet using and hand washing.

4. Body Hygiene – washing the body, twice a day, and hair weekly as necessary, is essential for good personal hygiene to control germs, especially after an active day outside or with other kids.

5. Nail care – nails grown daily, and they get dirty, so parents will have to help, especially the younger kids.

6. Washing fruit and vegetables before eating them.

7. Wearing Clean Clothes Everyday – clothes get dirty from play, food, body contact, especially nappies and underwear, so instil this awareness early on. Soiled clothing can promote skin irritation and even infections.

8. Sleeping or resting Hygiene – this ought to happen with clean bedding, for at least 8 hours each night. Encourage kids to be proud of their bedding routine.

9. Sneezing & coughing – teach kids to grab a tissue to sneeze or cough into it, discard it, and wash hands.

10. Clean House – show kids how to keep a tidy and clean house. This will stay with them for life.

Tweens and Teens Use of Adult Skincare Routines – Parents be Aware!

Although the benefits of introducing kids to personal care routines are widely recognised, there is a concerning global trend on the exposure of children to adult skincare routines and their use (and abuse) in young girls as young as 8 years old.

So, the market is exploding with skincare marketing for tweens and teens, especially through social media our children are tethered to. We as parents must take some responsibility.

A recent article from ABC News highlights the growing trend of the tween fascination with skincare routines that go beyond cleansing and moisturising and include products with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, and some are even using exfoliators and masks with alpha hydroxy acids. These are clearly not appropriate for young skins and can lead to sensitisation and sensitivity to for instance sunlight. This is all done in search of the perfect skin and is quite the opposite of what we stand for, at Azurlis™, on Skin Perfection.

Clearly… we are perfect as we are, and are not dependent on an idealised physical perfection, that does not exist in real life.

The other point is that since the beauty industry is booming, it must mean that we are all buying into it, and surprisingly we are not shy to spend.  Indeed, with a global spend of NZ$632 billion in 2023, where between 2020 and 2022 the global sales of cosmetics increased by US$170 billion, this growth is projected to increase at the rate of 6% per annum, between now and 2028.

So, the beauty industry is doing extremely well, and given that younger sectors of the market are totally attracted to the cleverly branded products that often cost upward of NZ$100, it is not surprising that the industry will continue to boom.

This growth is partly attributed to “skininfluencers” on the various social media platforms promoting their videos, doing live chats, engaging with those that eager to “twinkle” like stars, presenting a whole suite of products and routines that encourage the young to grow up quickly and emulate their idols and idyllic lifestyle.

Gone are the days when girls just copied mom… now they adore stylist role models that appear to have the beauty, fame, and adoration of half the world, and will convince parents and family to support their dreams of perfect beauty… on the outside.

Sadly, this trend is also entrenched in our ageist society that appears to favour the beautiful, is continuously encouraging the looking younger as you age and is prejudiced against ageism.

This is a real concern for dermatologists and formulating chemists, as these anti-ageing, anti-wrinkle and skin protection messages, aimed the more mature, are now being taken up by youngsters.

It is generally accepted that skin ageing is only really beginning sometime between 20 and 30 years, though this does not seem to be conveyed to youngsters. So, yes by all means keep the skin clean, moisturise, hydrate and protect from the sun with a SPF product, but it is counterproductive for skin health to apply products that can damage skin as it is developing.

At Azurlis™ we have a Teen Collection that we seldom promote as we cannot compete in the market.

A Potential Solution?

Core to the solution is education, and a reality check. Encourage “self-care” not “self-indulgence”, explaining the appropriateness of products for different ages.

Love your kids and tell them every day that they are amazing as they are.

Don’t do what my mom used the tell me as a young, shy, and gawky teenager -“You look terrible… go and put some make-up on.” And so, I did though I never “pasted myself”. However, this started my interest in looking good, because I really did not want to “look terrible”. 

So, talk to your kids in a gentle and reassuring way.

• Talk about the value of looking presentable, real and reflecting what is important to you, because they’ll listen, even if with a dismissive look.
• Explain that looking in the mirror is necessary to check that you are presentable, but no need to gaze, as if wanting to know “Who is the most beautiful person in the world?”
• Remind them that they are beautiful anyway.
• Keep an eye on their access to social media.
• If your kids become engrossed in skincare routines, ask them for tips, as this will allow you to gently introduce the narrative that they missing.
• Don’t criticise the way you or they look. Look in the mirror and say allow “I look great today!” And… if those inconvenient breakouts present on yours or your kids’ skin, encourage cleansing, and use the Treatment below to help reduce the inflammation.

Simple Home-based Breakout Treatment:

• Get 4 - 5 fresh peppermint leaves and 6 – 7 fresh rosemary leaves.
• Do not use the herbs in the pantry as these are likely to have food stabilisers that are not needed.
• Break a chamomile tea bag and remove ¼ teaspoon of flowers.
• Place these leaves and flowers in a small bowl and add 3 - 4 tablespoons of boiling water.
• Use a teaspoon to squash the leaves and flowers, to extract some of the ingredients that have some anti-bacterial activity.   
• Cool and strain into another small bowl.
• Add ¼ teaspoon of kitchen salt and mix well.
• Take a cotton bud or tip and dip it in this solution and apply to the breakout.
• Use a fresh tip for every spot.

Disclaimer - This is not a remedy for large acne affected areas, it is simply a good way to reduce the impact of breakouts. For acne, it is best to have a conversation with your health practitioner.

Have fun and know that we are beautiful and young at heart, always!

Youngsters Frequently Asked Questions

When do I Start a Skincare Routine?

Have a chat with your siblings or parents before you start caring for your skin. Your parents can help you decide if it’s the right time for you to create a routine and, if it is, find the most appropriate products.

It’s never too early to start learning, so discuss the skin issues as they arise. This sometimes benefits by having a conversation with your family doctor, but you can always start by having a good cleansing and moisturising routine if you are contemplating using make-up. Proper self-care of your skin will save a lot of problems in the long run, so discuss these with the family. They have your interests at heart.

Why is Face Washing Important?

Washing your face refreshes the skin in the morning for the day, and helps you wind down and relax at night. Besides, if you don’t wash your face in the evening, there will be dirt and oil can that collect on your skin, clogging your pores and making your skin feel rough.

Use a cotton face wash with warm (not hot) water and gently wipe over your face. Pat your face dry and you are set, with great soft smooth skin.

For those of you are beginning to experience some form of acne or sensitivity, have a chat to your family as there are gentle face washes that do not strip the natural oils, while helping to control the skin flora that may be contributing to your acne.

Some forms of acne have to be dealt through your doctor, so a conversation with family is always a good start.

Why do I get Acne?

We agree that acne is not easy to live with, but it’s part of growing up. Tweens and teens are likely to get acne because of the increased hormones in their bodies.

Puberty is a part your life when you are transitioning from being a kid to becoming an young adult and leads to changes in your mind, body, and skin; acne is a part of this process, and not everyone experiences this to the same extent.

The hormones changes during puberty stimulate the sebaceous glands to make more sebum, and the glands become overactive. Overactive glands can lead to clogged pores, breakouts, and acne. In some instances, the hormonal changes lead to painful and difficult to deal acne, so a visit to the doctor is necessary.

Otherwise, a good skin self-care routine with cleansing and moisturising will go a long way to improve your skin. To manage some breakouts, below is a simple Treatment that you can discuss and implement with your favourite family member. Otherwise below are some tips for a home-base treatment.