Skin prognosis:
Collagen and elastin levels are at their peak during your teenage years. "Teenage skin is very plump with collagen and elastin," says cosmetic physician Dr Garry Cussell at the
Facial Rejuvenation Clinic. "There are no signs of lines or wrinkles, the texture of the skin is fine, and pores are tight."
Skin pro, Alexia Shinas, co-owner of Next of Skin in Sydney agrees, "In many respects, skin is in great shape during your teens," Shinas says. "Skin cells are being produced at an optimum rate and elastin and collagen are working well so skin is plump, bright and well coloured."
The big issues:
- Hormones. Teenage skin can come unstuck when hormones start causing the sebaceous glands to work overtime and produce excess oil. "Skin can become very oily and congested, which can cause blackheads, pimples and cystic acne," says Dr Cussell. "Dry skin is very unusual in teenage skin."
- Shiny skin. "With the increased production of oil, there's more than a 50/50 bet that the oil ducts will get blocked," says Shinas. "Behind the blocked ducts, the acne bacteria grows quickly and the result is inflammation and possibly shiny skin."
Skincare ideal:
- Cleanse well. Shinas suggests using a cleanser with either salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide in the morning and before bedtime. "But don't wash excessively or scrub too hard," she says. "This can strip the skin of its natural oils and may irritate already present acne."
- Set up a good regimen. The most important skin regime is a good cleanser, exfoliator and decongestant plus a water-based sunscreen," says Dr Cussell who also suggests adding Vitamin A to your regimen. "It helps regulate the oil flow."
- Add some acid. Sydney dermatologist, Dr Natasha Cook suggests using fruit acid and salicylic acid-based products if blackheads and whiteheads are a problem. "These ingredients sink into the pores to dissolve the blockages and promote natural cell exfoliation, which stops the formation blackheads and whiteheads and reduces breakouts," she says.
- Sunscreen. All the experts stress that prevention is better than cure when it comes to ageing so get into the habit of using daily SPF30, pronto!
"The most important thing you can do is develop good habits," says cosmetic doctor, Dr Ajaka. "Sun protection should begin in childhood because it is estimated that 80 percent of lifetime sun exposure occurs before age 18."
Star ingredients:
- Retinoid (Vitamin A). "My favourite Retinoid for this age group is Retin A gel because it is more effective than over-the-counter preparations and helps with acne," says Dr Ajaka. "And because it is a gel it doesn't block your pores. For sensitive skin that can't handle prescription Retin A gel, I use preparations containing Retinaldehyde."
- Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide. "Sunscreen is very important," says Dr Cussell. "A water-based version will protect without being too not be heavy or greasy."
- Fruit acid and salicylic acid. To keep skin clear, Dr Cook recommends, "Cleansing twice a day and using non-clogging, non-comodogenic moisturisers and salicylic acid and fruit acid products if you suffer from blackheads and whiteheads and breakouts."
Bonus pro tip:
Both Dr Cussell and Shinas agree that swapping heavy make-up for mineral make-up is a good idea. "Mineral make-up is available in many shades that will cover up the pimples and treat them at the same time," says Shinas who also warns against squeezing zits. "Pimples heal better and faster without touching," she says.
When shopping for skincare consider cosmoceutical products says Dr Cussell. "Cosmoceutical products have the best result with the skin because they are specially formulated with very active ingredients to penetrate into the skin rather than coat the skin," he says.
