As a tween boy, you may not think you need to worry about a skincare routine, but self-care is not only for girls. There will be days when you wake up with a pimple or two the morning of school picture day or a big basketball game. We want to help you start a skincare routine now and share some tips so you and your face are ready for any blemishes or blackheads that may pop up.
A good skincare routine starts with a few necessary steps and finding the right products for your skin type. By knowing your skin type, you’ll be able to choose the right products that will work best for you.
- Washing your face daily with a gentle face wash is the most important skincare step in your routine.
- Follow up by treating any acne spots.
- Finish your skincare routine with a moisturizer.
- Use sunscreen daily.
Tips to Follow Alongside Your Skincare Routine
In addition to starting a skincare routine and finding the right face wash and other products for your skin type, these five tips will help your skin look clear and healthy.
1. Avoid Touching Your Face
Do you know how many times a day you touch your face? It’s a lot, and you probably don’t even realize it. Your hands are always touching surfaces like your desk, sporting equipment, and your video game controller throughout the day. Think about how often these are touched, and now try to recall the last time you properly sanitized them. Exactly—those surfaces contain germs that transfer to your hands. Gross!
Touching your face can spread the bacteria on your hands, which can clog your pores and cause acne. If you do happen to get a pimple or a blackhead, try to avoid picking, popping, or squeezing them. You don’t want to make your skin angry or put more bacteria into an already infected blemish! Always wash your hands before touching your face and avoid hand-to-face contact as much as possible. If you happen to catch yourself picking or touching your face more, reach for your face wash to clean up!
2. Wash Your Face, Body, and Hair Daily
Your face, body, and hair come into contact with many elements like dirt, oil, and bacteria that can cause irritations to your skin. It’s important to use face wash, body cleanser, and shampoo (conditioner is great, too, boys!) daily to cleanse your skin of these elements and maintain good hygiene.
You should cleanse twice a day with a face wash that is best for your skin type. For tween skin that tends to be on the dry side and sensitive, try our Gentle Skin Cleanser. Our best tip is to cleanse when you brush your teeth in the morning and before bed.
Now that you’re a little older, you should bathe daily and cleanse your skin with a body wash to remove the dirt, oil, and bacteria your body may have come in contact with throughout the day. If you’re in sports and sweat heavily, you want to make sure you wash your body as soon as you can after practice or a game. If you can’t shower right away, try to wipe off the sweat with a clean towel. When you shower, use warm water (not hot, it dries out your skin!) when using your face wash and don’t scrub too hard with the body wash—be gentle!
No matter the length, your hair also needs a good wash to get rid of dirt, oil, and bacteria. Washing your hair often keeps it clean, smelling good, and looking healthy. If you keep your hair longer, try to keep it off your face, too, to benefit your skin.
3. Drink Water and Eat Healthy Foods
Your body needs water and healthy food to look and feel its best. You will want to stay hydrated during the day to keep your skin glowing and flush out toxins. When your skin is dry, your body will produce oil that could block your pores, causing acne to form.
Drinking sugary drinks like soda and juice every once in a while is okay, but water is the key to good health. If you can, try carrying around a refillable water bottle while you’re in school to make sure you get enough water during the day.
While in your tween years, you are probably feeling hungrier and eating more than you use to. Your body needs the extra nutrients and energy that healthy food will give you. Plus, choosing the right foods for your body will keep your skin looking and feeling healthy. Everyone loves to have junk food and fast food, but make sure to limit those meals. What you eat and drink in a day can affect your skin, so it’s best to stick to a well-balanced diet.
4. Wipe Your Cell Phone Often
If you wake up to a pimple on the side of your face, you may have your phone to blame for it. Every time you put it to your face, you expose your face to the germs your phone has on it, clogging your pores and causing acne. You may not even realize your phone touches your face, and if you use the speaker or earbuds, it may not make contact with your face very often. However, if you think about it, you carry your cell phone everywhere, including into the bathroom which is filled with germs and bacteria.
You probably touch your cell phone more than you touch your face, which is why it’s important to clean it often with disinfectant wipes. Do we need to mention again that you should use your face wash after extended contact with your phone? Okay, good.
5. Ask Questions If You Have Skin Concerns
You’re new to skincare and it’s normal to have questions. Be sure to ask a parent or guardian if you need help with your skincare routine. You may need to change your skincare products or see a dermatologist. No two people have the same skin, so it’s important to pay attention to how your skin reacts to products to find the right skincare routine for now and your teen years.
Your hormones and stress play a factor in your skin condition, too. You can’t do much about those, but sticking to your skincare routine will help! These tips will help your skin look and feel its best. If you find them helpful, we have more ways to help you achieve healthy skin!