@samanthaschneidermd Tweens don’t need a 10-step skincare routine—or harsh actives! 🚫 Strong ingredients like retinol and exfoliating acids can do more harm than good. Stick to the basics: gentle cleanser 🧼, moisturizer 💦, and sunscreen ☀️ for healthy, happy skin! And make sure you’re reading labels so you know if actives are hiding in your tween’s routine. #TweenSkincare #LessIsMore #SkincareBasics #SPFeveryday #HealthySkin ♬ original sound - Samantha Schneider, MD

Has your preteen suddenly taken an interest in your skincare shelf? You’re not alone. More and more tweens and teens are diving into skincare—but not always in the healthiest way for their skin.

Hi, I’m Dr. Schneider, a board-certified dermatologist. I see patients of all ages, and today I want to talk about how to help your tween or teen build a skincare routine that’s safe, simple, and age-appropriate.

The Problem with “TikTok Skincare”

Many young people today are getting their skincare advice from social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. While it’s great to see this generation excited about taking care of their skin, they’re often influenced by bright packaging and trending products—not what’s actually right for them.

They may not know how to read ingredient labels or understand the strength of certain “actives” like:

• Retinol

• Glycolic acid

• Vitamin C

• Salicylic acid

   

While these ingredients have their place in adult skincare, they’re not appropriate for young, still-developing skin. Using these products too early can cause:

• Skin barrier damage

• Irritation and redness

• Blisters or rashes

• Increased sensitivity over time

   

And once the skin barrier is compromised, those same actives can penetrate more deeply—causing even more inflammation.

So, What Should Tweens and Teens Use?

The good news is: skincare for young people doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it shouldn’t be. What your tween really needs is a gentle, consistent routine that focuses on protecting their skin—not transforming it.

Here’s a simple skincare starter set for tweens and early teens:

Morning:

• Gentle cleanser (to wash away sweat and overnight oils)

• Sunscreen (SPF 30+ daily—yes, even if they’re just heading to school!)

   

Evening:

• Gentle cleanser (to remove sunscreen and grime from the day)

• Lightweight moisturizer (to lock in hydration and support the skin barrier)

   

That’s it! No fancy serums or exfoliants needed. Starting with the basics builds healthy habits and protects their delicate skin.

Final Thoughts

It’s wonderful to see young people interested in taking care of their skin—but it’s important that we guide them toward safe, age-appropriate choices. If your child is curious about skincare, support them by helping them learn what their skin really needs—and what to avoid.

Have a tween at home? Share this post with another parent who might be dealing with the same thing. And if you’re not sure what products are right for your child’s skin, book a visit—we’re here to help.

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Want the transcript for this video instead?   Is your tween stealing your skincare? Now might be the time to talk about developing a skincare routine that's appropriate for your pre-teen and teenager. I'm Dr. Schneider. I'm a board certified dermatologist. I see people of all ages in my clinic. Let's talk about developing a good skincare routine for the teens and tweens.

Their skin can't handle the actives, and it's not appropriate for them to be on actives. A lot of young people are getting their information about skincare from venues like this, like TikTok, like Instagram, and they're looking at influencers for what to pick, and they're intrigued by the bright colored packaging, but they don't necessarily understand how to read the label of what's.

In the skincare product, so actives like retinol, like glycolic acid, vitamin C, they're not appropriate for preteens and tweens. Their skin is not developed enough to be able to handle it, and when they're using these kinds of actives, they can actually impair their skin barrier. Can also get irritation.

They can get rashes, they can get blisters. If their skin barrier is impaired from using this product and then they're putting more actives on top, it can penetrate deeper, causing a lot of irritation. What we really need for these young people who are interested in skincare, which I am thrilled about because they're building good habits now, just a plain, gentle cleanser and then sunscreen.

Every day. 'cause that will really give them the best benefit. It'll really help protect their skin for the long run and build that habit of wearing sunscreen at night. A gentle cleanser to wash off that sunscreen and wash off the day. And then just a gentle moisturizer, starting with the basics is key.

We wanna keep that, that skin barrier intact. Send this video to a friend who has a tween.