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Come get to knowGeneration Beauty.

Portrait of tween in white shirt and blue jacket

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Meet the experts

How does puberty change skin?

Theres three things we need to think about in skin: One is themicrobiome.

These hormones influence the production of sebum, explains Dr. Mariwalla.

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser white bottle with blue and green label and pump cap on white background

So now you go from a relative state of normalcy to an abundance of sebum.

The result, over those five stages of puberty, can be varying degrees ofacne breakouts.

What is the ideal tween skin-care routine?

Bottle of CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion

It deserves health, it deserves attention, she says.

Its like good dental hygiene.

Within those buckets, preteens can experiment with textures such as gels, creams, and lotions.

Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50 tube closed

Children dont need them because their skin is already functioning at its optimal efficiency.

Other ingredients arent just superfluous, but can actually cause trouble.

Their skin does not have so much free radical or pollution exposure.

The Inkey List Salicylic Acid Cleanser bottle

Skin that is in the eight to 11-year-old range is perfectly functioning and healthy.

Ultimately, for preteens, theres no need for a lot of extra ingredients, says Dr. Hartman.

They just need hydration.

Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1 Acne Treatment tube

Im seeing young people come in and they have a lot ofperioral dermatitis.

And the first thing I ask them is What are you using?

This can be especially detrimental for children with more melanin content in their skin, notes Dr. Hartman.

How can preteens build healthy skin habits?

Its really good that kids attention is heightened to skin health, she says.

The first freckle that a two or three-year-old gets is the first sign of aging.

The sooner you learn to protect yourself, the better off you will be later in life.

Theyre not super crazy into skin care, but they appreciate my routine.

But that should just be for fun.

Its never Your face looks like XYZ, we must do this.

My sons have their skin care next to their can’t-do-without cologne that goes on every morning.

Teens are starting to normalize normal skin, says Dr. Mariwalla.

I think it’s empowering for them to take ownership of how they want to look.

Far too often, teens feel self conscious and want to hide.

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