What age should you start your kids with skin care?

We’ve always been told prevention is better than cure for many aspects of our health and it goes to say it’s the same for skincare too.

Skin experts such as dermatologists and beauticians agree that starting young and developing a routine is really important. Starting young lays a good foundation for future habits that just become a part of everyday life like doing your teeth twice a day or applying sunscreen.

Boys particularly can be quite forgetful creatures at the best of times but if you gently encourage them to wash their face regularly in the tween years hopefully you’ve set up the routine for when the teenage hormones hit and skin starts to change. 

No one is suggesting a complex routine with active harsh ingredients such as AHA or retinols but a gentle, natural cleanser and moisturiser can do wonders in keeping the skin healthy. 

Starting by the age of 10 is a good guide to create habits and prevent early blockages. Blockages can occur from environmental factors such and dirt and pollution which then gets mixed with sweat and excess oil. Cleansing regularly will prevent acne by removing dirt and bacteria sitting on the skin. Removing the oil and dead skin cells will decrease the chance of clogged pores that lead to blackheads and pimples.

Skin loses moisture throughout the day so it’s important to use a moisturiser after cleansing. Using a gentle moisturiser will prevent skin dryness which can lead to an excess production of oil and in turn pimples.

In early puberty when the hormones start to change, you may see and increased tendency to get pimples and acne. Acne can actually be genetic, so it's not possible to prevent it altogether. When small breakouts happen we recommend introducing a pimple treatment that is antibacterial such as our On The Spot gel. This only needs to be used when pimples and outbreaks occur. Our gel is gentle enough to use on young skin and can be used for all ages.

The next step in protection is of course using a daily sunscreen. As we know the most damaging and ageing thing for the skin is UV rays even on cloudy days. So, get into the habit as early as possible looking after your skin with a daily routine of cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen.