I am asked often about the best care for teenage skin. As a mother of two teens, I know how hugely influential skin appearance can be in a young person’s life. If severe acne (as opposed to a few blackheads and a couple of spots) is present, please see a doctor at once. A painful, distressing and socially isolating skin condition is not merely part and parcel of growing up, and should be treated medically and diligently.
For young people who simply need a routine to follow (for the most part, at least – manage your expectations here), there are great options, including two new launches worth noting. The first is Indu, a teen beauty brand encompassing skincare, makeup and hybrids of the two, backed by a vast board of big hitters (including the former president of Estée Lauder Companies US, a teen psychologist, global retail moguls and the founder of Elemis). More impressively, products are conceived, formulated and tested in collaboration with a committee of 150 13- to 17-year-olds of different genders, skin tones and backgrounds.
They agree overwhelmingly that teen skincare should be more sustainable (everything is vegan and recyclable, much of it refillable), simple to use, gentle, affordable (a fairly priced £12-20 rather than bargainous) and non-comodogenic – that is, non pore-blocking. Ungreasy, elegant, packed with natural and more classically clinical ingredients, it deserves to blow up on TikTok.
Highlights include the Clarifying Gel Cleanser (£16), containing probiotic inulin (still one of my favourites at 48 years old) to aid the skin’s delicate microbiome, willow bark for redness, and more. The accompanying HydroGel Moisturiser (£20) is perfect for oilier types who may find classic teen moisturisers too harsh. The neutral, clean design across the range should appeal to teens without sullying your bathroom design, and the whole project is considered, respectful and good.
What it isn’t, really, is a problem-solver. What I’ve always recommended to teens whose blemishes are too mild for medication, too regular for simple maintenance, like Indu, is La Roche-Posay’s Effaclar Duo+. This brilliant, shine-controlling, hydrating, spot-preventing moisturiser has just had an update for the better. From the new Effaclar Duo+M (£16) you can expect the soothing, pore-clearing, non-greasy benefits of the original, with added preventive ingredients. It’s compatible with prescription peroxides and retinoids and in a house crammed with skincare, this is what I instinctively hand to my own kids.
Skincare: La Roche Posay Effaclar. Model: Liv French Anderson
