A first acne routine for teens

Why simple wins

Teen skin reacts to too much at once. Stacking several strong products leads to dryness and stinging, and then the whole routine gets dropped. Pick one active ingredient that suits the breakouts, use it every day, and add a second only if a doctor or pharmacist suggests it.

Which active ingredient to start with

Look at the spots first. Blackheads and whiteheads respond best to adapalene or salicylic acid, which keep pores from clogging. Red, sore pimples respond best to benzoyl peroxide, which kills the bacteria in them; a 2.5% or 5% strength works well and irritates less than 10%. If there is a mix of both, many teens use benzoyl peroxide in the morning and adapalene at night, which is the routine below.

Morning

1. Wash with a gentle cleanser and lukewarm water, using fingertips, not a scrub.
2. If benzoyl peroxide is the active, use it now as a wash or a thin leave-on layer. It can bleach towels and pillowcases, so use white ones.
3. Oil-free moisturizer, then sunscreen on school days and sports days.

Night

1. Wash again, and take off any makeup or sunscreen first.
2. If adapalene is the active, a pea-sized amount spread thinly over the whole area, not dotted on spots. Starting every other night for the first two weeks helps the skin get used to it. The label age is 12 and up.
3. Moisturizer if the skin feels tight.

How long to wait

Give the routine six to eight weeks before you judge it. Adapalene can make acne look a little worse in the first weeks before it improves. For a side-by-side of which product suits which kind of breakout, see our guide to acne treatment for teens.

Sports, sweat and hair

Shower or at least wash the face soon after sports, since sweat left on the skin can add to breakouts. Wash headbands, caps and helmet pads often, and loosen tight straps that rub the forehead, chin or shoulders. Keep hair gels and oils away from the face, and pull long hair back at night.

Common first-routine mistakes

• Putting adapalene only on spots. It works by preventing new ones, so it goes on the whole area.
• Washing three or four times a day. Twice is enough; more strips the skin and makes it oilier and redder.
• Using two strong products at once from day one, such as a benzoyl peroxide wash and a salicylic acid toner and adapalene. Add one at a time.
• Stopping when the skin clears. Acne often comes back, so keep a lighter routine going.

For parents

Acne is the most common skin problem in teens, and it is not caused by dirt or by one food. Teens often feel blamed when someone says to wash more or stop eating chocolate, so it helps to talk about it as a normal skin condition with a plan. Buying the products together, writing the routine on a sticky note by the sink and checking in after a month works better than daily reminders.

When to get help

See a doctor for deep, painful lumps, for spots that leave scars or dark marks, or when acne is getting a teen down. Doctors have stronger creams and pills, and acne that scars is worth treating early.

Back to the best acne treatment for teens