If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Does my child really need skincare?” you’re asking the right question.
The short answer: most tweens don't need much. A gentle cleanser and a light moisturizer cover it. Anything past that is optional, and a lot of what's being marketed to kids right now is more than their skin can handle.
Let’s talk about what tween skin actually needs, and what it doesn’t.
Do 9, 10, and 11-year-olds actually need skincare?
Not the way the skincare industry would have you believe. Most kids this age need help with three things: getting the dirt and sweat off their face and keeping skin comfortable. That's a cleanser, a moisturizer.
There's no need to treat, correct, or manage anything at this age unless a doctor has told you otherwise.
What's happening with tween skin?
Tween skin is in an in-between stage. Hormones are just starting to shift, oil production can change, and kids are more active than ever. They're sweating, playing outside, and touching their faces all day.
At the same time, their skin barrier is still developing. That makes it more sensitive, more reactive, and easier to throw off with harsh products. It's why adult routines don't translate.
What age should kids start a skincare routine?
There's no magic birthday. Good signs are that she's sweating more at practice, wearing sunscreen every day, starting to wear makeup or asking about it herself. For a lot of kids that lands somewhere between 9 and 11.
Start with washing her face at night. Build from there only if she wants to.
What does a simple tween skincare routine look like?
Two steps, morning and night:
- Cleanse with a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser. Ours is the Jelly Face Cleanser.
- Moisturize with something lightweight, like the Triple Cloud Face Moisturizer.
In the morning, sunscreen goes on last. We don't make one, so use the SPF your family already likes.
A lip balm and a face mist are nice extras, not requirements. If you want the two core steps in one box, that's our Rinse and Repeat Set.
What should tweens skip?
Retinol, exfoliating acids, anything labeled anti-aging, and harsh scrubs. Doing too much too early can create problems that weren't there to begin with (where are all my St. Ives Apricot Scrub moms?).
Pediatric dermatology teams say the same thing. Children's Mercy points out that kids' skin is thinner and more easily irritated than adult skin, and that anti-aging products like retinoids and acids can leave it red, sensitive, and with a weaker barrier.
We wrote a full list of ingredients to avoid, and what to look for instead.
When should we see a doctor instead?
If she has breakouts that are painful or won't go away, a rash that's sticking around, or anything about her skin that's really bothering her, that's a question for her pediatrician or a dermatologist. Skincare products, ours included, aren't a treatment.
A parent's takeaway
If your kid is curious about skincare, you don't need to shut it down. You just need to guide it.
At this age it's about learning to take care of her skin kindly, not trying to change it.
