$9.28
Walmart
The best skin care for tweens, according to dermatologists
Shifts in hormones can quickly cause breakouts for tweens — using a gentle cleanser, moisturizer and spot treatment can actually help, according to experts.
Lal recommends this gentle cleanser for those with acne who may also notice some dryness, saying it won’t further dry skin. It contains benzoyl peroxide, which acts as an antiseptic on the skin, according to the brand. The formula is non-comedogenic and is fragrance-free, which is best for sensitive skin, according to Cetaphil.
A lightweight cleanser that you can use morning and night, this formula includes a tri-ceramide complex made up of ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids to break down dirt, grime and makeup and wash it away, according to the brand. It comes out as a gel, but as soon as you start lathering it onto your face, it turns creamy and leaves behind soft skin once washed away, according to Byoma.
If you wear contacts, you may know that sometimes when skin care gets close to your eyes, it can fog up or irritate your lenses. This cleanser was tested by ophthalmologists to ensure it won’t do that, according to the brand. If you’re wearing makeup, the brand suggests applying the cleanser to dry skin and washing away with water. No makeup? Wet skin and then apply the cleanser before rinsing it off.
If acne isn’t an issue, consider this gentle cleanser from Neutrogena. It’s hypoallergenic and fragrance-free, a good option for sensitive skin and washes away dirt without drying skin, according to the brand.
Laneige, the brand behind one of our favorite lip masks, recently came out with this gentle foam cleanser. It has hyaluronic acid to moisturize and papain enzyme to exfoliate, which can help get rid of blackheads and blemishes, according to the brand. The face wash removes makeup while also softening the skin, according to Laneige.
Kids age three and up can use this face wash, though it’s particularly popular with the tween crowd. Its primary ingredient is water, but it also has niacinamide and Omega 3 and 6 to nourish skin, according to the brand. The foam formula goes on smoothly and has a peachy scent.
CeraVe is often recommended to us by dermatologists for dry skin and repairing the skin barrier. This lotion is a good option for younger skin because it’s oil-free and fast-absorbing, has SPF 30 in it, and is suitable for sensitive skin, according to the brand. It has niacinamide, which can calm skin inflamed by blemishes, and hyaluronic acid to moisturize, according to CeraVe.
YouTuber Salish Matter recently launched Sincerely Yours, a skin care line for tweens and teens, and the launch event was so popular that over 80,000 kids turned up. This moisturizer is one of the star products. It is gentle, fragrance-free and has hyaluronic acid, ceramides and niacinamide to hydrate and strengthen the skin barrier without irritation, according to the brand.
Launched in 2020, Bubble was made specifically for younger skin. This moisturizer is best for normal to dry skin and is made with avocado oil, vitamin E and aloe leaf juice, according to the brand. Also fun for tweens: The lotion is dispensed through a pump at the top and comes out in a cute flower shape.
This oil-free moisturizer is from Florence by Mills, Millie Bobby Brown’s (of “Stranger Things” fame) skin care line. The moisturizer has willow bark extract to calm skin, lotus flower to help control oil and vitamin B12 to soothe any inflammation from breakouts, according to the brand. You can use it morning and night after cleansing.
This oil-free gel moisturizer is for those with acne-prone skin. The main ingredients are squalene and ceramides to hydrate and niacinamide to calm irritation and redness from pimples. It has a subtle cotton candy scent and you can use two to three pumps on your face post-cleansing, morning and night.
Another recommendation from Lal, this moisturizer has SPF 30 for sun protection and niacinamide to soothe redness and inflammation. The formula’s oil-free and non-comedogenic, so it won’t clog tween pores more than they already are. It’s also allergy-tested and fragrance-free, making it a good option for sensitive skin, according to the brand.
This moisturizer is formulated to be lightweight and oil-free, which keeps it from clogging pores. It's also made especially for young aults, according to the brand. It’s free from parabens and phthalates, which makes it good for sensitive skin and it has hyaluronic acid to moisturize, according to the brand.
According to the brand, this quick-drying formula has salicylic acid to fight acne and calamine to calm irritation. Simply dip a cotton swab into the pink sediment at the bottom of the bottle (don’t shake it up) and dab it directly onto your pimple, according to the brand. The lotion dries quickly but leaves a pink, chalky residue, so the brand recommends using this product at night.
This spot treatment has .55% salicylic acid, which is on the lower side — something that may be helpful for sensitive tween skin. It also has centella asiatica extract, which helps reduce inflammation caused by pimples, according to the brand. I Dew Care recommends applying between one and three times a day to breakups to clear them up.
This spot treatment includes 2% salicylic acid, which Lal says can help tweens effectively diminish blemishes as they pop up by helping to unblock pores. Along with the salicylic acid, the formula includes witch hazel, a natural ingredient that can soothe inflammation, according to the brand.
These pimple patches are available in packs of 20 and 60. The patches combine hydrocolloid and salicylic acid to help remove oil and debris from clogged pores, plus they contain aloe vera leaf extract, which has anti-inflammatory properties that help soothe and calm redness, according to the brand. A tween can wear them overnight to try and reduce a pimple before school the next day.
This salicylic acid spot treatment comes in a tube with a metal roller ball applicator, which cools on contact with skin and feels soothing against inflamed pimples. It also has witch hazel, which can bring down swelling, according to the brand.
During puberty hormones start to go haywire — specifically, androgens (male sex hormones) rise in both girls and boys, which can increase oil production. This increase can lead to blackheads, whiteheads and other blemishes, says Lal. And while these hormones are usually at their peak during puberty, they can increase in the tween years. This is why boys and girls between 9 and 12 may experience breakouts.
As an adult, you may have an extensive skin care routine filled with eye creams, toners, serums and more. But going through a long process as a tween? Not very likely — plus, youthful skin doesn’t need it. “A simple and consistent routine is best for young people,” says Prather. “The ideal would be to stick to a two- to three-step routine in the morning and night.” In the morning, the focus should be washing your face, using sunscreen and putting on moisturizer. In the evening, tweens should cleanse, moisturize and use a spot treatment if needed, says Lal. If you are a parent, try stressing consistency with this routine — it takes time to see results and it’s a good habit to get into from an early age, adds Prather.
Overtreating acne is one of the biggest mistakes a tween can make, says Prather. When oily skin is an issue, it’s tempting to want to dry it out. But that could just cause oil glands to go into overdrive, creating more oil and sebum to replenish what’s being stripped away, she adds. If a zit pops up, a spot treatment with benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid is fine. Prather says you just don’t want to be using those ingredients if you aren’t dealing with breakouts. It also should go without saying, but tweens should avoid retinol and other ingredients specifically aimed at mature complexions (like lactic acid and glycolic acid) — all of which can be too harsh for young skin, says Lal. Other things to avoid include adapalene and tretinoin, two acne-fighting ingredients that tend to be more intense than salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide. They can also be too severe for tweens, says Prather. Make sure to be diligent about the ingredient label when shopping.
At NBC Select, we work with experts with specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
I am a contributing editor at NBC Select and a journalist who regularly covers topics like beauty, home and lifestyle. For this story, I interviewed two board-certified dermatologists to gather their guidance on what to look for when shopping for tween skin care.
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