Beauty Tips for Teens

Skin Care Tips

Teenagers have different skin care and makeup needs than women. At what age should a teen begin a skin care regimen? Skin care should actually start when they are preteens, as early as the age of 10 or 11. Hormones start to kick in and blemishes may begin to appear.
As you mature, your skin care needs will change, as your skin does. Pay special attention to what products you are using and if there are any undesirable affects taking place. What makes your skin look radiant one month may cause blemishes and break-outs the next.
Moisturizer
At an early age, a light moisturizer may be called for, but do not use heavy creams made for dry skin. Choose a product that is formulated for light skin care maintenance that does not block your pores. A heavy moisturizer will probably wreak havoc and cause pimples. Try using a light moisturizer only once a day, before bedtime. Any more often than that is probably overdoing it. For combination skin, spot-moisturize. Instead of using moisturizer on your entire face, use it only on dry areas and keep it off of your t-zone.
Pimples and Blemishes
Acne is the #1 skin care concern for teens. Keep your face and hair clean, wash your hands frequently, and keep them away from your face. There are many products available on the market today for acne prevention and cures, and they are much more effective than years ago.
Once you begin experiencing problems, take action to avoid lifetime scarring. You can go to the Blemishes Page to find out how to get rid of pimples, preventative maintenance, and how to reduce the appearance of them once they appear.

Makeup for Teenagers

Most teenage girls begin wearing light makeup around the ages of 12-13 as they become more aware of their appearance. As a teen, your makeup should look natural and enhance your facial features. Don't overdo it, this will only make you look silly. With a few simple, inexpensive products, you can play up your finest features and look great!
Keep your makeup light for school. You don't need to use it on every facial feature you have! Mix and match to find out what looks best on you. For parties, you may want to add a little more makeup to add some glam. Make sure you blend it in well with your fingers or a cosmetics brush. Check it in bright light when you're finished.
Foundation
Foundation for teens is not necessary. While it can clog your pores, it will also look overdone. Skip the foundation and use a concealer on your blemishes only. Lightly dust on some loose powder over your entire face to even out your skin tone, control oil, and set the concealer.
Freckles
Don't try to hide your freckles. You may not appreciate them, but they are part of you. Exposure to sunlight makes freckles darker so avoiding the sun and using a sunscreen will keep them in check. As you get older, they can fade and won't be much of an issue.
Eye Makeup
You may not be interested in eye shadow until you're a little older. If so, that's great. When you do begin wearing it, keep it light and use any trendy metallics and sparkles sparingly. They can flake off into your eyes and cause irritation. Eye shadow does not have to match your eyes, however, earth tones (tan, brown, gray) are very complimentary to blue, brown and hazel eyes.
When you begin using mascara, brown works best for both blondes and brunettes. Black is probably too harsh, especially in the daytime. If you think brown isn't dark enough, try brownish-black. Waterproof mascara may be necessary for sports and outdoor activities in warm weather. It stays on longer and doesn't run, but it's harder to take off. It's best to keep mascara and all makeup to a minimum and you won't have to worry about undesired smearing.
If you're going to use an eyeliner, a pencil liner looks more natural than liquid liner. Learn to apply it with a steady hand for straight lines, and blot it with a tissue if you get it on too dark.
Blush
Liquid and stick blush are popular choices for teens because they glide on smoothly and blend in well. Pinks and peaches compliment almost any skin tone. Apply to the apple of your cheeks and blend outwards, towards your hairline.
Lips
For luscious lips, lip gloss does the trick. If you want to add some color to your lips for a nighttime look, try a lipstick in a sheer color. For extra shine, put the lip gloss on over your lipstick. Always have lip balm handy for chapped lips.