I have a teenage boy (who would be mortified to know that I'm mentioning him ...). I know how hard it can be to get teens to take proper care of their skin. But this is the best time to learn. First of all, their skin is going to be generally at one of its most challenging stages during the teen years. Second, if they learn good habits now, they will be set for life. And this is for both boys AND girls - because breakouts are an equal-opportunity offender.

So I thought I would put together the 5 most important skin care tips for teens  - so it becomes habit at an early age. And "learn" is the key word - because it is not something they will generally have much interest in (particularly since it's "advice" coming from their MOM!). But once they get on board, it will - I promise - become second nature and they will be so glad they do these 3 things because their skin will be a lot better off! 

Here are my 5 Tips 4Teens:

#1) Keep your hands off your face! That already sounds like a mother-naggy-comment. But it's so so so critical! More than ever, our hands are exposed to germy things like our phones, keyboards, etc. They carry so much bacteria that touching our chins, foreheads, eyes and nose means we are planting those icky germs right onto our skin. And those bad boys are more than happy to make a little home there, making friends with super-sensitive-hormone-riddled teenage skin cells and voila - breakouts and blackheads. And contact with germy-things brings up:

#2) Keep your phone clean! That thing is a virtual petri-dish of ick. So wipe it clean with a cloth spritzed with rubbing alcohol. That will get rid of the germs and make it shiny and pretty :) Just don't use too much - you don't want it to get into the phone itself.

#3) Wash your face every day with a cleanser appropriate for your skin The easiest thing to do is to keep a bottle of face wash in the shower so you can wash your face while in the shower. If skin is super oily, washing in the evening is also important. And if you play sports, you should wash your face after sports - especially if you wear a helmet! (and that needs to be kept clean as well). The important thing is to keep the face wash in a visible spot somewhere you will see it every day as a reminder.

Finding a face wash that is good for your skin type is not too hard. Read this article to determine your skin type. Most teens are generally going to have normal/combination skin or oily/acne skin. If you are getting frequent breakouts, look for a product that is made for oily/acne skin. Garden Girl You're Fresh (for normal/combination skin) and At Long Last (for oily/acne skin) and G for Men wash for normal/combination and wash for oily/acne skin are excellent choices.

It's important not to dry skin out, however. If your skin is oily and you continually dry it out, it can actually create more oil because your skin will think it's not producing enough. So watch and make sure it stays hydrated. Which brings me to:

#4) Keep skin protected I know, it sounds crazy but you need to keep your skin hydrated and moisturized. If your skin is oily, how can you possibly need a face cream? Well it's true (see above). But don't use something heavy - stick to a cream that is light - like Garden Girl's No Worries or G for Men's protect for sensitive skin. Both of these products have zinc PCA which can help prevent breakouts. And they are light enough to apply a thin layer to keep skin protected and properly balanced. 

But even more important than moisturizing is protecting your skin from the sun. First off, avoid it when you can. But if you are in the sun, wear sunscreen  and (this is the one that my kids seem to forget...) reapply after you have been out for a couple of hours or if you have been in the water - even if it is a "waterproof" product. Look for products that have natural sunscreens like Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide like Caribbean Sol products. 

#5) Treat spots/breakouts when they happen If breakouts do occur, treat them immediately - preferably with a natural choice to start - before you get into the harsher chemical treatments. Clearly if you have a major challenge with diagnosed acne you will want to address that with a dermatologist. But if it more along the lines of periodic breakouts then try something like Spot Slayer or another natural product.

It looks like a lot - but it actually is pretty simple. And for real, your 40-year-old self will give you a big ol' hug, or high 5, or whatever they will be doing by the time you are 40. Because your skin will look amazing - and you will look years younger than those who couldn't be bothered when they were young.