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Clearing Skin in the Teenage Years   (Part One)

by Deanna Klan, Penticton

It can be heartbreaking to see your teenage son or daughter troubled by skin problems.  Young adults often have pressures of the media images and the scrutiny of their peers making them feel less confident about themselves, so this is no time to have blemishes and breakouts as well.  Here are some great ideas to help correct the problem and keep those eruptions away for good.  And if you’re not a teenager anymore, these tips will still help you too!

Let’s start by looking at the easiest plans to implement first:

Eat the right foods – Lots of fresh fruit and veggies and a good source of protein.  Strict dieting can lead to poor skin by robbing your body of vital nutrients.   Of course fried, processed, high sugar content meals will provide the basis for pimples and blackheads.  One mineral – zinc can help immensely here.  Zinc is found in shellfish, Brazil nuts, and pumpkin seeds and is especially good at clearing skin problems easily and quickly. Try eating a meal rich in these items and watch the improvement in your complexion.  Omega 3 oils are also excellent for these issues of skin health, by providing the raw materials for your hormones; this can help to keep stable hormone levels which mean fewer blemishes.

Water – This is cure for so many health issues but we are focusing on skin optimization.  Drinking lots of water daily will flush out toxins and waste products.  Far better to let your body remove it via regular methods instead of through your skin, don’t forget our skin is an organ of elimination too and our bodies will use it if needed.

Stress – this is a cause of many complexion problems and can be difficult to eliminate.  Teens can be busy with school, homework, part time jobs, sports commitments and social activities.  Recognize that this is impacting your health and do what is possible to limit and reduce stress, this can include meditation, yoga and perhaps saying no to some events. And this leads us to the next helpful factor…

Sleep – Young adults require more sleep than they often will admit as they are still growing and forming many important hormonal systems and this requires plenty of sleep.  Adequate rest helps deal with stress and keeps immune system and many other areas of the body functioning well.  Sufficient sleep will help the body to repair and this also means healing skin problems.

Hormones – As mentioned already these play a large role in giving us skin concerns and while not a lot can be done directly about this, ensuring that diet, sleep and stress levels are optimal will alleviate many hormonal disruptions.

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Clearing Skin in the Teenage Years   (Part Two)

by Deanna Klan, Penticton

Did you print off the tips from part one and post them where they can remind you (or someone important) to follow them and have great skin?  Part one’s advice was mainly about lifestyle choices and how they affect our outer selves.  Now we will move on the skin habits.

Good skin hygiene is of the utmost importance, and this includes caring for more than just your face.  Having clean hands, fingernails and hair are a real priority.  Because we often touch our faces, we must keep our hands clean and best of all, keep them clean and try not to touch your face.   Do not pick at blemishes or blackheads, again a risk of contamination is present.  Have other items like phones (cell and otherwise), and pillowcases cleaned frequently.  Clean hair that touches your skin (especially the bangs and the hairline in genera) will not introduce the bacteria and oils to your facial skin)

Wash your face twice each day (morning and Night) and be thorough.  Don’t miss any areas and use a light massaging motion to lift off dirt, dust and perspiration.  Then rinse well with warm water.  Don’t wash more often than once a day and use a gentle soap or cleanser.  Your skin shouldn’t feel tight or dry afterwards, there a are lots of good products on the market that will cleanse well without being too harsh. Washing excessively will result in reactive seborrhea, a situation where the skin has been stripped of all natural oils to such an extent that the skin will create more sebum (oil) to correct this.    

Exfoliating is a highly effective way of discouraging blackheads and pimples from forming.  By removing the dead skin cells as they slough off, prevents pore blockages which result in blemishes and blackheads.  Alpha Hydroxy acids work well here as they are experts in exfoliating and keeping pores clean and clear, plus they also have a mild effect on the oil glands and can slow down the production of oil in over-active glands. You can use scrubs made from sugar, finely ground nuts, or grains, again gently and frequently is the answer.  Approximately 2-3 times each week for is sufficient to exfoliate properly.

Another step that follows naturally is to use a clay based mask.  This will act as a vacuum cleaner and absorb any excess secretions and help to close the pores.  Most clays work well and if you have dry skin on the cheek area, then just use the mask on the rest of your face.  It is best to use a mask after exfoliating as one helps the other to complete a really effective regime.

Last on the facial hygiene routine is to lightly moisturize, this is often seen as unusual for problem skin but it is important to make sure that the has a light protection from the drying effects of desert air, central heating and winds etc.  Alight moisturizer with an SPF is great to minimize sun damage.  If it seems like this step is unnecessary then try a lighter lotion or just moisturize the cheek and eye areas.  I have seen people with problem skin in the T zone area and very rough dry skin on the cheeks and the skin around the eyes.  
By forming these good skin habits you will have a fresh clear complexion and these habits will stay with you, keeping your skin looking its best always.   When you are old enough to be concerned about lines and wrinkles you will find your skin has aged extremely well because of what you learned and put into practice as a young adult.    

Written by Deanna Klan

Deanna Klan has enjoyed being a licensed esthetician since 1986 and she combines her love of natural organic essences and healing energies at her salon. She can be reached at Daydream Esthetics Studio, 26-88 Duncan Ave W, Penticton, 250 490-1233 - Email:

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