$13.99
Ulta
$12.99
Target
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.
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, which has a 4.4-star average rating from over 300 reviews on Sephora, 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.
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.
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. This cleanser has a 4.6-star average rating from over 5,300 reviews on Amazon.
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, which has a 4.8-star average rating from over 400 reviews on Amazon, removes makeup while also softens 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. This face wash has a 4.6-star average rating from over 1,810 reviews on Amazon.
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 moisturizer has a 4.6-star average rating from over 1,700 reviews on Amazon.
This oil-free moisturizer is from Florence by Mills, Millie Bobby Brown’s (of “Stranger Things” fame) skin care line and it has a 4.7-star average rating from over 2,500 reviews on Amazon. 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.
CeraVe is often recommended to us by dermatologists for dry skin and repairing the skin barrier. This lotion, which has a 4.5-star average rating from over 85,000 reviews on Amazon, 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.
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.
Made specifically for young adults, this moisturizer is oil-free and lightweight to avoid clogging pores. 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. This lotion has a 4.3-star average from over 950 reviews on Amazon.
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.
A blend of turmeric, tea tree oil and ginger extract work together to reduce blemishes and lighten dark spots that acne may leave behind, according to the brand. This can be a good option for tweens with sensitive skin, as salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide are a bit harsher than the natural ingredients in this formula. The tube has a rollerball applicator, so all you need to do is glide it over blemishes to apply the product. This spot treatment has a 4.6-star average from over 1,600 reviews on Ulta.
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. This spot treatment has a 4.6-star average rating from over 12,000 reviews on Amazon.
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. It has a 4.4-star average rating from over 1,100 reviews on Amazon.
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.
Bethany Heitman is a contributor at NBC Select and a journalist who regularly covers topics like beauty, home and lifestyle. For this story, she interviewed two board-certified dermatologists to gather their guidance on what to look for when shopping for tween skin care.
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