Introducing 11 year old to skincare

[VenusClapTrap]

I think I probably need to introduce my scruffy urchin dd to skincare. She is quite young for her age and not remotely interested in clothes or beauty - that’s great, and I love that all she wants to do is muck about in the stream in wellies and make dens in trees with her friends, but her personal hygiene could do with improvement.

She’s still very much a child - no sign of puberty, but some of her friends are developing so I feel it’s round the corner, and I was very spotty myself so I fear she’s got that to come and needs to keep her face properly clean.

I want to sit her down and explain how to wash her face properly, but I can’t really remember when I started with the whole cleanse tone moisturise rigmarole. I think I was probably about her age; at least on the cleansing front if not the moisturising. At the moment dd’s face only gets washed when she has a bath or shower, and she doesn’t do that every day.

Any advice? I’m not really into beauty regimes and I’m sure I’m utterly out of touch with what young people do. Should I just buy her some basic facial wash and show her how to use it? What do other kids her age do? Did you have to teach your dc or did they get into it themselves, or through their friends?

School will be doing sex Ed lessons with them soon so it seems like a good time to talk about growing up and taking care of herself.

Provide a bar of soap, a wash basin and a towel. Job done.
Worked for me for the last 65 years!

I have got my 9 yo a gentle face wash and lightweight moisturiser after she asked about mine. She's happy to use those now and then. I am leaving it to her to decide when she uses them.

I wouldn’t bother with the whole cleanse, tone and moisturiser - she’ll be sucked in then for life!!

For my teen DDs I just bought a basic face wash (whatever’s on offer or the cheapo Aldi stuff) and some blemish control stuff (spot cream). Now they’re a bit older they love to spend time and money looking around Boots... but at 11 I’d just encourage regular washing.

Meant to add, yes friends help - that’s who they’re out shopping with! (Pre-COVID obs).

Face masks have always been popular here too - and make good presents for friends.

Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser, is a face wash, I use it myself but 13 yo uses it too. I'd say hold off on moisturiser unless she feels she needs it, once you're in you're in for life!!! Just deodorant and a body spray and possible perfume and a shower gel she likes

Provide a bar of soap, a wash basin and a towel

I’ve done that for years and it’s gone untouched!

Ok this is reassuring. I don’t feel I’ve been neglectful in not having done this already, and it sounds like I just need to provide some gentle facial wash. I’ll do that and then she can take it from there.

I think I learnt this stuff from Just 17, but there isn’t an equivalent now!

I would just supply a gentle face wash and basic moisturiser. Explain washing your face twice a day, if it feels dry then some moisturiser. Also SPF is probably a good thing to talk about
Better to start now than do nothing and her end up watching tiktok and slathering unsuitable stuff on in 5 years time!

OP, I'm at the same stage with DS 12. I had awful skin as a teen and am keen to help him avoid the same misery.

I've bought a basic face wash and am trying to drum in to him to wash his face when he cleans his teeth. I'm still having to remind him but we're getting there. Resistance is less .

I started my kids on a basic, gentle cleanser and daily SPF around 12/3. We added a bit of BHA when the blackhead years kicked in, and as the SPF was already established it wasn't a massive deal. That's been pretty much it, really.

Thanks everyone. Very helpful.

Too young go be bothering about products. A nice gentle soap and clean towel for face is enough at her age. And be careful in strong dun.

Sun

Gentle face wash or soap, basic gentle moisturiser. Not much stops hormonal spots in my experience, unless they're bad enough to go to the doctor for some serious treatment.

I also have an 11yr old who is shy of washing. She only washes her face (between showers) in the parts that are visibly dirty.
She’s had a couple of pimples so I’ve pointed her to the blemish cream that sits in the bathroom cupboard and I’ve brought her a foaming facial wash, which she hasn’t touched yet. I’ve also brought her roll on and antiperspirant spray which I will push her to use in the summer (she needed it last summer). She also has shower gel, anything to encourage her to wash as she does get a bit whiffy. I’m hoping she’ll up her game when she goes to secondary.

I was wondering if people would teach their 11yo ds about skincare. I just encourage my dc to wash in the bath/shower morning and night. We dont have special products.

I am lucky I have good skin. I don't CTM.

I have bought loads of white, 100% cotton flannels and fold them into a square and there is a pile of about 10 in each of my DS's bathrooms. They have been told to use it once and then throw it in the wash basket. Dampen flannel, wet face, use facial wash (Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser for 11-year old and Dermalogica Clear Start for 15-year old), wash off with wet flannel, rinse flannel, and repeat.

You can get 100% cotton flannels in packs of 3 or 5 from everywhere such as B&M, QD for a few pounds. They also last forever.

This is really interesting as my 11yo DD is the other end of the spectrum and wants to use all the skin care, and I'm struggling to work out what she needs. So this is very useful for me too! Thank you.

I would let her enjoy being a child as long as you can and worry about skincare only if she gets spots.

If she isn't spotty and has armpit odour, then all she needs is a daily shower. Cleansing, moisturising etc isn't necessary until she reaches puberty. Moisurising, cleansing etc doesn't prevent any spots or poor skin. Leave her alone to enjoy her childhood.

When I was 10, I went into the Body Shop and asked for advice on where to start in looking after my skin and they sold me some very gentle products that also felt nice to use and weren’t ridiculously expensive. Some of the basic Boots and Superdrug lines are good. I have always been a cleanse, tone,
moisturise girl though!

My DS is 11 and he already has the start of what appears to be acne and it’s affecting his confidence

I provided him with some nip and fab teen skin products which do seem to help. I also have to make sure he uses a roll on and he showers every day.

The Cetaphil wash sounds like it might be worth a try.

My 11 year old DD sounds very similar to yours. I noticed that she was getting a few spots (mainly last summer when she was wearing SPF in the day) so I got her a basic gentle facewash and moisturiser and she uses those in the evenings now and her skin is much better.

A daily shower would be a miracle here, I have an 11yr old dd and an almost 13yr old ds, they are at about the same stage of puberty and I nag them into the shower twice a week. I’m sure one day they will stop all the drama

Bloody hell - she’s a young 11 - if she’s not spotty don’t start forcing beauty routines on her she doesn’t want or need.

If she needs to wash her face more for hygiene or tidiness then by her something like the Simple face wash to use at night. If you want her to shower more try taking her to the body shop to buy a shower gell she likes the smell of.

I would insist on a daily bath or shower, preferably in the morning, but if at night then a face wash with some soap or face wash and a flannel. She doesn't need a complicated regime, but she does need to wash. It's part of regular hygiene, like teeth brushing or wearing clean clothes, whatever your age