Why the Best Facial Cleanser for Teenage Girls Isn't In Your Drug Store

While there’s certainly no shortage of facial cleansers lining the shelves of every drug store you walk into, what you won’t find there is the best facial cleanser for teenage girls. Because of things like the hormone changes that cause acne breakouts and other skin conditions for teen girls, it’s so important that they have a reliable facial cleanser that’s gentle enough to use every day. The problem with most drug store cleansers, though, is that their chemical ingredients can actually worsen dry or oily skin and can cause breakouts instead of treating them.   So we’d like to simplify your search for the best facial cleanser for girls. Below, we’ve highlighted some of the most important reasons to choose a gentle, natural cleanser over those drug store products.

The Wrong Ingredients

When you’re choosing a facial cleanser, the number-one thing you want to keep in mind is that it should be gentle enough to use once or twice every day. As teen girls, rising hormone levels are causing your skin’s oil production to ramp up, which is the main culprit for breakouts and oily skin. But when you use a cleanser with very harsh chemical ingredients every day, it can actually make things worse. Ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate, alcohol, and parabens can remove your skin’s outer layer of protection. This can let even more dirt, oil, and makeup penetrate your skin, making acne breakouts worse and lead to irritation. Even though you might see a chemical ingredient on the labels of most of the cleansing products you pick up in the drug store, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe or effective at properly cleaning your skin. Sodium lauryl sulfate is a prime example of a harsh, yet common ingredient in many drug store cleansers. If used every day, a product containing sodium lauryl sulfate could make your skin dry, itchy, and irritated. (The Dermatology Review) Instead, the best facial cleanser for teenage girls should be gentle, yet effective. When you ditch the harsh cleansing products in favor of lighter, gentler ingredients, you will start to notice positive changes in your skin. The P.R.E.P. purifying daily cleanser is gentle and uses natural ingredients that won’t harm your skin. If you’re looking for a product to specifically target acne, look for a product that substitutes natural ingredients like willow bark and even chamomile. These ingredients are powerful enough to clear and soothe your skin, but are also gentle enough that they won’t cause irritation. You can find both of these ingredients in P.R.E.P. everyday clear acne.

Doesn’t Focus on Skin Type

Another problem with a lot of common drug store face cleansers is that they don’t specifically target dry, oily, or combination skin. So although some ingredients might help to get rid of excess oil, those same harsh ingredients can also make dry skin worse. This can cause a vicious cycle of constantly changing skin types. While it’s not uncommon for teen girls’ skin to occasionally fluctuate between being dry and oily, your face wash shouldn’t be causing this damaging cycle. Instead, teen girls should choose a facial cleanser with gentle ingredients that won’t further irritate their specific skin condition. If you’re not sure what type of skin you have, you can check out the P.R.E.P. skincare 101 guide. In it, you’ll see that you skin can be dry, oily, or anywhere in between. Teen girls with dry or sensitive skin should avoid drug store products with rough exfoliants that can cause irritation. The P.R.E.P. purifying daily cleanser uses natural sugar-based surfactants to help wipe away all the dirt, oil, and makeup that has built up in your pores throughout the day, without damaging your skin. (The American Academy of Dermatology) Choosing a facial cleanser with gentle, natural ingredients that won’t cause irritation can keep your skin clean and clear, no matter your skin type. Even if you have very sensitive skin, washing your face daily can help to control breakouts and other problems. Using a hypoallergenic facial cleanser is especially great for teen girls with allergies or sensitive skin.  (The American Academy of Dermatology)

The Bottom Line

With the large variety of drug store cleansing products out there, it can be difficult and even frustrating to find the best facial cleanser for teen girls. You want to make sure all the dirt, oil, pollution, and makeup aren’t left clogged in your pores overnight, but you don’t want to dry out your skin or cause breakouts with your face wash. Our advice? Wherever possible, look for natural substitutes to harsh chemical ingredients that can actually cause the very problems they claim to fix. Once you have a gentle facial cleanser that you can rely on to clean your skin without hurting it, you can be well on your way to having clean, healthy skin for life.   Stay healthy,