Childrens’ oil glands shut off at about six months of age and stay that way for the first seven or so years of their life. Interestingly, it’s the oil - aka sebaceous glands - that are among the first tissues stimulated by the puberty hormones that start up as a child heads towards 8 or 9. The result? Your sweet, baby-faced tween gets a spot!
It’s important to realise is that what is happening is completely normal. It doesn’t mean they’re only months away from full puberty and raging acne. Look at it more as a ‘set up’ phase - this spot won't last long and, before you know it, their skin should be back to being childlike again.
But it’s helpful to understand what is happening to their skin at this age. And how to treat those little bumps and blackheads, when they start to appear, in a way that won’t irritate a tween’s delicate skin.
So, here’s our tween guide to first spots (and how to handle them gently):
What’s happening to skin at this age?
A good way to look at it is that they still have child’s skin - a thinner barrier, delicate and easily irritated - with a little bit of teen skin thrown in. Their oil glands are sleeping, but every now and again they’ll stir and that’s when you’ll notice some t-zone shine and the occasional blemish or blackhead - usually small and not inflamed.
So, what should you do?
Don’t panic. You have a few options. But the emphasis should always be about being kind and gentle to your tween’s skin:
- Do nothing - if the spot is single, small and not red (and your tween isn’t bothered by it) you could just leave it. It will go away after a few days.
- Treat the spot - targeting the spot with an anti-bacterial cream or balm (one that won’t dry or irritate the skin like our Super Balm) is sometimes a good course of action. The spot will go more quickly and life will go back to normal.
- Introduce a simple skincare routine - that first spot could be a one off, or it could be an advance party for more pre-puberty skin shenanigans. A simple skincare routine will clear the spot and keep future ones at bay.
What does a good tween skincare routine look like?
Despite what TikTok is telling your tween, skincare routines at this age should be pretty basic. It’s about caring for the skin and prevention - keeping on top of those little pre-puberty breakouts and protecting their delicate skin barrier.
- Start with a simple, gentle cleanser - something that will clean their skin and remove any excess oil, dirt and sweat, but leave it soothed and completely balanced.
- Go for a lotion cleanser over a foam - foaming cleansers might seem like a good idea, but they can dry and strip young skin.
- Cleanse the t-zone only - that means their forehead, nose and chin; the areas where the sebaceous glands are more active and where it’s more likely they’ll get blackheads and spots.
- Don’t cleanse their cheeks - unless they’re getting spotty. Their cheeks are still ‘baby’, so even a gentle cleanser might be too much.
- Start by cleansing at night only - if they’re young, this is probably all they need, to wipe off the dirt of the day.
- Treat the spot gently - ideally with an antibacterial spot balm or cream formulated for young skin, that won’t dry out or irritate the skin around the spot. Irritated skin produces more sebum and more sebum creates, yep, you guessed it, more spots.
- They might not need to moisturise - particularly if you use a cleanser that leaves their skin perfectly balanced. Plus, the simpler the routine the more likely they’ll do it. But if their skin is on the dry side naturally, keep it light (like our Featherlight Moisturiser).
- Encourage them to think of it in the same way they think of brushing their teeth - something they need to do daily. It’s qctually quicker and less messy than brushing your teeth!
The benefits of an early skincare routine?
Forming healthy habits is always a good thing. Having a simple skincare routine on the go before they hit full blown puberty means that, when those spots and blackheads really kick in, a tween will know what to do to help keep them under control. Less chance of meltdown!
There’s also a lot to be said about how self-care can increase confidence and independence. Studies have shown that routines make a difference to productivity, creativity and mental health!
That first spot might be a little bump in the road to puberty, or it might be the start of a healthy and appropriate skincare routine that sees them through their teens and into adulthood. And that's good news!
Find out more about tween skin issues in our Skin School page and shop our skincare, specially formulated for teens and tweens here.
