'From acne to sunscreen: Here’s 7 pieces of skincare advice I’d give my teenage self.'

My most vivid memories of childhood took place when I was 14. I’m not sure why. Perhaps it was all those firsts – my first music concert, my first sleepover without a bedtime, my first awkward date. 

At 14, you’re part child and part adult, and your body frequently reminds you of this, almost as much as your mind does. Your skin does too. 

It’s hard to believe my eldest son is now 14. He, too, is experiencing those firsts, and he (and his younger siblings) are finding their way, as they grapple with the changes that come with being tweens and teens. 

They want hair powder; they want crocs (go figure), and they want to know how to manage the breakouts they’ve heard so much about. The question takes me back to my own teenage years, to reflect on what I did (and didn’t do) for my skin. 

Here are seven pieces of skincare advice, I’d give to my teenage self.  

Image: Supplied.

Social media skin isn’t real skin.

This one is for my own teens, as social media was one pressure my teenage self escaped. 

Remember that the skin you see on social media is curated skin. Filtered skin. Skin covered in makeup. Skin photographed under perfect lighting. 

Real skin is flawed. Real skin has breakouts, and acne, and dryness, and pigmentation. 

Real skin has good days and bad days, and good months and bad months. Take care of it, but love it. It’s all you've got.

Use products with natural ingredients on pimples to prevent larger breakouts.

When you get the odd smattering of pimples across your nose, don’t poke at them with angry fingers. But don't wait for things to get worse either. Instead, use a face wash, specifically designed for controlling acne, as soon as you spot them. 

You don’t have to douse your face with harsh chemicals though. Opt for a product that includes natural ingredients such as tea tree oil, the active ingredient in Thursday Plantation's range of acne products.

Their Tea Tree Face Wash for Acne is the first step in a two-step process and is designed as a deep cleansing, gentle, soap-free foaming face wash that uses ingredients like tea tree oil and chamomile, to soothe skin redness while helping prevent acne.

Follow it up with the second step in the regime: Tea Tree Medicated Gel for Acne, made with 100% pure Australian-grown tea tree oil. Tea tree oil has powerful cleansing properties, perfect for teen skin. The invisible gel penetrates deeply, drying out the skin to relieve symptoms of acne even further. 

Thursday Plantation's Tea Tree Medicated Gel for Acne (Always read the label and follow the directions for use). Image: Supplied.

Don’t neglect your body.

As you go about your nightly skincare routine, don’t forget your body. The skin that’s seen too much sun; that’s dry from the ever changing weather; that spends too much time under a hot shower. 

Your body can also experience breakouts, and a nightly wash designed with body acne in mind, is a worthy (and easy) investment. Specifically designed for those prone to body acne, including bacne, cleansing with Thursday Plantation's Tea Tree Body Wash For Acne, is the first in a two-step process. 

Image: Supplied. 

Next, use the Tea Tree Medicated Gel for Acne to really target those areas of concern and then top it off with an all-over moisturiser. You’ll have a well-established routine you can take into adulthood. 

Your future self will thank you for it.

Wash your pillow slip regularly.

Throw your pillowcase (and preferably your sheets too) into the washing basket at least once a week, to avoid the buildup of dirt and oil from your skin – and the environment – being transferred back to your skin. 

Over time, your pillowcase will be chock full of dead skin cells and bacteria. These can all contribute to clogged pores, ultimately leading to breakouts. 

If your hair is on the oily side, you might want to drop your case into the basket a couple of times a week.

Put sunscreen on your face every day.

Unless you're at the beach, sunscreen seems like a waste of time when you’re 14. 

Image: Supplied. 

Especially when you’re beginning to dabble in makeup. But you’ll need a lot less makeup in the future if you start wearing sunscreen now. 

The longer your skin is protected from those UV rays, the less obvious those fine lines on your forehead will be as you age. 

Don’t touch!

Avoid touching your face too often to reduce the chances of transferring dirt and grime to your face and clogging those pores.  

Resist the urge to pop and squeeze pimples. It might feel like an itch you need to scratch, but doing so will lead to scars and can slow down the healing process. 

Use some willpower or sit on your hands and remember to use an acne face wash at the beginning of a breakout.

Love the skin you’re in.  

One day, as I lamented my olive complexion, an aunt said to me: "You’re going to be grateful for that skin one day." 

We all want what we don’t have, even as adults, but this feeling is exacerbated in our teen years, a time when comparing oneself to others is a competitive sport. 

I wanted peaches and cream, others wanted a deep tan; those with freckles wanted them gone, others drew on beauty spots. 

As you age, you'll appreciate your own skin for its unique beauty. Be grateful for your skin, and treat it well, it’s your body’s largest organ.

Shop Thursday Plantation's Acne and Bacne range.

Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Medicated Gel for Acne: Always read the label and follow the directions for use. 

Feature Image: Supplied.