Kids' Oily Skin 101

When you got your first pimple, how did you react? Did you do a double-take at the mirror to inspect the intruder on your skin, scratch and poke at it, and yell "Mom!"?

Now, you've got a teen on your hands. And it's like Deja Vu. They have angry red pimples, acne scars, blackheads, and whiteheads all over their face, and you don't know where to start from or how it all went downhill.

As a concerned parent, you pore over websites and YouTube videos for a remedy, and maybe that's why you're here now. Don't worry; we've got you and have provided all you need to know about your child's suspected or confirmed oily skin.

Read on to get more informed about your tween's oily skin and how to improve their skin health.

What is Oily Skin?

Sebaceous glands are present on every skin type and secrete sebum, an oily, waxy substance that coats, hydrates, and protects the skin, leaving it feeling supple, smooth, and soft. But as you know, too much of everything never does any good.

Oily skin is skin with overzealous sebaceous glands. For some reason (genetics, fluctuating hormones, stress, or humidity), they suffocate the skin's pores with more sebum and oil than is needed.

As a result, the pores get clogged, the skin appears greasy and shiny, and you may get the infamous visitor — acne. The good news is you can perfectly manage and treat or prevent oily skin.

And if you're not sure, here are tell-tale signs that your child has oily skin:

  • Your child's pores may be enlarged, especially around their forehead, nose, and chin.
  • Blackheads, pimples, or whiteheads may concentrate on oilier areas of your child's face.
  • Your child's face has a sheen that turns greasy later in the day.

Having oily skin isn't only problematic. The bright side is your child's skin will always stay moisturized, making their skin thick and free of premature wrinkles.

How to Prevent Oily Skin

The first thing you should note about oily skin is it's one of the three types of skin, along with dry and combination skin. So, it's perfectly normal.

With oily skin, the goal should be to find the middle ground between the excess oil or sebum and the skin's natural moisture. To achieve this goal, here's a comprehensive list to follow.

Hands off! As adults, we come in contact with many bacteria and other germs, and it's even worse with our kids, who love exploring their world. Teach your child to resist the urge to touch or rub against their face to avoid spreading oil and germs. They should only touch their face (with clean hands!) while cleansing, moisturizing, and treating their skin.

Use a mild, foaming face wash. Using a harsh face wash can irritate your tween's skin; trust me, that's the last thing you want. An irritated skin sends signals to the sebaceous glands to produce more oil.

Invest in quality kids' skincare products. Only use products formulated with clean, natural ingredients on your teen's skin to promote healthy, moisturized, and clear skin.

Avoid alcohol-based cleansers. Using alcohol-based products on your kid's oily skin would only irritate the skin. Alcohol dries up the skin, so the sebaceous gland will act to compensate for the lost moisture by secreting more sebum and bringing on a slew of skin imperfections.

Go for oil-free and non-comedogenic products. Ensure your child's skincare products are oil-free and non-comedogenic to help control their sebum production and reduce or prevent acne.

What Products Can Help?

Now you know how to face your child's oily skin head-on, you also need to know the products that can help you tame your child's sebaceous glands and keep their skin healthy all year round. Here at TBH kids, we're committed to formulating ONLY clean, quality, and effective products that are perfect for your child.

With our convenient, travel-size TBH™ Kids Spot Skin Cleansing Wipes, your teen can cleanse their skin anytime, anywhere. It is chock-full of natural, non-comedogenic ingredients such as witch hazel, 0.5% salicylic acid, and aloe to give your child's skin the pampering and care it deserves.

For the best results, pair our TBH™ Kids Spot Skin Cleansing Wipes with our TBH™ Spot Foaming Face Wash. The face wash gently deep cleans pores and combines the powerful effects of jojoba and willow bark to leave your child's skin acne-free and supple.

And if your tween has acne, we've got something for you. Our TBH Kids' Pimple Patches allow natural pimple-fighting ingredients to deeply penetrate the skin and clear up pimples within a 24-hour window.

But hold your horses! Before you dash to the store and load your cart with a truckload of our products (not that we're complaining), remember to do a patch test before using the products on your child's skin, especially if they're new to salicylic acid.

Clean a small patch on your child's face and apply the product to the area. If your child doesn't experience any itching or irritation after 24 hours, you're free to continue using the product.

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