Getting teen boys to start skincare routines isn’t always straightforward. They’re not interested in complicated regimes, and often not as product-aware as teen or tween girls. So, here are a few things to encourage them, once the hormones start kicking in and the blemishes start appearing:
Start a simple cleansing routine.
With ‘simple’ being the keyword. Anything overcomplicated will overwhelm newbie boy cleansers. So, it’s baby steps: one product - a gentle cleanser, like our Gentle Cleansing Lotion, used morning and night will make a noticeable difference. We’ve made it simple to use, too. Just one or two pumps, massaged into dry skin and rinsed or wiped off with a damp cloth and they’re good to go. Skin clean, balanced and moisturised (yep, it contains so many moisturising ingredients they can skip that step if they want).
Focus first on the night-time cleanse.
If they’re resistant, this is the best plan. He’ll be less rushed and he’s already bathing or in the shower. Plus, the skin is oilier, dirtier and sweatier at the end of the day and he’s got to get rid of that stuff!
You might have to teach him!
Teen/tween boys aren’t usually watching skincare routines on TikTok, so they won’t be cleansing pros straight off the bat (and they rarely read labels). Tell him how much product to use and where to use it (t-zone only for young tweens). They might feel weird having cleanser all over their faces, so show them how to massage it in and wash/wipe it off. Ideally, they’ll wipe it off with a clean, damp flannel or muslin cloth; but if that’s a step too far, they can just rinse it off with warm water.
Buy him his own products!
Not products that you’d buy for yourself; but products that look like they’re made for him, smell like they’re made for him and are formulated for his unique needs. Then, leave them in his bathroom and see what happens. In our experience, they’ll magically disappear in a few weeks. And the next thing you know, he’ll be asking for more…
Keep his products somewhere he can’t miss them.
Put his cleansing lotion next to his toothbrush, for example. When he brushes his teeth, he cleanses and vice versa! Easy!
Try to encourage a daily routine.
Having a routine isn’t just great for his skin. Studies show that doing anything regularly and daily is a game-changer for productivity, creativity and mental health.
And if he does all that without too much complaining. Encourage him to get to the next level: which is thinking about how what he does outside his bathroom impacts his skin:
- If he gets a chance to wash his face after sport, do it! Leaving sweat and dirt sitting on his face all day is a fast-track to iffy skin.
- Encourage him to be aware of what he eats. High sugar and junk foods are going to impact his skin (and how he smells).
- Help him realise that even if he’s doing all of the above, teen hormones mean he will get the odd pimple - or even lots of spots. When that happens, no squeezing or face touching! Use a gentle, non-drying spot treatment - like our Super Balm - regularly through the day and it will disappear pretty quick.
If your son needs extra help and inspo, we’ve put together The Big Teen/Tween Cleansing Guide to make cleansing properly a little clearer and a whole lot easier to get right. We cover it all - from why exactly they need to cleanse, to the ultimate step-by-step-how-to-cleanse, plus a load of helpful face washing dos and don’ts.
