THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO TEEN AND PRETEEN SKIN CARE
With filters, fads and questionable hacks, we're navigating beauty through the lens of social media and its endless pursuit of unattainable perfection. A recent beauty report revealed that while Gen Z began experimenting with skincare at 13, Gen Alpha has now started at an average age of eight – yet, very few are accessing information that is age-appropriate or accurate, leading to widespread product misuse.
That’s why we created Gen A-Z: A no-nonsense skin care guide designed to help parents and guardians, preteens and teens grasp the complexities of skin care and make educated decisions that nurture developing skin and, importantly, self-esteem. In partnership with The Respect Project, and supported by The British Beauty Council, our trustworthy, empowering guide covers the A-Z of skincare.
At Cult Beauty, we celebrate real skin – unfiltered and un-photoshopped – to shape a more transparent and inclusive industry that is defined by you. With Gen A-Z, we continue this commitment to safe beauty for All Ages, and All Faces.
Below, you'll find a snippet of what’s inside Gen A-Z, including expert wellbeing tips, simple, easy-to-follow routines for beauty beginners and inspiring advice from your favourite content creators.
Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health: Where to Begin
Approaching the subject of mental health with your child can be tricky and tense territory. Yet, with the lasting repercussions of the pandemic, unrealistic expectations of success spun by social media and mounting academic pressure, understanding the mechanics of your teens mind is all-important. Luckily, there is an abundance of mental health charities on hand to support you in navigating these new and evolving challenges together.
Young Minds
There is no sticking plaster solution to mental health, it’s an intractable society-wide problem among today’s youth. Young Minds’ vision is clear: to prevent young people’s mental health from spiralling into crisis and strive for a world where no one confronts the web of their emotions in isolation. As part of its three new strategic programmes, Young Minds is dedicated to educating and supporting adults, parents and professionals grasp the intricacies of teen mental health to nurture an environment where every youth has a trusted adult to confide in. Be prepared that not every teen will be open to intervention, but here are a few effective strategies from the empowering charity that can spark important conversations.
Mental health isn’t cookie-cutter for every teen; signs of anxiety or depression may present themselves as ordinary emotional responses. But if you suspect an internal struggle, it’s well-documented that open conversations – simply talking and listening – can be cathartic, helping to facilitate emotional processing, increase clarity and alleviate stress. With this comprehensive guide, you’ll find a series of conversation starters that gently open the door to dialogue.
From anger to anxiety, self-esteem to social media, Young Minds’ A-Z guide to mental health untangles the complex web of your teen’s emotions and behaviours, offering practical insights and supportive tools to help you pinpoint the problem in more detail.
Social media accelerates the pressure to conform to unrealistic standards. Clear skin, sculpted cheekbones and full lips – often filtered beyond recognition – have become the apogee of a new beauty ideal young people strive, and struggle, to achieve. Despite the illusion, the impact on mental health can be deeply damaging. On this page, Young Minds sensitively sheds light on the emotional impact of body image and details how you can assist your teen in developing a positive, honest sense of self.
If you’re immediately concerned for your teen’s mental health or struggling to cope yourself, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Young Minds’ Parent Helpline. Their team offers confidential, tailored advice, information and support in navigating your next steps.
The Respect Project
At Cult Beauty, we are dedicated to fostering healthy relationships with beauty among young people, which is why we proudly sponsor The Respect Project in 10 schools across the UK that would otherwise lack access to this impactful programme. Rather than taking a cookie-cutter approach, The Respect Project tailors their seminal education programme to address each school’s individual shortfalls, conducting in-depth research across three essential pillars: self-respect, sexual respect, and social respect.
Self-Respect
Self Respect: 97% of teenage girls with access to a phone have searched for information on cosmetic procedures, with 80% either interested in or directly saving for cosmetic enhancements. Such is their ubiquity on social media, in 2022, over 50,000 procedures were performed on individuals under 18 in the UK. The Respect Project addresses this epidemic of young teenagers seeking out unlicensed procedures with educational modules on ‘Filter Culture’ ‘Good beauty role models’ and ‘Keeping Beauty in Perspective’ – to name just a few.
Social Respect
Social Respect: as issues of power, identity and self-esteem continue to slip down the educational agenda, poor mental health is skyrocketing among young people, with 85% of teenagers experiencing some form of poor mental health. Through tailored lessons on online bullying, digital footprints, and mental health, The Respect Project empowers young people to build positive relationships and connects them with resources that are trustworthy, authentic, and age-appropriate.
Sexual Respect
Sex and consent education in schools teeters on a tightrope between shaky and entirely non-existent, a reality illustrated by the eruption of Everyone’s Invited in 2021. Many schools are failing to connect the dots between exposure to pornography and its pollution of young minds towards consent. By providing students with accurate, respectful, and diverse education, The Respect Project confronts this increasingly toxic and divisive culture at the source.
Three Non-negotiables For Young Skin
The clue’s in the name: skincare is all about care. It’s about nourishing. Protecting. Respecting. Too many active ingredients can weaken the important defences that keep your skin healthy. The focus should be simple: cleansing, balancing and bolstering your skin’s barrier.
Here’s an effective, easy-to-follow routine designed by leading skincare experts, brand founders and dermatologists.
STEP 1: CLEANSE
Cleansing is the cornerstone of any good skincare routine – and we don’t mean a quick once-over with a wipe (they’re not great for your skin, or the planet). The purpose of cleansing is to lift impurities from the skin's surface, without disrupting its natural barrier. So, take your time to invest in a cleanser that suits your skin’s needs: it might be a gentle foaming formula, a milk to maintain balance, or a nourishing balm that melts away make up and sunscreen.
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STEP 2: MOISTURISE
All skin – even oily, blemish-prone skin – needs daily moisture. Some moisturisers are rich, while others are lightweight and typically absorb much faster into the skin. If you find your skin changes throughout the month or with the seasons, you can switch between lighter (oil-free) and thicker (ceramide-enriched) formulas as needed.
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STEP 3: PROTECT
SPF SPF SPF. We’re insistent about this so no excuses. UV rays significantly accelerate the deterioration of skin’s elasticity – also known as ‘photoaging’ – so consistent daily use of sunscreen is the best defence. After all, prevention is better than cure.
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Miah Carter: Skincare Truths & Self-love wisdom
21-year-old content creator, Miah Carter, warmly refers to herself as your “self-love big sister.” And, much in the spirit of an astute older sibling, her honest, empowering message of self-acceptance has inspired all 3.3M of her TikTok followers to find comfort in their curves, beauty in every bump, and pride in their path to self-belief. Her philosophy is simple, yet profound: confidence is the best dress to slip on each morning. Below, Miah shares a few words of wisdom.
“I wish I'd known when I was younger that patience is essential and that skin needs time to heal. My hyperpigmentation and scars once made me self-conscious, but consistency changed everything.”
Three Encouragements:
- Come rain or shine, a daily spell of SPF is all-important
- Gentle over harsh formulations, any day
- The more hydration, the better – your skin will thank you later
Three avoids:
- Picking at spots – this is rule number one of skincare
- Falling into the trap of overloading on actives
- Comparing yourself to others, it’s the thief of joy!
- Your skin doesn’t define you; confidence comes from within. You are more than your reflection
Play The Personas Quiz!
Whether you flit and flutter across social feeds or prefer to soak up some offline bliss with a cocooning bubble bath and a good book, take our quiz to reveal your beauty persona.
