3 Reasons To Teach Your Kids About Proper Skin Care
Raising kids comes with many benefits and joys to last a lifetime, but one of the not-so-glamorous aspects is when they reach their puberty years and begin to experience body changes. A common stressor among preteens and teens during puberty is the development of acne. However, it’s never too early to establish a skin care routine for kids so that when the time does come for puberty-induced acne, they feel more confident about managing heir skin and outbreaks.
Here are three reasons to teach your kids early about skin care:
1. Skin condition prevention
When a proper skin care routine is established early on and practiced regularly, there’s a lesser chance of developing skin conditions later in life. Many people in the U.S. live with some form of a skin condition, but one of the most common is a chronic skin disease known as psoriasis, and it affects more than 8 million people nationwide. Triggers of a psoriasis outbreak include too much sun exposure, dry skin or open cuts and scrape — all of which are common in kids. Luckily, a skin care routine can reduce triggers through consistent cleaning, disinfecting and moisturizing to help the skin heal before an outbreak might occur. While skin conditions such as psoriasis are not entirely preventable, a proper skin care routine can reduce the chances of development and symptoms.
Washing the face is one of the most important steps of a skin care routine, but so is applying a moisturizer with SPF regularly. While the sun has positive effects such as Vitamin D and an increase in serotonin levels, it can also damage the skin. By using a moisturizer with an SPF of at least 30, the skin is protected from the sun’s harmful rays. Help your kids understand the importance of skin protection early on so that later in life they don’t develop a condition such as skin cancer because they didn’t use SPF.
2. Self-love early on
As we age, it gets harder and harder to implement habits to take care of ourselves. However, self-care is a crucial building block in helping children build their self-esteem and allows them to become aware of their physical and emotional needs. Daily practices such as taking care of their complexion, saying positive self-affirmations in the mirror and stretching in the morning can all lead to more self-acceptance. If these habits are established early on, they’re likely to carry on throughout adulthood and can give young people tools to help manage mental health conditions.
Teaching your child how to take care of their skin will empower them to practice self-care and self-love regularly, which will increase their overall confidence. Additionally, this will help kids see that taking care of their skin isn’t a chore but rather something that they can enjoy. It’s relaxing to take care of yourself, and the earlier kids learn that, the healthier they’ll be.
3. Increased mental health and happiness
Whether we want to admit it or not, when we look good on the outside, we feel good on the inside. This applies to kids as well, especially in this day and age of social media comparison. When kids are constantly scrolling on social media with no limitations, it can cause them to see unrealistic beauty standards and body image expectations. Common occurrences, such as acne and body hair, suddenly lead to insecurities that can cause mental health spirals and the plummeting self-confidence.
When children feel confident, they’ll be more likely to try new experiences and engage in positive social opportunities. From healthy eating to exercising to maintaining positive friendships, kids will want to participate in activities that make them feel good inside and out. This can do wonders for their mental health and happiness as they’ll gain new experiences and want to live up to their fullest potential!
Remember: This is a process
If you’re struggling to get your kids to fall into a proper skin care regime, remind yourself that it’s not an overnight process. Start small by having them consistently wash their face before bedtime. Then, move into washing their face morning and night.
Gradually introduce new skincare products and skin care steps to them and make sure they know that this routine is helping them to live in a more healthy and confident way, not to erase any imperfections. With the right mindset and patience, they’ll develop a skin care routine with your support and guidance and enter puberty with the proper skin care expertise they need to manage their changing skin.
