Teen Skin Care Favorites and Makeup

My girls love shopping for skincare products. I wish I knew all they know as a teen! They are honest with their reviews and are pretty picky with what they like. So, we’ve rounded up their favorites, for the best brands offering safe, non-toxic skincare and makeup products for teens. And sharing the one thing that you’ll want to change if your teen is having skin issues!

**PS- all their bathroom sources are linked here**

Here are Ella’s top pick for makeup. She has a very quick and natural makeup routine. Her eyebrows probably take the longest to shape the way she likes…teens have the best eyebrows! All our makeup makes the cut for good clean products!

Merit Concealer– My mom and I both love this, we use color the color Linen for foundation or concealer.
Merit Blush– This blush lasts all day long and is very vibrant. I like brighter colors so I use the color Rouge, and my mom uses Cheeky! Saie Blush– powder blush, long lasting, I wear Amore – bright fuschia color.
Merit Bronzer– My mom uses Siene . A sheer, buildable bronzer to add a wash of natural-looking warmth.
Saie Illuminator– I use Sunglow, just one drop, then rub all over my face for a little color. Feels like a light tinted lotion.
Elf Halo Glow– A thicker foundation, Love how this makes my skin look like its glowing! It is also a great deal and will last you a long time.
Ilia Clear Eyebrow Gel– Perfect for shaping, lifting, and setting eyebrow hairs in place. Its awesome because it holds all day long without feeling sticky or clumpy!
Elf Makeup Brush Set– I use every one of these brushes for concealer and blush.
Elf Eyelash Curler– This eyelash curler is my favorite because it never pulls any of my eyelashes out!
Ilia Mascara– Ilia has a lengthening and volumizing mascara, but personally the lengthening does the job of both! Not clumpy at all and I never end up having mascara clouds under my eyes.
Self Tanning Lotion– All the girls in my family use this and swear by it! It gives a natural looking tan that is not orange or splotchy.
We actually love making our own moisturizing serum with Jojoba oil (see below) but this Summer Friday Moisturizer is a great option, an ultra-rich cream.
Saie hydrating Lipgloss– tinted gloss meets the hydration of a balm. This non-sticky, lip gloss-oil hybrid keeps lips as nourished as they are glossy.
Saie Lip Pencil– I use Tease, plum brown nude ultra-blendable lip liner that enhances your natural lip shape. Also super hydrating.
ELF Setting Mist– SPF of 45 and a makeup setting spray! We LOVE this, perfect to keep in your purse when you are out and about or at the pool to refresh the sunblock on your face. We even use it in a pinch on our bodies.
Bloom Cleanser –When Lola started using this all her breakouts stoped. It also deep cleans, and prevents clogged pores. Summer Friday Gel Cleanser– Another great gentle, pH-balancing gel cleanser.

1. Clean Skin

Always start with a clean palate. The girls wash their face with Balance Cleanser or Bloom Cleanser. They lasts about 2 1/2-3 months. They are dermatologist-tested, hypoallergenic, and non-irritating, which means even sensitive skin can benefit. Ella said she likes how it makes her skin feel soft and never dry. I love that it’s made with naturally derived ingredients and free from gluten, parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, sulfates, petroleum, and mineral oil. Before we shop, my girls and I work together to learn and do a little research or do a quick EWG app search for products before we buy.

All us us use just these wash cloths to remove our makeup. I like that they are dark and hide the stains! (I know lots use those microfiber cloths, and one of you told me your face broke out and now, you know it was from the plastics in microfiber. “Microfibers are essentially tiny pieces of plastic — they’re so small that they get into everything: plants, animals, soil, and water”)

2. Tone-

A toner removes any last traces of dirt, grime and impurities stuck in your pores after you wash your face. We have two toners that we like to use. The Balance toner is so awesome because it immediately reduces the appearance of pores by removing excess oil and then continually absorbs excess oil throughout the day! Another option is to DIY a toner. We’ve made this, apple cider vinegar is great for your skin! You want to use within 2 weeks, recipe below!

3. Protect that pretty face-

I always joke with my sisters “was sunscreen even around when we were younger?!” That is the one thing I wish I could go back and change- protect my skin better. I have had cancer removed on my hand, and it makes me more adamant and involved with my girls to apply sunscreen daily. Just part of their routine, the habit of applying before their moisturizer. Always apply products from lightest to heaviest. We all really love Supergoop sunscreen, products, cruelty-free and made with clean ingredients. Ella uses the Glow Screen and Lola loves the Unseen Screen for the face. I like Elta MD, that is slightly tinted. We are all obsessed with this Glow Screen for our legs and arms in the summer, it’s a shimmery daily body lotion with SPF 40 that hydrates and protects.

4.Glow Daily Moisturizer-

Then Ella applies her moisturizer. We both love and use our DIY daily GLOW face moisturizer. It’s so simple to make and easy to customize for your skin. The base for our “glow” moisturizer is Jojoba oil. Not every oil can work for every skin type. That being said, jojoba oil comes close. Jojoba oil hydrates, softens, and smoothes the skin while balancing natural oil production. It delivers antioxidant protection and can help reduce acne. We fill a dropper bottle with the Jojoba oil then we add our favorite skin essentials oils to it to get the most out of our daily facial moisturizer.

We love these bundles for keeping the bathroom smelling clean, and all our favorite skin oils. More information here.

This is how we make our Glow Facial Moisturizer (you can apply anywhere!)

This is the guide we use to decide what oils are best for our skin type and other products we use for support.

Thieves Whitening Toothpaste is another favorite– When Ella had her dermatitis breakout I read that in hypersensitive individuals, fluoride occasionally cause skin eruptions such as atopic dermatitis, eczema or urticaria. Something to consider that toothpaste affects your skin-care!