Your kids are growing up. They’ve outgrown The Honest Company. And now that they're older, it's easy to think, "Hey, they can just use what we use, right?" Well, maybe not. Let's dive into why adult skincare might not be the best match for our growing preteens and teens.
GROWING UP: THE SKINCARE SHIFT
As our kids grow into preteens and teenagers, their skincare needs change. The baby-friendly formulas might not cut it anymore, but does that mean it’s a free-for-all with adult products? Not quite. The switch from clean baby brands to regular drugstore picks might expose our teens to some pretty sus ingredients.
What's at Stake
Now, we’re not here to scare you, but it's worth knowing the deal. Some of these ingredients have been linked to causing issues like skin irritation and skin sensitivities, hormone disruptions, reproductive issues, and yep, even a potential link to certain types of cancers. Not exactly what we want for our growing teenagers, right?
Young Skin Vs. The Adult Stuff
Children’s skin is different. It's thinner than adult skin, making it easier to absorb more chemicals into the skin and body. It also means it’s more sensitive and can have bigger reactions when exposed to irritants. Basically, it needs a little more TLC than what adult products offer.
Adult products are also loaded with active ingredients that help treat adult concerns like lines, wrinkles and dark spots, but are too harsh for kids and teens. And ironically, using cleansers and treatments with these actives can actually cause acne and other skin issues by disrupting the skin's barrier.
Young Skin vs. The Kid Stuff
Don’t assume your “made for kids” brand is all that great either. Would it surprise you to know that products marketed for kids generally use the same sus ingredients that are in adult formulas? Sorry, but the “for kids” label is usually all just marketing.
In fact we’ve found that some brands add essential oils or other fragrances to kids’ products to make them smell better, but fragrance allergens are more likely to irritate young, sensitive skin. And if you really want to be surprised, 80% of kids products marketed as gentle or non-irritating contained ingredients linked to skin and eye irritation. Now, how does that make sense?
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
Harsh Surfactants
Surfactants are the main cleansing ingredients in body wash, face wash, hand soap and shampoo. Some surfactants can be harsh and irritating to skin. It’s best to avoid sulfates, like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), and other common irritants like Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine (voted “Allergen of the Year” in 2004 by the American Contact Dermatitis Society) and Coco Betaine.
Preservatives
Preservatives help keep your products shelf-stable because finding mold in your moisturizer is gross. But certain preservatives, like Parabens like Methylparaben or Propylparaben can disrupt hormone levels, something our teens are already dealing with naturally. Others, like Phenoxyethanol, Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT), Chlorphenesin, Methylchloroisothiazolinone and Methylisothiazolinone have been linked to skin irritation, endocrine disruption, brain damage and/or cancer.
Silicones
Silicones make stuff like sunscreen glide on easier and help conditioners detangle and defrizz better. They don’t necessarily mess with your health like other ingredients, but because they’re not water soluble or biodegradable (making them more of an issue for the environment), they can definitely clog pores and cause skin issues, something our preteens and teens don't need more of. Look out for Dimethicone, Dimethiconol, Cyclohexasiloxane or anything ending with -cone.
Fragrance
Fragrances, including essential oils, can trigger allergies and irritate sensitive skin. The other issue with fragrances is that they can contain dozens of ingredients that don’t have to be included on the label. That’s because fragrance is treated as a trade secret. What that means, however, is that you don’t actually know what’s in there, and, in addition to allergens, there can be other harmful ingredients like Benzyl Alcohol and phthalates, which are endocrine disruptors. And you wouldn’t even know they were there because they're not listed on the label. Keep an eye out for Linalool, Limonene, Benzyl Alcohol and Lavender Oil (also a hormone disruptor).
Chemical Sunscreens
There are only a handful of approved sunscreen actives allowed in the US and they're broken into two types of systems: chemical, which absorbs into your skin, and mineral, which sits on top of your skin. Here are some of the pros and cons of each.
Chemical sunscreens (like: Avobenzone, Oxybenzone, Homosalate, Octinoxate, and Octisalate) often go on clear so they work well on all skin tones. That's where the pros end, because they generally contain nasties like endocrine disruptors that can mess with your estrogen (not something our boys need). Also, because they need to be absorbed into skin to work, you need to wait at least 15 minutes before swimming or going in the sun, which can be hard for kids to do.
Mineral sunscreens (like: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) often leave a white cast and are therefore not always great for darker skin tones. They also need to be rubbed on more to blend in, which can be annoying to kids (and adults). But, they don't seem to come with as many health problems, and if you can find a mineral sunscreen that blends in well, it's a win-win.
We get asked all the time which sunscreens we recommend. Some of our favorites are the unscented sunscreens by Badger and Zinka. Both brands avoid sus ingredients and tend to blend in well. The Badger sunscreens use something called Uncoated Zinc Oxide, which we find blend in as clear as any chemical sunscreen we've used. Here are some to try.
Badger Sport SPF 40 - water resistant 80 minutes
Badger SPF 35 Sun Stick - water resistant 80 minutes
Badger SPF 30 Daily Sunscreen - water resistant 40 minutes
Zinka Mineral SPF 30 Sun Stick - water resistant 80 minutes
WHY KID-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS MATTER
Gentle is the Way to Go
Preteens and teenagers are navigating a hormonal roller coaster, and their skin is along for the ride. Choose kid-friendly formulas that avoid unnecessary hormone disruptors, pore-clogging ingredients and heavy-duty adult ingredients that can aggravate skin.
Tailor-Made Solutions
Teen skin can be sensitive and prone to issues like acne. Opting for products specifically designed for their skin type ensures they get the care they need without unnecessary harshness.
Avoiding Unwanted Surprises
As parents, we want to shield our kids from potential risks. And product manufacturers often downplay the risks associated with ingredients, arguing that the amounts used are so small, or that there’s not enough data to determine the long-term effects. But, that's the problem. There's not enough data to show that these small amounts from dozens and dozens of ingredients is safe either.
Think about all the products you and your kids use daily, and the potential for life-long harmful effects, like reproductive issues, hormone disruption, neurotoxicity, allergens and cancer.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR PARENTS
Check Ingredient Labels
This can be tough because the front labels are often intentionally misleading. You’ll see claims like: gentle, for sensitive skin, dermatologist-tested, developed with dermatologists, paraben-free, sulfate-free, fragrance-free. And you’ll think: this looks great! I totally trust this brand.
But wait, there’s more. Flip over the bottles and scan the back label and you’ll see a list of other ingredients. This is where the magic happens. If you spot ingredients like silicones, fragrances, harsh preservatives or a whole host of others we weren’t able to cover here, consider making a switch.
Not entirely sure what to look out for? We’ve put together a printable cheat sheet with 150+ of the more common questionable ingredients in our Sus List™.
WRAPPING UP
Look, we’ve got enough on our plates as parents, right? But when it comes to our kids and skincare, a little extra attention goes a long way.
Btw, we don’t have all the answers either. We’re still researching and learning over here, too, because this is not easy to navigate. There’s not a lot of consensus among regulators, scientists and brands, so we, as parents, need to figure out what’s right for us and ours. For us over here at Gryme™, we take a pretty black and white approach to ingredients because the risks aren’t worth it when it comes to our kids and yours.
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