Skincare for tweens, how early is too early? - Mustela Hydra Bebe Facial Cream

 

Recently, I have been doing some reading on skincare for tweens, for girls aged as young as nine who's almost/experiencing hormonal changes to their bodies. It's for my daughter, really and as far as I can remember, I only started using moisturiser at the age of 13 when I already started getting my menses. 

But moisturisers back then were just plain oily and it wreaked havoc to my oily skin. My skin was stripped from hydration due to using too much scrub and alcohol toners and genetically, my mom and dad had open pores. So, what I did back then, made it worse. I didn't get severe acne and stuff but my skin was very dehydrated with open pores. It looked hideous to me.

These days with girls facing "women stuff" earlier, I've noticed changes to my daughter's body. What saddens me is that although she is not yet plagued with acne and active sebaceous glands, her skin showed signs of dryness and some parts of her face would be wounded as she would scratch when itchy. What didn't help is that most advice given on the internet for tweens her age (around 9-12 years) suggest skincare more suited for acne-prone skin, those of drugstore brands with high chemical content and one or 2 safe skincare brands like Clinique and Dermalogica, which aren't really suitable for tweens.  

I feel that, for my daughter, she would need a cream moisturiser without emollient and fragrance, that is safe from harsh chemicals - lightweight, yet protects the young skin, to keep her skin moisturised enough, while teaching her the basics of good skincare habit, to prepare her for the changes that will be happening to her sooner or later. Hence, I decided to go to a baby supply store, and I discovered this amazing skincare item - the Mustela Hydra Bebe Facial Cream that is especially made for babies. Who would have thought that babies need facial creams?

 

If this is safe to be used on babies (I believe this is especially helpful for babies with eczema), this would definitely be suitable for a 9-year old girl. True enough, after 3 days of use, I could see positive changes to her skin where it looks softer and more moisturised, without the oily feel. And we love the scent that comes with the cream. The scent is natural, can be quite strong upon application but goes on smooth after it is applied.

If you check on various Malaysian websites, the facial cream varies in price, depending on which store you're purchasing. This one, was just RM40 after discount and I think goes a long way as she only needs a small dollop at a time. 

She now lathers the Sebamed ph.5.5 for babies to cleanse her face, spritz on Evian water as a faux toner, that acts to freshen her skin (and to facilitate better absorption of moisturiser) and the facial cream. I know I am supposed to get her to use an SPF but I shall let her get used to this routine first and especially the importance of cleansing her face before I introduce an SPF cream. 

 

She's lucky that she has a mom who's sort of a skincare "senior". I always hope that she'd inherit the traits of skin from her dad though, so that she doesn't need to go through what I had to go through. 

Cremorlab T.E.N. Cremor for face Enriched Moisture, another option for fans of Korean beauty brands.

When it comes to beauty products from Korea, a lot of people I know have so many positive things to say. I am not sure if its because of the known fact that Koreans do have super beautiful skin or do we only see it that way from those Korean stars on TV? It is also a known fact that their diet includes many types of food that promote beautiful skin and then there's also the weather. But how can we not forget that Koreans are also very open to dermatologist procedures at a very young age? So, is it really the products that make their skin so dewy moist?

I digress. Since everyone would tell me how good Korean brands are, I decided that I should give this a go and see if I have a winner.

Vichy Normaderm Nuit, MD Formulations Continuous Renewal Serum, Ole Henriksen Invigorating Night Gel and Priori Perfection Facial Gel with glycolic / AHA compounds to help problem skin

When it comes to dull, lacklustre skin or skin that is problem-prone (ie. prone to blemishes, blackheads and acne), I've read and learnt that many skin clinics would recommend procedures like microdermabrasion or peeling of the horny layer of the skin. But microdermabrasion can be painful and if not done properly by a certified dermatologist, it could even damage the skin. For me, I believe that procedures like this need follow-up treatments and they're not very cheap. Worst still, if not done properly or your skin condition not properly diagnosed, the damage can scar you for life. To repair a damage would cost you so much more.

To many skincare brands, there might be a safer method, one that brings lesser risks in the form of mild acids formulated in their skincare products. I've tried many of them but these that I'm sharing with you are those that declare an x amount of alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) which usually comprise of Glycolic acid as an ingredient in their products.

Bear in mind that products that contain these exfoliating acids may not be suitable for all skin types especially those who have sensitive skin that easily reddens, flake or itch. They could however be used as a weekly treatment depending on skin condition.