Supporting your teen through breakouts: A skin specialist’s guide (from someone who’s been there)

Posted on 9 July, 2025

Kim Le Sambolec knows all too well how much your skin can impact your confidence – and how, as a teenager, a breakout can make or break your day.

In fact, it was when she cured her own acne that she understood how powerful knowledge, awareness, and the right routine can be – and it’s what inspired her to open Skin Wellness Academy.

Here, drawing on her 22 years of expertise and personal experience, she answers your questions about supporting teens through breakouts.

My teenager has just started breaking out. How can I support them?

First of all, let’s normalise this. It’s completely natural. Teenage breakouts are a common part of growing up, but I know it can be worrying to watch your child go through it. You want to help, but you’re not always sure how.

The best way to support your teen is to start with education. Help them understand why breakouts are happening so they can make better choices for their skin.

For teenagers, acne is mostly driven by hormonal changes. But it can get worse when we add things like:

• High sugar or processed diets
• Stress from school, friends or home life
• Poor hygiene or not cleansing properly
• Using the wrong skincare or none at all

Our skin is one of our body’s detox pathways. It’s supposed to get rid of waste. When it’s dehydrated or the skin barrier is damaged, the oil (sebum) gets sticky and clogs pores, leading to breakouts.

One thing I’ve found is that teens often listen to us more than their parents. I get it. It’s easier to hear advice from someone who isn’t mum or dad. That’s why we try to explain all this to them in a way that makes sense, help them understand their own skin and set them up with a routine that’s accurate and achievable.

What are some common skincare misconceptions among teenagers?

Oh, I love this question because I hear these myths all the time.

The biggest one is thinking they need to strip all the oil off their skin. Teens often reach for harsh chemicals, scrubs or “oil-free” everything, but that’s not the answer.

It’s not about how much oil they produce. It’s about the quality of that oil.

Your skin needs oil to keep the barrier strong and prevent water loss. When the skin is constantly stripped, it goes into panic mode and produces even more oil to protect itself. And that leads to – you guessed it – more breakouts.

The better approach? Focus on keeping the skin hydrated and calm, not squeaky clean and dry. When we get the barrier healthy, the skin can start to regulate itself beautifully.

When should teenagers start using skincare?

Honestly, as soon as they start showing interest or as soon as the early signs of puberty appear.

Skincare is more than just clearing breakouts. It’s about building self-care habits for life.

In the early stages, they don’t need a complicated routine. A simple cleanse and a zinc-based SPF is a great start. As their skin changes, we can add products that support oil balance, hydration and cell turnover safely.

The earlier we start, the better chance we have at protecting the skin barrier, reducing scarring and setting them up with habits they can carry confidently into adulthood.

Kim Le Sambolec.

What does a good teen skincare routine look like?

This really depends on what their skin is doing but here’s what most teens need as a solid foundation:

• Gentle double cleanse at night first to remove dirt, sweat, sunscreen. Second to cleanse the skin
• Hydration serum to support the barrier
• Niacinamide to regulate oil, calm redness and support healthy cell turnover
• Vitamins A, B, C at varying percentages depending on their skin condition and sensitivity
• Zinc-based SPF every morning to protect and prevent

At Skin Wellness Academy, we always customise routines based on what their skin is presenting not just what’s trending or what’s “meant to work.” Each teen’s skin tells a story about their inner health, lifestyle and habits, and we treat them with that in mind.

How can teens tell the difference between normal teenage breakouts and something that needs more attention?

Some breakouts are just part of growing up. But here’s when it’s time to look deeper:

• Breakouts are happening often and aren’t healing
• Pimples are painful, cystic or spreading
• Acne leaves scars or dark spots
• It’s starting to impact their confidence or mood

The sooner we address it, the easier it is to prevent scarring and long-term skin stress.

At our clinic, we use advanced skin scanning to see what’s happening beneath the surface. Oil levels, bacteria, dead skin build-up, hydration levels. This helps us tailor the most effective treatment. Sometimes, it’s just about getting the right active skincare in place. Other times, we need to work more holistically with food, stress management or lifestyle tweaks.

How can I tell them they’re not ready for retinol or whatever’s trending on social media?

Social media is such a powerful influence but it’s not always the best skincare advisor.

Here’s how I explain it to teens: “Your skin isn’t like your best friend’s skin. What works for them might actually harm you. You wouldn’t borrow someone else’s prescription glasses, right? Skin care is the same. Yours has to be just right for you.”

Products like retinol are amazing when used correctly but on dehydrated, inflamed or sensitised teen skin, they can do more damage than good.

What teens see online often doesn’t explain:

• How to use the product safely
• Whether their skin barrier is ready for it
• That less is often more

When I work with teens, I always make sure they understand what their skin needs now, not what’s trending. It’s about making informed, confident decisions not impulse buys from TikTok.

What simple daily habit makes the biggest difference for teen skin?

Cleansing. Proper, thorough cleansing.

I can’t emphasise this enough: cleanse for at least 60 seconds, twice.  The first cleanse removes makeup, sunscreen, sweat and dust from the day. The second cleanse actually cleanses the skin.

So many teens miss this step, and we see the results in skin scans. Bacteria trapped under the surface, congestion and breakouts that just won’t budge.

Also:

• Make sure they rinse properly, especially around the hairline, jaw and ears these are common spots for sneaky breakouts
• Change pillowcases every few days
• Try not to touch the face throughout the day hands are little bacteria taxis

These small, consistent habits make a huge difference.

Kim at a Skin Wellness Academy Workshop.

How you can help your teen feel confident in their skin again

Teen skin doesn’t need to be a battle. It’s about understanding, supporting and building healthy habits, not chasing harsh fixes.

If you’d like some help walking this journey with your teen, you can start with  a Skin Strategy Session at Skin Wellness Academy where we’ll assess their skin, bust some myths and set them up with a simple, effective routine they can actually stick to.

Or join our Teen Skin Masterclasses – a fun, interactive way for teens to learn about their skin and feel confident managing it at home. I’m here to help. Let’s do this together

Book at skinwellnessacademy.com or call 0481300574.

Images supplied.