The evolution of skincare from toothpaste on pimples to multi-step routines.

Growing up as a teenager in the 1990s, if you were fortunate, your beauty routine likely consisted of a cleanser that may have been harsh on your skin and perhaps a moisturizer scented with tea tree oil that didn’t offer much benefit. You might have used a toner that caused a slight burning sensation, but you persevered because you didn’t know any better. If you had a pimple, the advice was to dab toothpaste on it. These are just some anecdotal skincare experiences from my youth.

Fast forward to today, and the landscape of skincare for tweens and teens has dramatically changed, influenced greatly by social media. Many young people now encounter a plethora of information about skincare, often leading to confusion and sometimes harm to their skin barrier. For every knowledgeable skincare enthusiast who comprehends the information they consume, there’s a pre-teen watching a TikTok video insisting they need an elaborate eight-step skincare routine. Spoiler alert: they usually don’t.