Why Your Teen Skin Deserves Better

• Puberty drives hormonal changes that increase sebum, making teen skin sensitive and prone to imbalances, which are linked to acne.
• Research on the gut-skin axis suggests nurturing the skin (and gut) microbiome may provide a more promising approach to treating and preventing common inflammatory skin conditions like acne.
• Harsh skincare ingredients often damage the skin barrier and kill beneficial bacteria.
• Tips for long-term health, shifting toward gentle skincare that respects the skin's ecology:
  o Avoid heavy and non-selective usage of harsh substances such as benzoyl peroxide, SLS, synthetic fragrances, high-concentration alcohols, and PFAS.
  o Eat a balanced diet of whole, unprocessed, colorful foods to support the skin via the gut-skin axis. An overabundance of sugary, processed foods can promote dysbiosis.
  o Nurture skin health by using safer products by shopping MADE SAFE and MADE WISE skincare products. For extra support, find products containing prebiotics or probiotics.
  o Be sure to wash your skin regularly (though not excessively) and if acne lesions occur, try to avoid picking or squeezing them, as this can exacerbate inflammation and problematic bacterial spread.

Being a teenager is a whirlwind of change—new experiences, new feelings, and perhaps most noticeably, a completely new complexion. If you’ve noticed your skin acting a bit different than it used to, you aren’t alone.

Teenage skin is uniquely sensitive because it is navigating a massive hormonal shift. During puberty, an increase in androgens (a kind of hormone) signals your sebaceous glands to produce more oil. Many conventional personal care products marketed at teens advertise stripping down and deeply cleansing the skin of impurities, but is that the best approach? To answer this question, it’s important to understand the invisible world living on your skin: the microbiome. 

Think of your skin as a bustling ecosystem, much like a rainforest. This ecosystem is known as the skin microbiome—a collection of trillions of microorganisms that live on the skin’s surface.

Far from being simply “germs” that need to be scrubbed away, many of these microbes provide critical support to the skin’s natural neuroendocrine and immune functions. ^[1] It’s likely that you have heard reference to the gut microbiome in conversations surrounding diet and health, but did you know that the skin microbiome is not merely similar to the gut microbiome? The two seemingly distinct ecosystems are actually deeply interconnected. This connection is known as the gut-skin axis, which acknowledges the bidirectional nature of these two systems and highlights how dysbiosis in one system can affect the health of the other. ^[2][3] Research on this subject has led to a greater understanding that inflammatory skin conditions, such as acne are often driven by dysbiosis in the microbiome, not simply the presence of pathogens such as C. acnes. ^[4][5]

This paradigmatic shift has led scientists, like those in a 2025 paper published in the journal Dermatology Research and Practice, to call for further investigation into how we might treat acne (and other skin conditions) by addressing the ecological imbalances and restore the microbiome rather than using broad-spectrum antibiotics that indiscriminately decimate the microbial populations. ^[6]

The main takeaway here is that research is informing us of the importance of nurturing a healthy microbiome (both skin and gut) and is shifting us away from the idea that a scorched-earth approach that kills all the bacteria is the best solution for fighting disease and encouraging health. 

In an effort to achieve clear skin, many products marketed to teens use scorched-earth tactics. Here are some common culprits found in popular teen brands and the reasons why they might be doing more harm than good:

● Benzoyl peroxide is a common ingredient used in acne treatments. It is a powerful oxidant that kills bacteria but can damage the epidermal barrier and disrupt the skin microbiota. ^[7]

● Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), a popular ingredient found in facial cleansers, is a surfactant that creates foam. SLS can encourage dysbiosis as it disrupts the microbiome, ^[8] and its usage is often associated with chronic dryness.

● Synthetic Fragrances are complex chemical mixtures created to produce a novel scent. “Fragrance” is a catch-all term denoting a formulation that can contain upwards of hundreds of individual ingredients. They often contain phthalates, which disrupt the endocrine system. These formulas can also disrupt the delicate microbial balance of the skin and encourage dysbiosis.

● High-concentration alcohols, such as alcohol denat or isopropyl alcohol, are sometimes used to dry out oily skin. Alcohols (particularly when highly concentrated—as seen in some skincare formulations containing as high as 5-20% alcohol) strip the lipid barrier, dry the skin, and disrupt the microbiome.

● Per- and Polyfluroalkyl Substances (PFAS), best known for their presence in non-stick cookware, these chemicals are sometimes added into skincare for the purpose of managing oil, creating water or sweat resistance, or enhancing texture. PFAS are linked with a whole host of negative effects including cancer, endocrine disruption, and environmental persistence, to name only a few. Look for PFAS ingredients such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or methyl perfluorobutyl ether on the labels. A good trick for finding PFAS (as there are thousands of them) is to look for certain prefix red flags on labels such as “fluro-” or “trifluoro.” Some U.S. states have started to take measures to protect against intentionally added PFAS (many of the bills cover cosmetic products). These state laws–in states such as Vermont, California, Maine, Minnesota, Washington, Connecticut, Oregon, and New Jersey–are effective starting between 2025-2028, depending on the state. Although these signal important moves away from PFAS in skincare and cosmetics, it will be necessary to read labels in the meantime and to be mindful of sources of unintentionally added PFAS or PFAS contamination.

You don’t have to choose between clear skin and a healthy body. By working with your microbiome rather than against it, you can achieve long-term results without the redness and irritation.

Your skin is a living organ, not a surface to be stripped and bleached. By choosing ingredients that respect your biology and the environment, (like what you’ll find in any MADE SAFE certified product) you aren’t just fixing a breakout—you’re building a foundation for a lifetime of healthy, resilient skin. Here are some tips to help you work toward this goal and avoid the bad stuff:

● Avoid heavy and non-selective usage of harsh substances that strip the skin or disrupt the microbiome. Example harsh ingredients include:

o Benzoyl peroxide

o Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)

o Synthetic fragrances

o High-concentration alcohol (e.g. alcohol denat, SD alcohol, ethanol, or isopropyl alcohol)

● Check in on your diet. Eat a balanced diet of whole, unprocessed, colorful foods as often as you can to support the skin via the gut-skin axis. An overabundance of sugary, processed foods can promote dysbiosis.

● Actively support skin health by using safer products by shopping MADE SAFE and MADE WISE skincare products. Beyond using gentler ingredients that protect the skin barrier, some companies even include prebiotics or probiotics in their skincare to actively support the health of the skin microbiome.

● Try to avoid picking or squeezing acne lesions, as this can exacerbate inflammation and problematic bacterial spread.