In this post I’ll share the best child friendly skincare brands and kid friendly skincare products.
Now that kids are into skincare, I often get messages on my social media from parents who don’t know what to buy.
These recommendations will all be skincare that’s suitable for the age group 7-15, roughly speaking.
None of the recommendations are sponsored, but some links are Amazon affiliate links.
Table of Contents
- What skincare products should tweens use?
- Kid friendly face wash brands
- Kid friendly face moisturizer brands
- Best face serums for kids
- Best toners for young skin
- Skincare ingredients to avoid for children
- Skincare brands to avoid for children
- Best skincare for teen acne
- This was the best child friendly skincare brands and products. You may also like:
What skincare products should tweens use?
Before I get into specific products and brands, I’ll talk about the types of products young skin may need.
Ordinarily, if your child has no skincare concerns, children of this age don’t really need to be using any skincare.
Not forgetting the obvious exception – sunscreen in the summer!
However, understandably lots of young kids nowadays are asking for skincare because it’s popular online.
First I’ll list some easy skincare wins, moving on to troubled or acne-prone skin later.
Gentle cleanser for tweens
A gentle facial cleanser is a fairly benign product for children’s skin to be using.
They can use a face cleanser without much harm in the morning, evening or both.
However, you do want to make sure it is free of the following:
- Chemical exfoliants like salicylic acid (also known as beta hydroxy acids or BHA) and alpha hydroxy acids (AHA)
- Active ingredients such as vitamin C and niacinamide
- Any kind of natural or synthetic fragrance, and essential oils
- Denatured alcohol
- Retinoids
Avoiding these ingredients will ensure an easy life and minimal skin irritation.
Facial moisturizer for kids
Again, with a facial moisturizer for kids, these can be fairly benign and safe to use.
If you are looking for just a couple of kid friendly skincare products, a cleanser and moisturiser is ideal.
Again, make sure to avoid the active ingredients listed above for stress-free use on child’s skin.
Should tweens use serums and toners?
Unfortunately serums and toners are the most ‘fun’ looking in a beauty routine, but the least suitable for tweens.
Personally I think, if possible, you should avoid most serums or toners for tweens.
These are usually a cocktail of active ingredients that, if not used correctly, can cause unwanted reactions.
However, there are a few exceptions that are more suited to delicate skin:
- Hyaluronic acid serums tend to be benign
- Glycerin
- Aloe vera
- Centella asiatica (cica for short)
- Squalane
Later on, I’ll share the best serums for tweens and toners for sensitive skin.
Sunscreen for tweens
Online influencers have made sunscreen very popular in recent years.
For older teens and adults, it makes a lot of sense – extra protection from sun damage is always a good idea.
The issue for young people lies in the breakouts they can often cause.
Even sunscreens designed for teen skin can cause breakouts, leading to an unhappy child.
That unhappy child might try other skincare to improve their skin, creating a vicious cycle of long-term damage.
I recommend speaking to a board-certified dermatologist for advice on whether your child should wear SPF daily.
Kid friendly face wash brands
There’s no need for fancy skin care products with kids and tweens.
Brands like Bubble skincare, Cerave and Aveeno are great child friendly skincare brands.
Here are some more kid friendly face wash brands to choose from:
- Dermatica
- Hyram
- Cetaphil
- La Roche Posay
- Avene
- Byoma
- E45
- Simple
Whatever you choose, make sure to avoid:
- Salicylic acid
- Alpha hydroxy acid
- Vitamin C
- Niacinamide
- Fragrance – even if derived from natural ingredients
- Denatured alcohol
Best kid friendly face wash products
In no particular order, here are some effective formulas for child’s skincare:
Dermatica’s glycerin gel cleanser is a very simple formula for both adult and child’s skin. It is easy enough to purchase on Amazon, and is a reasonable price.
Cerave’s cream to foam cleanser is sold pretty much everywhere, and again is fairly benign.
I’d also recommend the regular foaming cleanser.
Make sure to avoid the SA smoothing cleanser, as this contains salicylic acid.
If your teen wants to take care of their skin with a more fun-looking cleanser, the Byoma creamy jelly cleanser is a good one.
Kid friendly face moisturizer brands
To pair with their cleanser, your tween might want a moisturizer.
Feel free to pick from the same list as the cleansers, avoiding any with the active ingredients listed above.
Best face creams for kids
These are some of the best moisturizers for kids and teens.
Simple have always been a go-to for a sensitive skin type, and their range of moisturisers are perfect for kids.
Ideally you may wish to choose a squeezy tube instead of a pot, as they are more sanitary over time.
For example, the Simple hydrating light moisturiser works great.
Aveeno are another great option for both kids and adult skin.
I recommend the Aveeno calm & restore oat gel moisturizer for any healthy skincare routine.
Finally, Dermatica’s skincare line contains a centella gel moisturiser that is perfect for tween skin.
Best face serums for kids
Usually the serums used by your tween’s favorite influencer won’t be suitable for them.
Although they contain effective ingredients, they can also wreak havoc on young skin that just doesn’t need the interferance.
The same brands as above are recommended, whilst still avoiding major active ingredients.
I’d recommend E45’s basic hydrating serum for tweens any day.
You can grab this in most drugstores and supermarkets for a reasonable price.
It’s a super minimal formula without lots of added extras, in a fun pipette dropper your tween will love.
Simple’s 10% ceramide booster and omega complex is another good option that doesn’t cost the earth.
Lastly, Aveeno’s calm and restore triple oat serum is a favourite of mine for all skin types.
These can all be used up to twice a day.
Best toners for young skin
Toners are essentially watery serums.
Instead of using a pipette, you apply them into your hands and then pat them into your face.
All of the same brands are recommended when selecting toners for your teen, I’ll list some favourites below.
Byoma’s milky toner is a good option for young skin.
It’s simply hydrating and moisturising – no frills, apart from the fun packaging.
Beauty of Joseon is a popular K beauty brand who make a simple rice milk toner.
Rice is hydrating and brightening, without being harsh like a chemical exfoliant.
Haruharu Wonder’s unscented black rice toner is similar, and can be bought on Amazon.
Skincare ingredients to avoid for children
Here’s a simple list of what to avoid in skincare for children:
- Salicylic acid
- Alpha hydroxy acid
- Retinoids
- Artificial or natural fragrance
- Essential oils
- Bakuchiol
- Denatured alcohol
I recommend using incidecoder.com to easily check ingredients in products.
Even in a child friendly skincare brand range, you still want to avoid certain ingredients to identify safe products.
Skincare brands to avoid for children
Brands like Drunk Elephant and Glow Recipe are what made skincare popular for children.
Unfortunately, these are not good brands for children to use.
It is not so much to do with ‘harsh chemicals’ vs natural ingredients.
It’s more so that these brands often contain fragrance, essential oils and chemical exfoliants.
Here are some more brands to avoid for kids:
- Eve Lom
- The Ordinary (unless moisturiser or cleanser)
- Farmacy
- Caudalie
- Medik8
- Barbara Sturm
- Inkey List
- Murad
- Versed
- Sunday Riley
- Charlotte Tilbury
- Alpha H
- Ole Henrikson
To be honest, it is most of the brands you might find in SpaceNK, for example.
Children really don’t need expensive products. Honestly, neither do adults!
Best skincare for teen acne
I’ve had acne throughout my life so I totally understand how upsetting it can be.
Although there are lots of child friendly skincare brands, unfortunately they’re unlikely to fix moderate to severe acne.
I can also remember my mum, who had never experienced acne, desperately trying to help me!
If your teen is dealing with mild acne, it may be easy enough to include a salicylic acid serum to help them.
Perhaps they just need to begin cleansing daily to get it under control.
However, some tweens and teens really just need expert advice.
Instead of trying lots of skincare, I recommend seeing a GP or dermatologist.
They can prescribe a retinoid, such as Differin, which can be really effective for teen acne.
If your teen is prescribed Differin, Duac or Epiduo, they can safely use any of the products I’ve shared in this list.
I recommend pairing these prescriptions with a moisturiser at minimum, as they can be drying.
