- By Calypso Cavallo
- October 4, 2022
- Skincare
Every night it’s the same question: “Did you wash your face?” “Is your hair rinsed?” “do we put cream before your pajamas?”. And always, the face doesn’t smell good; the hair remains sticky, and the skin is ultra dry all over the body (or even itches). How can you instill in children, when they become independent, the desire to take care of their skin? Here are some ideas for small rituals to put in place to enable your children to adapt these capital reflexes to their hygiene and health.
Why does a child's skin need special attention?
Right from birth, a child’s skin needs to be moisturized and even more pampered. We’re not teaching you anything since it’s often a reflex when choosing the right products for your baby’s skin. It becomes more complicated when your baby grows up and washes, dresses, and brushes his hair and teeth by himself—a giant step towards autonomy but sometimes a step backward in skin care.
But why should you bother him by flipping him off and checking if his skin and hair are all clean? Especially since you don’t always have the reflex to cream your body, either… You don’t want to turn your child into a beauty addict or fall into over-consumption either!
Children aged 7 to 12 years have more sensitive skin to external aggressions, and it is drier than adults:
The hydrolipidic film that envelops the epidermis of their skin is of very poor quality. This film has two essential roles for us adults: a barrier protecting the skin from the external environment and protection against dryness. Since more than 70% of the skin is made up of water, the protective film helps to maintain hydration inside our skin.
What kind of skin care should I use for pre-teens?
Before adolescence, children’s skin does not secrete sebum and therefore does not have this protective film, which makes it ten times drier than adult skin. It is why children’s pre-teen skin is often prone to scabies, eczema, and strong signs of dryness.
The hydrolipidic film is composed of sweat, keratinocytes, and mostly sebum. The latter is only secreted naturally during puberty, and our skin becomes more oily, and acne problems occur.
What if we started introducing children to beauty at the weekend?
It’s the ideal time to start the introduction to skincare in a joyful, creative way. You, too, prefer this time to make your scrub and mask! Children work a lot by mimicry, so why not first offer to apply your mask with a brush and simultaneously explain the benefits (hydration, relaxation …) and the gestures (leave, rinse, apply the cream, see the result …).
Suggest that your child make his balm or massage oil. You can mix suitable plant oils. They will love this experimental approach, which also allows you to explain the virtues of the plants and fruits chosen and then enjoy the moment with a mini “home” massage. If you are not very confident on this point and are not yet used to home cosmetics, turn to professionals who are increasingly thinking about children (see below)!
Define a skincare routine with your child
Ok, for the weekend, but your children must at least take care of their skin and wash themselves during the week (lol). As with any ritual, the key is to take responsibility…and motivation. Without pleasure or feeling like a grown-up, your child will stay at a strict minimum and will not want to change their habits. Rather than frightening them (forgetting to brush = guaranteed cavities), think of it as a challenge (brushing for 1 minute in front of the hourglass) and a personalized program.
Children have the right to their products and space in the bathroom like adults. Nobody touches them! You’ll see, your child will be very flattered that we’re thinking of him. First, implementing a paper program will be an excellent support to following the ritual: foresee a box for each care and beauty ritual of the day (ex morning: tooth brushing + morning express face washing…)
Don’t be afraid to use colors and/or images to make this schedule attractive, and personalize the products with stickers to give them a personal touch (e.g., the products with stars belong to Josephine).
Our daily beauty routine with children
We propose a routine based on the latest innovations that we have selected:
- Their formula adapted to the skin of the youngest children
- their relevance to the child’s skincare routine
- their safe and clean composition
- their practicality, suitable for impatient children and small hands
Children, like us adults, are sensitive to scents and textures. They appreciate greedy notes and avoid any sticky and complicated texture to apply. They are demanding! Let’s go for a seduction operation!
1. A simple morning cleanse
It’s not always easy for children to be motivated in the morning, so why not start their day with freshness by spraying their faces with a refreshing mist?
2. Express and effective facial moisturizing
After rinsing the face, children from 7/8 years old can apply a moisturizing cream to prevent skin dehydration. A quick gesture before heading off to school to moisturize their skin, ready to face the day!
3. Smart cleansing at the end of the day
Body and hair
For the shower or bath, children over the age of 3 can use soap- and sulfate-free gel to cleanse the skin without the risk of drying out.
For the hair, a weekly shampoo or even two is enough, not more: it is from the age of 9 that the hair tends to grease more quickly due to the hormones that start to change.
And for the face?
No shower in the evening? To eliminate all the external pollution accumulated during the day on the skin, especially on the face (before showering), children from 4 years old can clean their skin with cleansing and soothing micellar water.
5. A moisturized body in a single stroke
After the shower, once the skin is clean, it’s time for them to nourish their skin with a moisturizer, paying particular attention to the areas that are most frequently dry (elbows, hands, underarms, heels, and behind the knees).
6. Your mission: inspection
After the shower, it’s time for the inspection! Keep your eyes open for any remaining shampoo in the hair or behind the ears. Did they apply the cream properly? Did they rinse their teeth?
You must accompany your child at the beginning by checking that all these steps are correctly respected. It will become a habit for him, and the verification will no longer be necessary.
Beauty treatments in children's institutes
Giving them the taste and desire to care for themselves through the Spa world and well-being is possible. More and more institutes are offering treatments to be done alone (accompanied by the parent) or as a parent-child duo for an introduction to the first beauty gestures.