The teen and tween years, starting at age 10, are full of big emotional—and physical—swings. Hormones levels are fluctuating, triggering the unmistakable onset of oilier skin and pimples, body odor, hair in new places and hair that feels different (curly strands can suddenly turn straight and vice versa). Ah, the wonders of the human body! Your tween and teenager likely view these shifts with less enthusiasm.
Naturally, kids this age also no longer want to be treated like kids, and not-so-subtly start to stake out their independence. Meaning, they don’t want you—mom and dad—to hover or treat the above-mentioned body issues with any products that seem baby-ish. In the ‘90s—a.k.a. the olden days when I was growing up, before anyone even used the term “tween”—I was left to navigate this bumpy period with drugstore products, which I remember as being infective or overly aggressive, leaving my pores tight, my skin flaky and dry, my hair brittle and my body smelling like dusty, stale baby powder. I have zero nostalgia for those olden days.
Today, the boom in self-care and Gen-Z beauty has thankfully brought with it a new wave of tween- and teen-focused brands, featuring improved formulas—many free from synthetic chemicals and fragrances—appealing textures that feel good to apply, fun and sustainable packaging, and a gender-fluid, modern mindset that embraces adolescent changes (from acne to underarm hair) rather than stigmatizing them.
The larger goal here: Making good hygiene habits less of a battle and more enjoyable for all. Sure, you might roll your eyes at face creams that aim to smell like birthday cake but if such goods get your not-so-little human excited about washing his/her/their face and wearing deodorant, it’s a win for everyone, isn’t it?
Ahead, the 9 best tween-to-teen brands setting a new standard for self-care during puberty, with gentle-but-effective formulas (that P.S. are also great for adults), affordable prices and a beauty message you can feel good about.
I Dew Care: Skincare With Superfruits
Behind all the fun packaging and whimsical names—ice-cream-like face masks with cake, matcha and berry scents—you’ll find solid skincare formulas with active botanical ingredients, including antioxidant-rich raspberry extract and pore-clearing strawberry seed. Bestsellers include the acne-scar-fading vitamin-C serum and moisturizing gel-cream that hydrates without being too heavy.
Kinship: For Sensitive and Reactive Skin
A favorite among Gen-Z skin influencers and TikTok fans, Kinship is known for reimagining products that tend to be irritating with soothing ingredients that get the job done. The Pimple Potion features 2% salicylic acid rather than harsher benzoyl peroxide while the Naked Papaya Cleanser relies on gentle fruit enzymes to de-grease complexions without stripping beneficial oils. The probiotic Self Reflect sunscreen avoids chemical SPF and rubs in beautifully without the dreaded mineral-white cast.
Topicals: Spot Treatments for Flare-Ups
Topicals offers a focused range of goods to target the most common adolescent skin gripes: dark spots, uneven texture, and blemishes. The mild azelaic-acid-based Faded serum has a gel-like consistency and can be up to three times a week to (gently) wipe out acne, and the Like Butter mask calms redness and inflammation with a very pleasant whipped texture.
Sk*p: Skin and Haircare in Smarter Packaging
Sk*p wants to tackle the beauty industry’s waste problem with game-changing solutions: Their face-and-body wash and lotion, sunflower seed oil shampoo and coconut conditioner come in milk-carton-like paper packaging that doesn’t get soggy or fall apart in the shower and is fully recyclable, a feat that few other beauty brands can claim, so your tween can really get behind this purpose-driven company.
Stryke Club: Better Grooming and Skincare For Boys
Developed by a pediatric dermatologist, Stryke dismantles the idea that “manly” products need to smell like cologne or that self-care is somehow not for guys. The streamlined range—face and body washes and wipes, acne stick, lip balm—focuses on the most important parts of skincare with hypoallergenic, alcohol-free ingredients.
Bread Beauty Supply: Frizz-Positive Hair-Care
Bread challenges the idea that frizzy hair is “bad” hair with products—a milky hair cleanser, healing macadamia oil, leave-in cream conditioner—that embrace the beauty of textured strands. Soothing ingredients nourish and don’t push the message of relaxing or straightening hair but enhancing its natural curl pattern.
Hey Humans: Super Affordable Picks For The Whole Family
Founded by Jada Pinkett-Smith, Hey Humans is, as the name suggests, not for one age or gender, but for all humans. The goods come in recyclable aluminum containers and include everything from coconut mint body wash to apple matcha deodorant to banana aloe body lotion, at prices that won’t stretch the allowance budget.
Peace Out Skincare: Pore Strips, Acne Patches and More
Peace Out Skincare, a LGBTQIA+ founded and run brand, has done the seemingly impossible task of making breakouts nothing to hide from. Their popular hydrocolloid Acne Dots are worn on the face like stickers to absorb excess oil and bacteria, helping to speed healing. The Pore and Nose Strips, meanwhile, get the gunk out of congested skin with polymers and vitamin A—definitely a step-up from old-school strips.
Love Beauty and Planet: Teen-Friendly Haircare
When baby and kid shampoos are met with a disapproving eye roll, but you’re not quite ready for grown-up brands, Love, Beauty and Planet fills the gap: The concentrated, vegan formulas feature ethically-sourced plant extracts, recycled plastic bottles and botanical scents derived from essential oils for an elevated vibe.
