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It’s no secret that kids grow up fast, and before you know it, your baby girl will be a teen, asking if she can wear makeup to school and start a skincare routine. Many girls become interested in teen beauty products around middle school or high school —especially if their peers start using them — and it’s your job to find the best products to help your daughter safely experiment and discover her personal style in a healthy way.
The good news is that there’s no shortage of excellent teen beauty products today. From moisturizers and cleansers to foundation and lip gloss, a wide range of cosmetics and personal care products are safe (and fun!) for teens to use.
Note: For best advice about skin care including acne and other skin problems, please seek advice from a licensed physician or other qualified healthcare professional.
The Top 5 Teen Beauty Products
- Best Moisturizer: CeraVe Moisturizing Cream – $16.06 at Amazon
- Best Acne Cleanser: Neutrogena Oil-Free Pink Grapefruit Acne Wash – $8.30 at Amazon
- Best Mascara: Petite ‘n Pretty Fully Feathered Volumizing Mascara – $17.10 at Amazon
- Best Nail Polish: Olive and June – $8.99 at Target
- Best Daily Sunscreen: Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen – $38 at Amazon
Reviews of The Best Teen Beauty Products
1. Best Moisturizer: CeraVe Moisturizing Cream
It’s never too early to teach your daughter good skincare habits; an excellent moisturizer is a must-have for her daily routine. This moisturizing cream from CeraVe is a cult-favorite teen beauty product with more than 129,000 reviews on Amazon, and it’s wildly recommended by dermatologists, according to the brand. It is the #1 bestselling face moisturizer on Amazon – wow!
The velvety cream will help keep your daughter’s skin hydrated — even if she’s playing around with new makeup during the day —and won’t clog her pores.
2. Best Acne Cleanser: Neutrogena Oil-Free Pink Grapefruit Acne Wash
According to WebMD, most teen girls struggle with acne at some point, and this face wash from Neutrogena is a great option to help keep your daughter’s skin clean and blemish-free. It uses salicylic acid to treat and prevent breakouts, and it cleanses deep down into pores to remove oil. Plus, the formula won’t dry or irritate her skin, and it has a pleasant scent, meaning she can use it as part of her daily routine.
3. Best Mascara: Petite ‘n Pretty Fully Feathered Volumizing Mascara
The Petite ‘n Pretty Volumizing Mascara is designed with teens in mind. It has a smaller applicator perfect for tinier, young eyes, and the formula is free of phthalates, parabens, and formaldehyde. Despite being a clean mascara, this teen beauty product will still provide the volume and thickness your daughter is looking for. According to their website, their products have been dermatologist-approved, ophthalmologist-approved and pediatrician-approved. Suggested age 9+ and safety tested for kids 5+.
4. Best Nail Polish: Olive and June Nail Polish
If your daughter likes to paint her nails fun colors, Olive and June nail polish is the perfect option. This online brand offers a wide range of trendy polish colors and is cruelty-free and vegan without harmful chemicals.
According to the brand, it is formulated to be “15-free:” free of fifteen harmful chemicals commonly found in nail polishes including Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP, Formaldehyde Resin, Camphor, Ethyl Tosylamide, Xylene, Triphenyl Phosphate (TPHP), Acetone, Animal-Derived Ingredients, Bisphenol-A, Nonylphenol Ethoxylate, Parabens, Sulfate, Phthalates.
It’s cheaper than many other popular brands. Plus, many of their formulas are quick-drying, perfect for teens who don’t always have the patience to wait several minutes for their nails to dry completely. Check out the entire selection of nail care products at Target here.
5. Best Daily Sunscreen: Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen
Wearing sunscreen daily is a great habit for teens to get into early, and the Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen is one of the most popular options for everyday wear. It is somewhat pricey, but the lightweight formula offers SPF 40 protection. It doubles as a primer for makeup, and it even helps to block blue light from electronic devices — which your teen is probably exposed to often.
6. Best Pimple Patches: Mighty Patch Original
Every teen needs a stash of pimple patches for unexpected blemishes, and the Mighty Patch Original is arguably the most popular product today. These patches use medical-grade hydrocolloids to pull “gunk” out of pimples, making them smaller and flatter after six to eight hours. They’re perfect for overnight wear and keep your daughter from picking at her acne, which can cause scabbing and scarring. Mighty Patch is the #1 Best Seller on Amazon in pore cleansing strips.
7. Best Lip Gloss: Nyx Butter Gloss
If your daughter wants to add a little color to her lips, Nyx Butter Gloss is a good introductory teen makeup product. This inexpensive lip gloss comes in dozens of colors to match her complexion and style and offers sheer to medium coverage. The formula is never sticky, making it comfortable to wear, and it’s easy to wipe off at the end of the day, unlike lip stains or liquid lipsticks.
8. Best Concealer: e.l.f. Hydrating Camo Concealer
The e.l.f. (eyes, lips, face, in case you are wondering) Hydrating Camo Concealer is perfect for covering up acne or under-eye circles, and the affordable, easy-to-use formula makes it an excellent choice for teens. The concealer is available in a wide range of colors to match all skin tones, and it provides all-day wear that won’t crease. Plus, the formula is non-comedogenic, meaning it won’t clog pores, so it’s also suitable for acne-prone skin.
9. Best Hair Dryer Brush: Revlon One-Step Volumizer Hair Dryer
While your teen might be coveting the Dyson Airwrap, the Revlon One-Step Volumizer is a much more budget-friendly option that still leaves her hair flawless. This widely popular tool can dry and style hair in just one step, helping to reduce frizz and leave hair sleek and shiny. It’s sure to help streamline your daughter’s morning beauty routine — and because it dries so fast, she won’t be late for school either.
This hair tool has been a long-time favorite with the Grown and Flown community.
10. Best Eyeshadow Palette: Colourpop Feelin’Bubbly’ Powder Palette
Colourpop eyeshadow palettes are an unbeatable value—they contain pigmented colors that go on smoothly and blend out flawlessly, yet they’re still reasonably priced. There are loads of individual shades and sets to choose from including this set, “Feelin’ Bubbly” that has nine pretty and popular colors. There are both matte and shimmery options for her to experiment with, and she can put together subtle and dramatic eye looks with just one palette.
11. Best Face Mask: Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay
Actress Lili Reinhart, who stared in Riverdale, swears by this face mask to help with her cystic acne. The Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay is made using natural calcium bentonite clay, and when it’s mixed with water (or apple cider vinegar!), it creates a smooth mask that will deep clean pores in just a few minutes. Just be sure your teen knows not to leave the mask on for too long. Otherwise, it may cause skin redness or irritation.
12. Best Foundation: Maybelline Dream Fresh Skin Hydrating BB Cream
Full-coverage foundations can be tricky to work with, often looking cakey or dry, so you may want to start your teen off with a smoother product like this Maybelline BB cream. The lightweight, hydrating moisturizer is slightly tinted, helping to smooth out skin and hide imperfections, and it comes in a range of colors to match most skin tones. It even has SPF 30 protection to protect your teen’s skin from the sun’s UV rays.
13. Best Makeup Sponge: AOA Studio Super Soft Paw Paw Wonder Blender
Makeup sponges are a helpful tool for applying all sorts of cosmetics, and these Paw Paw Wonder Blenders won a Best of Allure award in 2024. They can be used wet or dry to blend foundation or apply powders, and the precision tip is handy for sculpting around the eyes or nose. These sponges come in a pack of six — all for a low price — and each can be used for up to 30 applications before replacing them.
14. Best Facial Brush: Olay Facial Cleansing Brush
If your daughter wants to improve her skincare routine, this well-priced facial cleansing brush from trusted brand Olay can let her try this type of tool without spending a lot of money on something she might not enjoy using. Two speeds for two types of cleansing, battery operated so safe to use in the shower.
15. Best Shaving Cream: Tree Hut Bare Moisturizing Shave Oil
Most girls want to start shaving their legs and underarms during their teenage years, and you can set your daughter up for success with a good shaving product like the Tree Hut Shave Oil. This popular teen beauty product isn’t a traditional foaming shaving cream —instead, it’s a gel-like oil that helps prevent irritation and razor bumps. The coconut-lime version has a bright tropical scent but also comes in other fragrances.
16. Best Cleanser for Athletes: CLn SportWash
Teen athletes may have a unique set of skincare challenges. Sweaty clothing and public locker rooms can often lead to acne and folliculitis, and the CLn SportWash is designed with these young athletes in mind. The gel formula will help cleanse the skin and keep it clear of buildup, and it can either be used daily or as needed after sporting events.
17. Best Makeup Remover: Garnier SkinActive Micellar Water
If your teen daughter has started wearing makeup, she’ll need a good makeup remover to help take it off at the end of the day — which can help reduce bummer breakouts. The Garnier SkinActive Micellar Water is an effective and budget-friendly option, and its no-rinse formula is ideal for teens. It’s gentle on all skin types and hydrates while removing makeup, dirt, and oil.
18. Best Portable Make-Up Remover: Neutrogena MakeUp Remover Wipes
Having a convenient way to cleanse your face after a work out, a theater practice or the morning of a sleep-over is much easier when your daughter packs Neutorgena MakeUp Remover Wipes in her gym bag or backpack. This set includes two, 25-sheet resealable pouches. This is a must-have for me whenever I’m traveling.
19. Best Fragrance Sampler: Sol de Janeiro Mist and Match Hair and Body Perfume Bundle
Is your daughter looking for her “signature scent” but has not found the one just yet? Sol de Janeiro is wildly popular in the Grown and Flown community and this bundle of five fragrances will give her a chance to try a variety of scents in her quest to find the one or ones she loves the most.
Why you should trust us
We are three moms who have raised 8 young adults and have been working on products lists for over 12 years now, making us experts. When selecting products we survey the Grown and Flown Parents Facebook group of nearly 300,000 parents of teens, tweens and young adults. We do opinion polls, surveys and ask open ended questions. We search for products that combine reasonable price with high quality and are recommended by our large following.
Prices were accurate at the time of publication.
