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 if they can 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.
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.
To help you with your shopping, we’ve rounded up 19 expert-approved teen beauty products that thousands of users have loved — some I’ve even been using since I was a teen!
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The Top 5 Teen Beauty Products
- Best Moisturizer: CeraVe Moisturizing Cream – $17.78 at Amazon
- Best Acne Cleanser: Neutrogena Oil-Free Pink Grapefruit Acne Wash – $8.49 at Amazon
- Best Mascara: Petite ‘n Pretty Fully Feathered Volumizing Mascara – $18 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 100,000 reviews on Amazon, and it’s wildly recommended by dermatologists, according to the brand. 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 other potentially harmful products. Despite being a clean mascara, this teen beauty product will still provide the volume and thickness your daughter is looking for, and some adults, including actress Kate Hudson, use it!
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. 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.
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.
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.
10. Best Eyeshadow Palette: Colourpop Gone Matte Pressed 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. If your daughter wants a versatile collection of eyeshadows, the fan-favorite Gone Matte Pressed Powder Palette contains 30 shades, including nice neutrals, peaches, pinks, mauves, and grays. There are matte and metallic 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 stars 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 teenager 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 2022. 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: PMD Clean Smart Facial Cleansing Device
If your daughter wants to improve her skincare routine, the PMD Clean will help boost her daily cleansing. This smart facial cleansing device is designed to help wash your face, featuring a silicone head that vibrates 7,000 times per minute. It helps break down oils and dirt within pores, and the low-maintenance tool comes in various fun colors that your teen will love.
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 Heat Spray: L’Oréal Paris Advanced Hairstyle Sleek It Iron Straight Heat Spray
Does your teen straighten her hair every day before school? If so, she needs a heat spray like this one from L’Oreal Paris to reduce damage to her strands. The lightweight heat spray will protect her hair from temperatures up to 450 degrees, helping to prevent burning and breakage. It also helps seal hair for a frizz-free shine and keeps hair looking sleek on humid days.
19. Best Eyelash Curler: Tweezerman Classic Eyelash Curler
One of Alix Earle’s beauty must-haves is an eyelash curler, and the TikTok star uses this inexpensive one from Tweezerman to get her signature lash look. The classic design has rounded curler pads for better lift, and it’s safe and easy for beginners to use. It will deliver a crimp-free curl on your daughter’s lashes and even comes with a few replacement pads.
Why You Can Trust Us
While my teen years are behind me, I still remember how exciting it was to try all the different types of makeup and beauty products in high school. My friends and I used to have a blast experimenting at sleepovers or in the bathroom between classes!
Many of the teen beauty products included on this list are items I discovered back then and still use today — even though I’m well into my 20s; you can always find Neutrogena Oil-Free Pink Grapefruit Acne Wash, Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen, and L’Oréal Paris Advanced Hairstyle Sleek It Iron Straight Heat Spray in my bathroom cabinet.
For the one I haven’t personally tried, I relied on expert reviews to find the best teen beauty products. Much of my research came from dermatologist-curated recommendations, beauty awards from magazines like Allure and Cosmo, and reviews from real users on sites like Amazon and Ulta Beauty.
Prices were accurate at the time of publication.
