Glazed Donut Skin and the Teen Skincare Trap

By Paul Teasdale — The Unfiltered Formulator

Teen skin isn’t broken. But the system selling to it is.

We need to talk.

Because we’re watching another skincare disaster unfold in slow motion — and once again, the industry is too busy riding the algorithm to speak up.

Teenagers are being sold routines that mimic adult barrier repair protocols. They’re stacking niacinamide, retinol, peptides, occlusives, and acids like it’s some kind of glow-up challenge. All in the name of “glazed donut skin.”

And where are the professionals? Mostly quiet. Or worse — complicit.

Let me be clear. Overtreatment is becoming the new under-care. And we’re about to reap the consequences.

Skin Goals Built on Aesthetic, Not Biology

The trend is simple. Shiny, poreless, light-reflecting skin that looks like it's been dipped in glass.The problem? It’s not real skin.

These trends are built for screens, not biology. They prioritise appearance over function. They teach kids to fear texture, misread hydration, and worship a look that’s neither sustainable nor appropriate for their age or biology.

We're watching 13-year-olds chase the skin routines of perimenopausal women — layering anti-aging serums and occlusive barrier creams with zero understanding of their skin's actual needs.

This isn’t empowerment. It’s marketing-fuelled confusion.

Real skin has texture. The trend teaches teens to fear it.

The Science of Adolescent Skin — And Why This Is a Problem

Let’s step out of the hype and into the biology.

Teen skin:

• Produces more sebum due to surging androgens

• Has faster cellular turnover

• Maintains a more acidic pH and robust desquamation

• Doesn’t require heavy lipid reinforcement or aggressive actives

• Is often reactive due to hormonal shifts — not ingredient deficiency

In short:

It’s not broken. It’s adapting. And it doesn’t need to be “fixed” with adult actives designed for barrier dysfunction or photoaged skin.

When you overload young skin with:

• High-dose niacinamide

• Retinol derivatives

• Alpha and beta hydroxy acids

• Heavy occlusives and petrolatum masks

…you don’t “protect” the barrier.You dysregulate it.

Teen skin has its own rhythm. Disruption isn’t care

The Barrier Hype Has Gone Too Far

The skin barrier is important, but it’s also self-regulating... especially in younger skin.

What we’re seeing now is barrier obsession driving:

• Overuse of lipids on already oil-rich skin

• Redundant layering of multiple barrier repair actives

• Suppression of natural exfoliation cycles

• Masking of early signs of inflammation with heavy occlusion

You’re not building resilience. You’re creating dependence. And ironically, you’re breaking the barrier you’re trying to protect.

The Industry’s Role — And Our Responsibility as Formulators

Let’s stop pretending this is just consumer behavior. The industry built this.

We made it aspirational.

We made “prejuvenation” a thing.

We chased virality instead of integrity.

We stopped educating and started enabling.

As formulators, we need to draw a line.

Formulating for adolescents should be:

• Microbiome-friendly

• Non-disruptive to sebum regulation

• Free from unnecessary actives

• Simple, gentle, and pH-balanced

• Designed for function, not finish

We don’t need more “dewy glow” kits.

We need barrier-aware minimalism designed for hormonally active, lipid-rich, inflammation-prone skin.....not fantasy skin seen through a TikTok filter.

Virality replaced integrity. It’s time to flip that.

Final Word

We’re witnessing the next generation of skin issues being manufactured in real time. And it’s being wrapped in pastel packaging and viral trends.

It’s not cute.

It’s not clean.

And it’s not harmless.

If you’re formulating for teens, stop trying to impress the camera. Impress the stratum corneum. Formulate for the skin in front of you.....not the trend.

Because in ten years, when these kids show up with fragile, sensitised, barrier-dependent skin… we won’t be able to blame the algorithm.

We’ll have to blame ourselves.

Skin health is not an aesthetic. Stop formulating like it is.

Real skin doesn’t chase the algorithm. It just needs to be understood

Paul Teasdale

Cosmetic Chemist. Strategic Partner. Unfiltered Voice of Formulation.