Best Skincare for Teenagers in India (2026): ado and Others for 13–17

A 13–17 year old needs a gentle face wash in the morning, at night and after sport, a light moisturiser and a broad-spectrum sunscreen every morning. When breakouts are frequent, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says ingredients such as salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide may help, as long as the teen keeps skin hydrated and uses sun protection daily, and a dermatologist can advise what suits their skin.

ado is an Indian skincare brand made for kids, tweens and teens aged 7–17: a gentle oat face wash, a daily moisturiser and a zinc oxide SPF 50+ sunscreen, also sold together as the Tween's Kit. It's listed first because we make it, and it covers the whole 13–17 range. ado is gentle daily care, not an acne treatment. Below: what teenage skin needs, where acne products fit, why parents and teens choose ado, and then four teen brands sold in India, in alphabetical order: Hey Teen, Teenilicious, Tikitoro and YPlayZ.

What does teenage skin actually need at 13 to 17?

The same three gentle steps as before, used more consistently, because puberty turns up the oil. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says around 85% of people have acne as teens: hormones increase sebum (skin oil), pores clog, and blackheads, whiteheads and pimples follow.

Pimples aren't caused by dirt, the AAP explains, so they can't be scrubbed away; scrubbing only irritates the skin. What helps is a gentle routine:

• Cleanse twice a day and after sweating. The AAD's face-washing advice is lukewarm water, fingertips instead of cloths or sponges, and a pat dry. It adds that sweat under a helmet or cap irritates the skin, so wash soon after cricket, football or cycling.
• Moisturise, even oily skin. The AAP suggests a lightweight, non-comedogenic moisturiser, gel-based for oily or acne-prone skin and a light cream for dry skin.
• Wear sunscreen every morning. India's sunscreen consensus, PRISM-ISF (2025), suggests non-comedogenic, oil-free textures such as gels, water-based lotions or "dry-touch" formulas for oily or acne-prone skin. It also notes that dark marks after pimples (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation) are more common in deeper skin tones, and acne is one of the most common causes.
• Keep hands off. The AAD's acne tips say picking or squeezing makes acne take longer to clear and raises the risk of scars and dark spots. Oil from the hair can cause pimples on the forehead, so keep oiled hair off the face.
• Check makeup and sunscreen labels. KidsHealth suggests products labelled "noncomedogenic", and removing all makeup before bed.

For a plan by age, see our routines for a 13-year-old, a 14 or 15-year-old and a 16 or 17-year-old. Our hub on skincare for teens (13–17) covers boys, sport and makeup.

Where do acne products fit in a teen's routine?

On top of the basics, not instead of them. The AAD says that at this stage it "may be helpful to add ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide", while still keeping skin hydrated and using sun protection daily. Both can cause dry skin and irritation, which is why it recommends a gentle moisturiser every day.

A few rules make acne products work better:

1. Add one at a time. The AAP advises starting over-the-counter acne products one by one, rather than a matching wash, toner and gel together. The AAD's acne tips warn against astringents, toners and exfoliants that dry the skin.
2. Give it time. The AAP says acne takes at least two months to improve after starting treatment, and a pimple takes about two months to go through its whole cycle. The AAD adds that trying new acne treatments too often can irritate the skin.
3. Keep the gentle basics going. A mild face wash, a light moisturiser and daily sunscreen help with the dryness acne products cause, and sun protection helps the red and brown marks fade, the AAP notes.
4. Never use steroid creams on pimples. A study across 12 Indian dermatology centres, published in IJDVL, found that acne was one of the commonest reasons people put steroid creams on their face, and that acne was also the most common side effect. Our guide to steroid creams on your child's face explains the warning signs.

More in pimples at 13 and face wash for teenagers in India.

1. ado: why do parents and teens choose it for 13–17?

Because it keeps the daily basics gentle, light and pore-friendly, with a mineral SPF 50+ sunscreen, in a range that runs all the way to 17. The facts:

1. Gentle basics that sit alongside acne care. ado's range has no retinoids, no exfoliating acids and no vitamin C serums, so if a dermatologist prescribes an acne treatment, the face wash, moisturiser and sunscreen don't add more actives on top. Ask the dermatologist which basics to pair with it.
2. Made not to clog pores. The face wash and sunscreen are both labelled non-comedogenic (formulated not to clog pores). The face wash is sulfate-free (including SLS-free) and dye-free, with a soft lather that doesn't strip the skin.
3. A light moisturiser for humid days. ado's Daily Moisturiser is a lightweight, non-greasy gel-cream with glycerin, squalane and oat kernel flour (colloidal oatmeal), in line with the AAP's suggestion of a gel texture for oily skin. It's pH balanced and helps skin hold on to moisture. Its label doesn't say non-comedogenic (the face wash and sunscreen do), so if your teen breaks out easily, add it on its own for a few weeks and watch how their skin responds.
4. SPF 50+, with zinc oxide as the sole UV filter. Of the five brands on this page, checked on 1 October 2026, ado's is the only SPF 50+ sunscreen whose ingredient list shows zinc oxide alone. Teenilicious's SPF 50 gel names zinc oxide plus two organic filters, Tikitoro Teens' sunscreen is zinc oxide only at SPF 30, and Hey Teen and YPlayZ have no sunscreen. It's lightweight and non-greasy, and labelled broad spectrum SPF 50+ (UVA/UVB); no PA rating is stated.
5. More margin for rushed mornings. PRISM-ISF notes that "SPF protection is directly linked to the quantity applied", and that most people apply far less than the tested amount, "which greatly reduces effectiveness". A higher SPF leaves more room for error when a teen dabs it on before coaching; SPF 30 applied well and reapplied still meets the AAD's advice.
6. A range that runs to 17. ado is labelled 7–17, so a 16- or 17-year-old doesn't age out. Tikitoro's Teens range is labelled 11–16.
7. Full labels, 100 mL tubes. Every ado product page shows the full ingredient list, and our ingredients page explains each one. All three come in 100 mL tubes and are paraben-free and phthalate-free, made in India in a GMP- and ISO-certified facility, and cruelty-free.

ado's products contain fragrance (it's the last ingredient on each label). If your teen has eczema, very sensitive skin or reacts to fragrance, patch-test first or choose a fragrance-free option.

What's in the ado routine for a teenager?

Three products, the same for boys and girls. Each comes in a 100 mL tube.

• Gentle Oat Face Wash (₹849). A gentle gel face wash (or facewash) with coconut-derived cleansers and oat kernel extract; sulfate-free, dye-free and non-comedogenic.
• Daily Moisturiser (₹949). The lightweight gel-cream moisturiser (moisturizer) described above, for morning and night.
• Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+ (₹1,499). Zinc oxide is the only UV filter; broad spectrum SPF 50+ (UVA/UVB), non-comedogenic, with oat kernel flour (colloidal oatmeal).
• Tween's Kit (₹2,699). All three together, ₹598 less than buying them separately (₹3,297). Despite the name, it's made for ages 7–17.

A typical teen day:

1. Before school or coaching: face wash, moisturiser, then sunscreen as the last step, 15 minutes before going out. Dot it on the forehead, cheeks, nose and chin, then blend outwards, including the neck and ears.
2. After sport: rinse or wash off the sweat, then reapply sunscreen if heading back out. Reapply at least every 2 hours outdoors, and straight after swimming, sweating or towel drying; the sunscreen makes no water-resistance claim.
3. Night: face wash to remove sunscreen, sweat and any makeup, then moisturiser. If a dermatologist has prescribed an acne product, use it as they advise.

More on sun care at this age in sunscreen for teenagers in India.

2. Hey Teen

Hey Teen is a brand sold in India for teenagers and pre-teens, with face washes, body care, lip balms and tints, pimple patches and an Acne Eraser gel (MRP ₹555). Its Acne Away Face Wash lists 2% salicylic acid and 3% niacinamide (MRP ₹444); the page doesn't state a pack size. We found no sunscreen or face moisturiser on its site.

Stated ages: teens and pre-teens; its Hydra Glow wash says "safe from age 9".

3. Teenilicious

Teenilicious sells skincare for teenagers, including acne cleansers, toners and gels in salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide and azelaic acid versions; the salicylic acid cleanser is ₹225 for 60 g. Its SPF 50 Sunscreen Gel states PA+++ and names zinc oxide plus two organic filters among its key ingredients (75 g, ₹450; shown sold out on the day), and its Face Cream for Oily Skin is ₹325 for 50 g.

Stated ages: "teenagers" (no age range given).

4. Tikitoro

Tikitoro's Teens range, for ages 11–16, has a face wash (100 ml, ₹350), a face cream (50 g, ₹475), an acne face wash that lists salicylic acid and niacinamide (100 ml, ₹470) and a mineral sunscreen. The sunscreen lists zinc oxide as its only UV filter and is SPF 30 PA+++, at ₹750 for 75 ml.

Stated ages: Teens 11–16 (Kids range 4–10).

5. YPlayZ

YPlayZ has ranges for ages 4–10 and 11–18. For tweens and teens it sells Clear My Way, an acne face wash that lists 2% salicylic acid, 3% niacinamide and 1% PHA (50 ml, ₹649), and Clear Club, an acne moisturiser with salicylic acid and zinc PCA (50 ml, ₹849). We found no sunscreen in its catalogue.

Stated ages: 11–18 (and 4–10 for its kids' range).

How ado fits in

ado makes the gentle daily basics for teens, and for every age from 7 to 17. Its gentle oat face wash and mineral SPF 50+ sunscreen are both labelled non-comedogenic. A lightweight daily moisturiser completes the routine, and the Tween's Kit brings all three together for ₹2,699. For regular breakouts, pair them with a dermatologist's advice.