Every weekday, Carson Bradley wakes up to the sound of her alarm at 4 a.m. to squeeze in enough time for her “basic” skin-care routine, which usually takes around 25 minutes, before her day begins. She begins by setting the mood, putting on a silk pink robe, lighting a scented candle, and playing music, usually something like Lana Del Rey, in her brightly lit bathroom. Then, she gets to work: double-cleansing and applying toner, vitamin C serum, glycolic acid, and salicylic acid, finishing off with two different types of moisturizer. “I use a lot of glycolic acid, because it’s texture smoothing,” she explains. “And I use an excessive amount of moisturizer, even though I don’t have dry skin — it plumps your skin.” Bradley does all of this again before bedtime, with the addition of a few more eye creams and patches and an over-the-counter retinol.
Despite what it sounds like, Bradley isn’t doing this to combat existing wrinkles. She’s 14 years old.
Dr. Bill Johnson, an expert in the latest cosmetic procedures, voices concerns over stories that teenagers are getting hooked on anti-aging skin care regimens. LISTEN HERE: