A Bathing Checklist for Teenagers

Hair

• Even the sweetest of teens will likely reject your advice about hairstyles -- but when it comes to keeping her hair clean, you can help. Explain that she might need to wash her hair more often now than she did in previous years, since the glands that produce oil go into overdrive during puberty. If you've noticed her mane looks greasy or limp, your teen should wash her hair every day. Buy her a shampoo designed for oily hair and advise her to lather up her hair at the beginning of a shower. Pick up a light conditioner designed for oily hair too, and suggest that she apply the product to all of her hair except the roots. A boy with long hair might benefit from using conditioner too. If your teen's hair is dry, coarse or frizzy, ask her hairstylist for recommendations of products that will keep it healthy.

Face

• A splash of water and a scrub with a bar of soap won't keep a teenager's face smooth and clear. Pick up a gentle cleanser to keep in the shower and advise your teen to rub it into her entire face after washing her hair. If acne is a problem -- and for many teens, it is -- she'll need a different product. HealthyChildren.org suggests that a teen dealing with acne use a facial cleanser with 5 percent benzoyl peroxide. She can use this product in the shower, whether in the morning or at night, but she should also give her face a second wash at some point in the day. Demonstrate how to cleanse the face, moving your fingers in a slow, circular motion all around the face and neck.

Body

• Body odor is a sudden and unpleasant reality for teens, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as hormones trigger the glands to produce more sweat. Your teen should use a body wash product -- look for one with 5 percent
  benzoyl peroxide if she has body acne -- to wash her entire body, using a loofah or washcloth if she wishes. Advise your teen to keep body wash away from her genitals; she may simply rinse this area with warm water or use a gentle, unscented soap. If your teen girl shaves her underarms and legs, suggest she do this at the end of a shower, giving warm water time to soften the skin and hair. Teach her to lather one leg at a time with shaving lotion or cream and to use a clean, sharp razor to slowly shave up the leg, rinsing the razor after each stroke.

Outside the Shower

• Once your teen is squeaky clean, she needs to take a few more steps to complete her bathing ritual. A teen boy who shaves his face should do so after a shower, applying shaving gel to the entire area and working in slow, gentle strokes in the direction of hair growth. (Ideally a male family member will demonstrate the proper shaving technique.) Stock the medicine cabinet with an oil-free moisturizer that includes sunscreen and remind your teen to apply a thin coat of it to the face; a girl can make this her first step after showering, while a boy can apply moisturizer after a shave. A girl who has shaved her legs should smooth moisturizer onto that skin as well. Finally, a teen should apply a deodorant to keep body odor at bay. If she's bothered by underarm sweating, an antiperspirant should keep her dry.