Clean Beauty, Tweens and Teens, Healthy Hormones, and a Better-Regulated Nervous System: What Every Parent of a Teen Should Know
By Dr. Wendy Coburn
One Village Family Chiropractic Community – Edmonton, Alberta
There has never been a generation more interested in skin care than today’s teenagers.
Walk into any drugstore, beauty store, or scroll through social media, and you’ll find young girls and boys using multiple cleansers, exfoliants, toners, serums, masks, moisturizers, makeup products, fragrances, and specialty treatments every single day.
While the desire to care for your skin is wonderful, there is a growing concern that many families are unaware of:
What exactly are we putting on our skin?
The skin is the body’s largest organ. It is not simply a covering; it is an active, living tissue that interacts with the world around us.
From a chiropractic lifestyle perspective, every choice we make influences our health.
What we eat.
What we think.
How we move.
How we sleep.
What we expose ourselves to.
And yes—what we put on our skin matters too.
Today, many conventional beauty and personal care products contain ingredients that have been associated with hormone disruption, immune challenges, inflammation, and increased chemical burden on the body.
This is why conversations around clean beauty have become so important.
The Average Teen’s Chemical Exposure
Research suggests the average woman uses between 12 and 16 personal care products daily, exposing herself to well over 150 unique chemical ingredients.
Teenagers following social media beauty trends may use:
Facial cleansers
Toners
Serums
Moisturizers
Sunscreens
Makeup
Hair products
Fragrances
Body washes
Deodorants
A single beauty routine may expose a teen to dozens or even hundreds of ingredients before breakfast.
Many of these ingredients are considered safe individually at regulated levels. However, researchers increasingly discuss the concept of the “chemical cocktail effect”—the cumulative impact of multiple exposures occurring simultaneously over years.
This is where many health-conscious families begin asking questions.
Not because they are fearful.
Because they are curious.
What Are Endocrine Disruptors?
Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that may interfere with the body’s hormone systems.
Hormones are chemical messengers that help regulate:
Growth
Development
Puberty
Sleep
Mood
Reproduction
Metabolism
Energy production
Immune function
When hormone signaling becomes disrupted, the body may have a harder time adapting to stress and maintaining optimal function.
Some commonly discussed ingredients include:
Phthalates
Often found in:
Fragrances
Perfumes
Body sprays
Hair products
Phthalates have been studied for their potential influence on reproductive and hormonal systems.
Parabens
Often found in:
Moisturizers
Makeup
Shampoos
Conditioners
Parabens can mimic estrogen-like activity in the body and have received significant attention in endocrine-disruption research.
Triclosan
Previously common in:
Antibacterial soaps
Toothpastes
Personal care products
Research has raised concerns regarding hormone signaling and impacts on the microbiome.
Formaldehyde-Releasing Preservatives
Found in some:
Shampoos
Nail products
Cosmetics
These compounds slowly release formaldehyde over time.
Synthetic Fragrances
The word “fragrance” may represent dozens or even hundreds of undisclosed ingredients.
Many people experience:
Headaches
Skin irritation
Respiratory irritation
Sensitivity reactions
when exposed to heavily scented products.
What About Immunity?
The immune system is continuously evaluating its environment.
Food.
Air.
Stress.
Sleep.
Chemicals.
Microbes.
Everything.
When the body is exposed to repeated irritants or inflammatory triggers, resources that could be used for growth, repair, and adaptation may instead be redirected toward managing those exposures.
Researchers continue to explore how environmental toxins, endocrine disruptors, and chemical burdens may influence:
Immune regulation
Autoimmune processes
Allergic responses
Inflammation
Gut health
Microbiome balance
While no single cosmetic product causes illness on its own, reducing unnecessary exposures is a reasonable and proactive approach for many families.
What Does This Have To Do With Chiropractic?
This is where our perspective becomes unique.
As chiropractors, we are not primarily focused on chemicals themselves.
We are focused on how well the body adapts.
How well does the nervous system regulate?
How well does the body respond to stress?
How resilient is the person in front of us?
The nervous system coordinates every function of the body.
It helps regulate:
Hormones
Digestion
Immune responses
Sleep cycles
Healing
Growth and development
When a person experiences physical, chemical, or emotional stress, their nervous system must adapt.
In chiropractic, we often discuss three major categories of stress:
Physical Stress
Falls
Sports injuries
Poor posture
Screen use
Repetitive movements
Emotional Stress
School pressure
Social media
Relationships
Anxiety
Family stress
Chemical Stress
Food additives
Environmental toxins
Smoking
Excessive medications when unnecessary
Personal care chemicals
Each of these stressors places demands on the body’s ability to regulate and adapt.
What Do We Mean By “Subluxation”?
From a chiropractic perspective, a subluxation is a pattern of altered movement, tension, and neurological dysfunction that affects communication between the brain and body.
It is not simply a bone out of place.
Rather, it represents a nervous system that is having difficulty adapting efficiently to stress.
Physical stress can contribute.
Emotional stress can contribute.
Chemical stress can contribute.
When the body is overwhelmed by stressors from multiple directions, we often see:
Poor sleep
Increased tension
Digestive challenges
Reduced resilience
Fatigue
Mood changes
Difficulty concentrating
Our goal is not merely to reduce symptoms.
Our goal is to help the body regulate and adapt more effectively.
Clean Beauty as a Health Strategy
Clean beauty is not about perfection.
It is about reducing unnecessary exposures.
It is about asking:
“Does my body really need this?”
Many teens are using products designed for aging adult skin despite having healthy, youthful skin.
Sometimes less truly is more.
Better Clean Beauty Alternatives
When possible, choose products that are:
Fragrance free
Paraben free
Phthalate free
Sulfate free
Dye free
Cruelty free
Look for ingredient lists you can understand.
Shorter ingredient lists are often easier to evaluate.
Simple Teen Skin Care Routine
Most teenagers do not need 12 products.
A healthy routine may simply include:
Morning
Gentle cleanser
Moisturizer
Mineral sunscreen
Evening
Gentle cleanser
Moisturizer
That’s it.
The skin often thrives when we stop overwhelming it.
Clean Beauty Brands Families Often Explore
Examples include:
Beautycounter
Attitude
Evereden
Think
Pipette
Babo Botanicals
Carina Organics
Green Beaver
Rocky Mountain Soap Company
Families should always review ingredients and choose products appropriate for their needs.
The Bigger Conversation
The goal is not fear.
The goal is awareness.
Our teenagers are growing up in a world with unprecedented exposure to:
Screens
Stress
Processed foods
Environmental toxins
Beauty marketing
At the same time, their bodies are trying to navigate:
Growth
Puberty
Hormonal changes
Brain development
Emotional development
Every small decision matters.
Better sleep.
More movement.
Whole foods.
Healthy relationships.
Time outdoors.
Regular chiropractic checkups.
And reducing unnecessary chemical exposures.
These choices create an environment where the body can function at its best.
Final Thoughts
At One Village Family Chiropractic Community, we view health through a broader lens.
Health is not simply the absence of symptoms.
Health is adaptability.
Health is resilience.
Health is the ability of the nervous system to coordinate and regulate the body effectively in a constantly changing world.
Clean beauty is one more way families can reduce unnecessary stress on the body and support healthy growth and development.
You don’t need perfection.
You simply need awareness.
Small choices made consistently over time create extraordinary results.
Your teenager’s skin, hormones, nervous system, and future health are worth protecting.
And sometimes the healthiest thing we can do is simplify.