Bubble is the new skincare brand that wants to teach teens all about skin

Like many others, I fell victim to apricot scrubs and benzoyl peroxide when I was younger and looking for skincare.

There weren’t many options, and the drugstore shelves were nothing like they are now. The ladies at Lancôme hated it when I just bought juicy tubes and tried to get me into Clinique Skincare (which, spoiler, is not good for teens). And when I went to Sephora, I was focused on buying sparkly eyeliner, not $60 skincare products at 12 years old.

Apricot scrubs, heavy moisturizers, and benzoyl peroxide gel were what I worked with. Luckily, I wasn’t using this stuff for long. My mom and sister stepped in and were appalled at what I had been using. It finally made sense why my face was always so red after washing it. Ugh.

Today, there are SO many more options for teens. Information and education are readily available on Youtube and TikTok thanks to creators like Hyram, J.C Dombrowski, and Ben Neiley. Brands are finally catering to younger audiences, apricot scrubs have entirely become a meme, and teens are just plain interested in skincare!

The latest industry effort in getting teens interested in skincare is a brand called Bubble. Founded by Shai Eisenman, she’s hoping to finally offer teens skincare options that aren’t your typical, legacy drugstore brand names, but that’s also not the expensive products that their parents or older siblings are using. Because let’s be real, teen skin is just different. Hormones, weird acne, and quick changes from day-to-day don’t exactly make it easy for teens to love their skin.

We sat down with Shai and got an insider look behind the brand launch and what Bubble is cooking up. After years of development and eight weeks of conducting teen focus groups, Bubble was ready to run. Read on to learn how the brand wants to inspire confidence in teens and teach healthy ways to care for skin.

The brand

The brand’s “About” page features the words, “your skincare is growing up” with photos of Madison Bailey of the Netflix show “Outer Banks” and Kenzie Ziegler of “Dance Moms,” now a recording artist. Both are actually a large part of the brand, and seemingly why Bubble has gained such popularity on Instagram. Popular TikTok star Noah Beck, Olympian Laurie Hernandez, Jazz Jennings, and Nia Sioux to name a few more are also featured as Bubble’s “presenters,” as Shai likes to call them.

The king of Gen Z skincare advice himself, Hyram Yarbro of @skincarebyhyram is also backing the brand and partnering with them for content. This is a huge win for Bubble, as Hyram has a major influence on Gen Z skincare lovers and provides in-depth overviews of popular brands on his Youtube and TikTok.

“When it comes to skincare, [Gen Z] is stuck with exactly the same old school stuff that I used as a teen,” says Shai. She goes on to note, “They still have Neutrogena, Cetaphil, and Clean and Clear. Very old school stuff.”

Shai discussed with us that they’re still in their launch phase and getting ready to put out some amazing content about people and skin confidence. They’ve been spending time introducing themselves as a brand and their seven products. But their bread and butter will soon be all about inspiring teens through video testimonials and tutorials.

Our favorite thing they’re offering is their “Skin School,” when you can go to learn about skin, ingredients, and take quizzes. Talk about accessibility! You can also learn about popular skincare myths like “Oily skin? Stop moisturizing.” or “Toothpaste is the best DIY treatment.” It’s clear Bubble wants to provide teens with a tool kit for whatever problems they want to solve. And if you ever have questions, you can text them at +1 (573) 415-0678.

Ingredients

They have a huge list of “no’s,” which I so appreciate. It’s good to learn from a young age that checking ingredient lists is important. You can only build on that knowledge and become an educated consumer. Bubble notes its products contain “no colors, no fillers, no fragrance, no animal-derived ingredients, no essential oils, no parabens, no formaldehyde releasers, and no sulfates,” among so many other things. It’s gentle, plant-based skincare.

Bubble uses ingredients like willow bark (a natural form of salicylic acid), aloe leaf juice, and rose water to name a few. The entire brand is cruelty-free and 100% vegan. Both of their moisturizers Level Up ($15) and Slam Dunk ($15) provides blue-light protection. The importance of blue light protection is something I knew very little about when I was a teen, but in our very virtual world, I’m glad we’re seeing this become a standard.

Review

The brand launched with seven products, ranging from a cleanser to makeup remover, toners, moisturizers, and even a mask. It’s everything a teen might need for a basic skincare routine. I was shocked to see that an SPF or a spot solution wasn’t offered just yet. I think SPF education as a teen sets you up for life with good habits (and good skin), and good spot solutions are few and far between for teen acne. I’m hoping Bubble releases some products in these two categories as they continue to grow.

I was impressed that they offered two moisturizers. One that is more of a gel formula, and one that is a bit heavier (like a true moisturizer). Shai explained why.

“One is hydrating, one is balancing,” she says. “The reason why we have two is not that we thought it was going to be cool. It’s because when we conducted focus groups with hundreds of teens, the split was literally 50/50.”

It makes sense. Some teens need help balancing oil and some need a bit more moisture to nourish their skin – and that can always change because teen skin is unpredictable AF.

The two products I liked the most were the Slam Dunk Moisturizer ($15) and the Bounce Back Refreshing Toner ($12). The moisturizer feels really luxurious and sits just right even on oily skin (my skin type). It felt expensive and even comparable to my favorite Drunk Elephant Moisturizer which I thought was WILD.

As for the toner, it’s a spray! It’s something I wish I had when I was younger to freshen up after gym class, or something like that. It has niacinamide and willow bark extract in it. I think it’s great teens are being introduced to ingredients that are multi-purpose and can be so beneficial to the skin.

Besides rooting for this brand to launch an SPF and spot treatment, I hope they really lean into the skin confidence part. The influencers backing the brand are wonderful people who have very real elements to them, but I’m eager to see Bubble showcase real teens who aren’t internet sensations. They’re just starting to do so on their Instagram as brand awareness increases. I think this will do wonders for their community and it would give teens the boost that they need when it comes to self-confidence and inspiration. Representation matters as it relates to skin. Sometimes you just need to see or hear from someone that’s struggled with severe acne, dark spots, or even flaky skin.

TLDR;

– A new skincare brand meant for teens just launched!

– Bubble is hoping to redefine options for teen skin and educate them on skincare while encouraging self-confidence

– They launched with seven affordable products

– Their learning platform is called “Skin School,” and debunks myths and teaches teens about ingredients

BUY or BYE?

If you have sensitive skin and are looking for some hydrating and refreshing products, I recommend giving the Slam Dunk Moisturizer and Refreshing Toner. And if you know a teen in your life that needs some skincare guidance, point them to Bubble! It’s affordable and safe – no apricot scrubs here.

Buy HERE on their website and cross your fingers we can spot them in Target one day. Because it’s about accessibility y'all!