What do you use for your dc acne?

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

My 7th grade dd has it bad :001_huh: but nothing we use is helping. For a while she would put apple cider vinegar on it and it worked wonders... but then it stopped helping. Now we are stuck. Any ideas? Thanks

[Pretty in Pink]

I keep reading about cutting out dairy and zinc supplements. I have not tried those.

 

I grew up with bad acne. It was awful. If my child had problematic skin I would take him to a dermatologist.

[Starr]

I keep reading about cutting out dairy and zinc supplements. I have not tried those.

 

I grew up with bad acne. It was awful. If my child had problematic skin I would take him to a dermatologist.

 

:iagree: If it's really bad I would also take him to the doctor. So far my dc keep things at bay with washing and aloe.

[Ellie]

I keep reading about cutting out dairy and zinc supplements. I have not tried those.

 

I grew up with bad acne. It was awful. If my child had problematic skin I would take him to a dermatologist.

I would do that, too, but I would also elilminate dairy. Not all dermatologists are knowledgeable about the effects of dairy.

[jld]

I would do that, too, but I would also elilminate dairy. Not all dermatologists are knowledgeable about the effects of dairy.

 

:iagree:

[CLHCO]

I took my daughters to the doctor and they were prescribed medication. We found a combination that worked after a lot of trial and error. They use a medicated wash OTC in the morning, followed by 2.5% medication and lotion from acne.org in the mornings. In the evening they use a gentle cleanser and the prescription medication. If an large one comes up, the 4 hour OTC medication from Clearasil works well if they get it on at the first sign. If they are very faithful to this, the acne is under control. Any wavers and it gets very bad, very quickly.

 

I hadn't heard about the dairy issue. I may try that over the next couple of weeks. My kids are dairy fanatics, so I don't think it'll go over well. Does anyone know how long it would take to see if it makes a difference?

[Negin]

I would do that, too, but I would also elilminate dairy. Not all dermatologists are knowledgeable about the effects of dairy.

:iagree: :iagree: :iagree:

 

Milk and cow's milk products (other than very good plain yogurts with probiotics and no sugar) are most probably the #1 acne culprit. During my horrible acne years, little did I know, I used to drink milk like it was going out of style. It was mainly when I drank much, much less milk that my skin cleared up. You mentioned your kids being dairy fanatics. Remember that which we crave the most, tends to be what our bodies are most sensitive to. The fabulous book "The Anti-Cancer Book" cites studies on this. Showing how teens in Australia, etc. - cleared their skin up amazingly by cutting out milk.

 

I would try as much as possible with the milk thing, whatever you can from below, and see a dermatologist, or a more integrative-minded one, if possible.

 

Acne is mainly caused by an inflammation of the epidermis - it's an inflammatory condition and the inflammation needs to be dealt with.

 

Less refined sugars. Candy, soda, pastries, and cookies can be particularly troublesome for those prone to acne. I know that this is the case w/my dc.

Less Milk. Milk is probably the #1 acne culprit . Even organic milk is a problem. Switch to calcium-fortified soy milk and other sources of calcium – spinach, collard greens, tofu, plain yogurt,; or try almond or rice milk.

More Fish, especially oily fish, such salmon - Carlson's Fish Oil (liquid or capsules) are a fabulous source of Omega 3s - essential for healthy skin . Fish Oil is a good source of Essential Fatty Acids. These are are anti-inflammatory and help keep oil production under control. They have Carlson's Fish Oil capsules for teens. My dc take them.

Cucumber Juice - I made some for my dc yesterday. If you have a juicer, trust me on this. Fresh cucumber juice (can even add in an apple) works like a charm.

More Green Veggies

More Purple and Deep Red Foods – acai, pomegranates, purple carrots, black grapes, and beets

Probiotics are essential

 

“The Clear Skin Diet” by Valori Treloar (is a book that I have not read, but have heard great things about)

 

Walmart (and Amazon) has some homeopathic supplements in the Skin Care section – Nature’s Cure – one for boys and one for girls. If one doesn’t work, switch the gender around. Works pretty well on my dc. Worth a try.

 

LYMPHATIC SYSTEM

Do you have a mini-trampoline/rebounder? Regular trampolining/rebounding helps clear your lymphatic system. Many skin conditions are common symptoms of a congested lymphatic system. Things that help to clear up the lymphatic system, not all are practical for a pre-teen - just info for you to know:

• Daily Rebounding - I try to get my dc to bounce on the rebounder as often as possible.

• Deep Breathing

• Dry Body Brushing

• Massage and/or Reflexology

• Swinging - as in sitting on a swing and having fun

 

PRODUCTS:

PROACTIV

Winner by GHRI (Good Housekeeping Research Institute) was Proactiv - but for your ds, I think, this might be too harsh.

 

NETUROGENA ADVANCED SOLUTIONS COMPLETE ACNE THERAPY SYSTEM

Runner Up by GHRI (Good Housekeeping Research Institute)

 

Avoid thick, waxy hairstyling products, especially if your hair usually touches your forehead.

 

http://www.skincarephysicians.com/acnenet/index.html

 

http://www.acne.org/

[thowell]

Honey applied as a mask. Someone else on here suggested this awhile back and my dd18 tried it. It worked great! Not only did her acne clear up but her skin looked great. All she did was wash face with warm water and mild cleaner then apply layer of honey to area. Leave on for around 15-20 minutes and rinse with warm water, pat dry. She did this twice a day and in a week her skin was clear. Then she did it once a day in the morning and her face stays clear.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

Honey applied as a mask. Someone else on here suggested this awhile back and my dd18 tried it. It worked great! Not only did her acne clear up but her skin looked great. All she did was wash face with warm water and mild cleaner then apply layer of honey to area. Leave on for around 15-20 minutes and rinse with warm water, pat dry. She did this twice a day and in a week her skin was clear. Then she did it once a day in the morning and her face stays clear.

 

 

Really?? Going to try that tonight!

[Mergath]

For my own, which was quite bad last year, I had to cut out almost all refined sugar. I have PCOS, and so my acne tends to be related to my hormones, much like a teenager. I had been trying to quite drinking pop, and as a first step, switched from diet to regular. My face basically exploded with acne, almost overnight. Then, when I finally made the jump from pop to coffee, it went away almost as quickly.

[Peela]

Clean diet (ha, easier said than done with teens but I imagine its relatively good- its a good motivation for them to stop eating junk, though).

 

Clear bowels...when they get zits I remind them their bowels should be moving at least once a day so that the toxins can keep moving through...I remind them to drink more water and show them where I keep the triphala, which is what I use for bowels.

 

Multi vitamin with zinc.

 

DH is big on getting them not to touch the acne aith their hands, because it has bacteria on it and it can be spread.

 

Topically, they use tea tree lotion. Tea tree is native to Australia and a very strong anti bacterial.

 

Having said all that...neither dh nor I had bad acne as teens and none of our kids do either. They get ocasional pimples and sometimes a rash of acne across the forehead. So far, thee above has all managed it well but whether it would manage a severe, hormonal case of acne, I dont know. I woudl definitely look to the diet and the bowels anyway, though.

[mereminerals]

I second using honey. Another thing I do with some of my acne clients is make a mask of honey and yogurt. The results are amazing. Also, look at getting a cleanser that contains salicylic acid to use at least in the mornings. Make sure to have her follow with a toner and an oil free moisturizer. This is a good starter routine for young teens and is easy for them to follow.

[Susan C.]

We have the "rite of passage" trip to the Clinique counter. Cover stick to match their skin tone, emergency cream, and their acne soap bar are purchased. :)

[ZooRho]

:iagree: If it's really bad I would also take him to the doctor. So far my dc keep things at bay with washing and aloe.

this is totally my advice. Go to the dermotologist and have him checked. My oldest had really bad acne we tried everything at home, it took a prescription to get rid of it.

 

and now I feel bad about some of the damage that was done to his face

[mcconnellboys]

We have used Derm E's Tea Tree and E. It is in a jar like a cold cream. It works well both to heal and nourish the skin. We also use it on cuts and scrapes, etc.

 

You might try using just Tea Tree oil, just a tiny bit on a Q-tip dabbed on, but it might also be too strong for her. The amount in the cream I mentioned is buffered somewhat by the other ingredients, so it doesn't tend to be as harsh on the skin.

[romeacademy]

If it's really bad I would also take him to the doctor.

 

:iagree:My dd's acne got pretty bad a couple of years ago. It took some trial and error, but we found a combination of OTC and prescription products that work well. She uses Differin cream (prescription), a Neutrogena product (can't remember the name) and Persagel (Clean & Clear?) to clear up any zits that do break out. Our gp was able to help us out, but did offer to refer to a dermatologist. One advantage of the gp for us is that it can take 2-3 months to get in to see a derm around here.

 

She also washes her face twice a day. Ds is now starting to experience some acne as well, but hasn't yet figured out that he needs to wash his face before he breaks out.

 

I will have her give the honey a shot next time she gets a break out, though. That sounds interesting.

[mom2denj]

Honey applied as a mask. Someone else on here suggested this awhile back and my dd18 tried it. It worked great! Not only did her acne clear up but her skin looked great. All she did was wash face with warm water and mild cleaner then apply layer of honey to area. Leave on for around 15-20 minutes and rinse with warm water, pat dry. She did this twice a day and in a week her skin was clear. Then she did it once a day in the morning and her face stays clear.

 

That was me!!! My son has been using honey for about 5 years. It really does work. He doesn't use a cleaner though. He just washes with water and appiles the honey, waits about 15 min, then washes off with a washcloth. In the summertime he does this twice a day. Try it!!