saraha Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 My son is almost thirteen and is getting black heads on his nose, and some minor acne. He is a red head with very pale skin, but I haven't noticed it being sensitive so far. Any suggestions/advice for products that won't be too harsh, but will help his skin? He already showers everyday and uses ivory soap to wash his face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoVanGogh Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 My almost-11-year-old boy has been having skin issues. I bought Burt's Bees toner, which seems to be working quite well. I also bought BB soap, but can't get him to use it. Right now he is using another cleanser that his dad picked out. I don't think it is working well, but can't talk DS into changing. The toner has been helping quite a bit, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 I don't think Ivory does a good job removing oils. Try Dove gentle exfoliating soap, or they make one "for men" that's good too. I have also seen a lot of people say that their teens have good reslults when taking a zinc supplement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 He needs an exfoliating scrub. What about Clearasil face scrub? It's not particularly girly too--marketed to teen boys, which might appeal. :) If he needs more, add in the pads. http://www.amazon.com/Clearasil-Ultra-Rapid-Action-Ounce/dp/B00112RP68/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348797407&sr=8-1&keywords=clearasil+ultra+face+scrub Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 My son has bad acne. I was having him do scrubs for his blackheads but both GP and dermatologist said not to use them. They recommended a 10% benzoil peroxide wash once or twice a day, and "Clean and Clear" or similar (such as Neutrogena's "Oil-free acne wash) for additional washing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trilliums Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 My 15 yo son started taking zinc after I read about it here. His acne has cleared up considerably, although it is not completely gone. It took almost 3 weeks before we noticed a difference though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 My 12yo uses apricrot scrub on his face daily. Works good so far. Poor boy. He's got his dad's large pores and oil skin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 (edited) My son has bad acne. I was having him do scrubs for his blackheads but both GP and dermatologist said not to use them. :iagree: My dc had to learn the hard way and they were told by our esthetician to avoid scrubs and over-exfoliating. Both increase oil production and are irritating. With breakouts and acne, gentleness is absolute key. I should have known better myself. I was an esthetician many years ago and was always told this during my studies. What works for our dc: * Exfoliating gently just once or twice a week. Younger skin does not need to be exfoliated as often as older skin does. The Clarisonic is great. Just make sure to get the brush head for sensitive skin. A very gentle wash cloth is very good also. Avoid scrubs and harsh things like that. Gentle, gentle, gentle. The skin needs to be treated like silk. Seriously. * My son's acne is more severe. He's been told to use Sulfur Soap and Lotion. Great results with that. He does that in the mornings. He uses Cetaphil at night. * My daughter's acne is not as severe. She uses Cetaphil twice a day. * They alternate nights - one night: the lowest Benzoyl Peroxide possible - 2.5 or 5%. the other night: vitamin E capsule - helps to heal the skin. Fabulous stuff for all. * Drinking enough water. * Making sure not to overdry the skin. Both use a very light, oil-free moisturizer every morning - Cetpahil has some moisturizers. The drier we make our skin and the more we fight the oiliness, the more the skin will rebel and produce even more oil. Don't overdry the skin. * They add some lemon/lime to their drinking water. This helps detox the liver. A healthy liver is essential for healthy skin. * Make sure that he's not constipated. Triphala capsules help with this. * My dc could never handle chelated zinc. Even on a full stomach. * I wish they'd eat healthier. Dd does. Ds has a long way to go in that area. * Limiting/avoiding cow's milk helps many. Milk and white sugar are the top two dietary culprits when it comes to acne. Hard to always carry out, however. HTH. That's about all I can remember. Edited September 29, 2012 by Negin in Grenada Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassiemc Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 My almost 13 year old boy is using the Clearasil sensitive pads. He gets a zit every now and then, nothing big. If it were bad I would take him to the dermatologist. I also bought zinc, but it was the wrong kind. When I remember I will get the right kind :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 I can't even get my ds wash his face. He needs to but apparently he's allergic to water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 my daughter is almost 11. she can get breakouts too. i give her vitamin a everyday and it has cleared her right up. she also drinks more water. for washing, she only uses water and cetaphil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy in Australia Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser. Show him how to cleanse the skin gently. Use baby washclothes if you're going the washcloth route. I was just going to post this, almost word for word. My boys use the Cetaphil- when they don't, they often get a few pimples within a couple of days. I'm generally all for the natural products, but this one does the trick with teens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saraha Posted September 29, 2012 Author Share Posted September 29, 2012 Thanks everybody. He definitely needs to keep it simple, like "Wash your face with this everyday" or it won't get done. Not into girls or looking good yet, but he is just getting started and is an aspie, so want to get a good, simple routine in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 My son didn't like the smells of cetaphil or the others mentioned. I took him to the local health food store and he found a couple of great cleansers there that smell 'manly' and also work well. One is called Desert Essence, the other I can't remember because we are out, but I would recognize it if I saw it. I put it in the shower so he can do it while in the shower. Otherwise he never remembers to use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 Try having him take Zinc. My 19yo cleared up her skin by taking 50 mg of zinc daily. 30mg helped a lot, but she didn't clear up completely until she started taking 50mg. She doesn't do anything else at all aside from showering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 I can't even get my ds wash his face. He needs to but apparently he's allergic to water. :lol: Yes, we seem to have the same problem. The tips and suggestions that I listed are in an ideal world. Dd is super-compliant and orderly. Ds, however ... whole 'nuther story :eek:. Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser. Show him how to cleanse the skin gently. Use baby washclothes if you're going the washcloth route. This. This is what our esthetician recommended also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAM Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 I second the zinc recommendation. And if you need more help than that, try a sulfur mask-you can get them at drugstores and they help a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 I second the zinc recommendation. And if you need more help than that, try a sulfur mask-you can get them at drugstores and they help a lot. Sulfur anything seems to really help my ds. Zinc - my dc have had a terrible time with it - nausea and vomiting - even when taking it on a full stomach. Are there any types of zinc that would not cause such a horrible reaction? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Sulfur anything seems to really help my ds. Zinc - my dc have had a terrible time with it - nausea and vomiting - even when taking it on a full stomach. Are there any types of zinc that would not cause such a horrible reaction? I have no idea if this would work or not. It may not even be the same kind of zinc. But would topical zinc (sunscreen) do the same thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 We use zinc cream from kirkman for immune system purposes because ds can't take it orally either. I don't know if it helps with the acne or not but it is available. ds has acne but he's taken the zinc for years so I don't know if it's making a difference. My acne was horrible when I was a teen and nothing worked besides accutane so we could be in for a rough ride...poor boy. Brownie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra in FL Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 My teens (especially ds) aren't particularly consistent/diligent keeping their faces clean but have very little acne. I attribute it to 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons (depending on weight - dd is very petite) of Carlson (lemon-flavored) fish oil (very anti-inflammatory) everyday. Never had to give them anything topical. If they have oily fish (salmon, sardines), omega-3 eggs or chia seeds that day, I reduce to 1/2 of above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 I have no idea if this would work or not. It may not even be the same kind of zinc. But would topical zinc (sunscreen) do the same thing? Thank you. Might be worth a try. :) Carlson (lemon-flavored) fish oil (very anti-inflammatory) everyday. Never had to give them anything topical. I wish that it would work for my dc. They take Carlson's Fish Oil daily. No improvement in their skin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.