Rec. a great routine/products for teen's acne?

[Alicia64]

I hesitate calling it acne. It might really just be several pimples.

 

He's washing with just regular soap --  not an acne soap.

 

Before he goes to bed at night he dabs on each pimple: benzoyl peroxide.

 

But that's it. And his skin doesn't look so good.

 

Can you recommend actual products that might help?

 

Do you happen to know what dermotologists give teens today? When I was a teen they gave me tetracycline. But I've been dealing with super dry skin for decades now!

 

TIA!

 

Alley

[Ann.without.an.e]

Pure Rosehip has done a good bit for my kiddo.  It is supposed to be very healing for acne scars as well.  Here is what we use.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Kate-Certified-Unrefined-Essential-Therapeutic/dp/B01N3340K7/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1520290269&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=rosehip+oil&psc=1

 

 

 

 

We use the target brand acne face wash for cleansing.

 

https://www.target.com/p/deep-cream-cleanser-6-5-oz-up-up-153/-/A-11573880

Edited March 5, 2018 by Attolia

[PeachyDoodle]

Proactiv isn't cheap, but it has done wonders for my dd's skin. I was concerned about scarring because her acne was so bad. Now most of the time she barely has any blemishes.

[theelfqueen]

I'm gonna gave to second Proactiv. My oldest tried all the things but Proactiv worked.

 

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[Chris in VA]

mine gave a combo of erythromycin and benz. perox. 

 

What really helped was cutting out dairy. I do think killing the bacteria and then taking care of any allergies helps a lot. 

[prairiewindmomma]

Cetaphil wash

Zinc based sunscreen in the am

(the zinc helps prevent scarring)

 

Rosehip oil in the pm, clean pillowcase nightly

[readinmom]

Dd has tried Proactiv, antibiotics, and Dermalogica acne series, along with other drugstore products.  The Dermalogica has worked the best in terms of keeping skin clean.  We had to drop the antibiotics due to long-term side effects. The prescription cream was very drying, lost its effectiveness over time.  

Edited March 6, 2018 by readinmom

[J-rap]

For most of my kids, it was mostly about being diligent and washing their face well twice/day.  Sometimes, we'd get an over the counter benzoyl peroxide.  But for a couple of them, we had to dig further.  One of them had it especially bad.  For awhile we tried Proactive, and then we tried zinc tablets.  Actually, we think the zinc kept it stable for awhile.  But it slowly got worse and worse and worse -- this was maybe over two years, until it just blew up.  We finally went to a dermatologist, and over time my my dd ended up on a prescription benzoyl peroxide, an oral anti-biotic, tretinoin, and clindamycin. 

 

That seemed like a lot, but she really needed all of it.  Even then, her case was so stubborn, it took four months of all of that to begin to see any change at all.  The doctor wanted to put her on Accutane after three months, but I really wanted to make sure we were trying everything else first so we waited.  Finally after four months, it began to improve.

 

Her skin gradually became clear again after that.  So clear, that after about two years, she went off of everything, and within 4-5 months, her acne came back with a vengeance.  So she's back on it all again.  It certainly works for her!  Oh -- she actually only took the oral antibiotics until it started clearing up each time.

[marbel]

Look into Differin (adapalene) gel.  It has gone from prescription-only to OTC in the last year or two.  It's a great thing for my kid with acne that returned after trying  many things including a 6-month course of accutane.  

 

Also, keeping hands away from face, washing twice daily at least, more if needed (summer sweat, etc) and changing the pillowcase daily help.

 

And, if it starts to get worse, don't wait too long to go to the dermatologist.  I understand not going for a few pimples here and there, of course. But, I think we waited too long with both our kids, though one did not need accutane (different kind of acne).  

 

 

[lewber]

My DS, who doesn't have a bad problem, but does get pimples, does best with charcoal. He can put it on spots and his t-zone about 10-15 minutes before he showers at night and then washes it off in the shower. It's working. Less pimples and prettier skin:)

We use one from a friend who sells beautycounter. It's a direct sell safe skin care line without the nasty stuff added. But I'm sure other charcoal based products would work as well.

[KungFuPanda]

I’d start with washing twice a day and applying an acne control moisurizer. If the skin gets too dry it can get angry and break out. If he’s not diligent about skin care, he might do better with some face cleaning wipes.

 

ETA: switch to washing with an acne control face wash. That orange stuff with that acne acid . . . even the store brand, can make enough of a difference that you don’t need more drastic steps.

Edited March 6, 2018 by KungFuPanda

[rutamattatt]

My DS has tried a lot of the OTC soaps/meds.  Basketball season and the extra sweat is really hard on his skin.  The one line we've found that works best to keep his skin clear is from Limelight.  It's their Dream Balm collection - cleanser, mask, and moisturizer.   We go through a lot of the cleanser during basketball season, but otherwise the stuff seems to last pretty well.  Clears up the acne and also makes his skin just look better overall.

[FriedClams]

Shower frequently and make sure they wash their hair and face really well. Clears my kids up in about 3 days.

[Hyacinth]

Seconding the recommendation for Differin gel. We found it at Target and are pleased with the results.

[KAM]

Differin from Target seems to be working for my daughter too. It did take about 3 months to see results though!

[Elastimom]

My DS, 14yo, gets pimples here and there regularly (2-3 pimples a week).  Someone on this board here mentioned Stridex wipe and we tried. We are very pleased with the result.

 

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

For moderate to mild acne:

 

Find a face wash with 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide. AcneFree makes one that is not too pricey. Wash before bed.

 

Change pillow cases often.

 

For pimples that come to a head or pop, you can put a hydrogel bandage (burn or blister bandages in the first aid section at drug store) on it overnight to help soak up the funk and promote healing.

 

You don’t want to over do the acne products, acne skin is easily irritated.

 

 

For serious acne, talk to the doctor, they have done great options now to help and prevent scarring.

[Amy in NH]

Differin here, too. Miracle drug. Took less than a week to see results. The acne had been quite bad; all cleared up now.

[MEmama]

Does anyone know if Proactiv and Differen work differently?

 

DS has been using Differen for months and there's been no change. I don't mind spending the money, but want to make sure there will be some hope with a new product and it's not just more of the same.

[Sarah CB]

My daughter swore by a Tea Tree Oil face wash from The Body Shop. My teen boys tried all kinds of different products before they settled on the same face wash  my daughter had used. 

[mytwomonkeys]

My daughter had moderate but very persistent acne. She had tried everything imaginable & finally was put on Accutane. That worked for her. Before that, I’d say she responded best to sulfur soap. Unfortunately benzoyl peroxide just did nothing for her skin. The soap helped her not be so oily (which was a huge problem for her) and it cleared breakouts better than any other product. You can buy it on amazon & one bar last forever.

 

Her current routine is Cetaphil face wash & Cerave moisturizer, both from Walmart.

 

My son may get a pimple or two on his forehead. We use our leftover proactive from my dd for him, and it really works well.

 

ETA - and definitely try tea tree oil as mentioned above. It didn’t work for my daughter, but it is my go-to if I get the slightest blemish. It will disappear over night.ðŸ‘ðŸ»

Edited March 8, 2018 by mytwomonkeys

[hgreenm]

I have battled acne my entire life, Accutane and oral contraceptives worked for a while. Now I am using a small squirt of Apple Cider Vinegar sprayed onto a cotton round after a nightly washing. My daughter’s pediatrician recommended we try ACV for her and it’s working wonders for both of us.

[Amy in NH]

My older kids used the ACV and it worked okay for them.  Didn't work at all for #3.

[catz]

My one kid with very mild acne uses cetaphil foaming in the shower daily and that keeps it pretty in check. 

 

My other kid with slightly worse acne uses this

https://www.amazon.com/Benzoyl-Peroxide-Acne-Treatment-Wash/dp/B00PO7GKLM

It's a little more drying so it's too much for kid #1.  He does better by watching milk consumption too. 

 

I used Proactive for a while and that worked great for me.  However, it is kind of expensive and I had to have a subscription and it was a 3 step process.  I actually think the Humane above is very similiar to the main cleanser in the Proactive line and it's just one step and a little cheaper to just order.  1 pump lasts this kid many months. 

[redsquirrel]

My kid ended up at the dermatologist. But one of the best things we found was using plain old Cerave foaming face wash.  Most soap and cleansers, even those that claim to be gentle, are quite basic..meaning a ph of over 7.  However, our skin is about a 5.5, so slightly acid. It's called our acid mantle and we need to protect it. If he's breaking out then he needs to take extra care of it.  Using stronger and stronger soap and cleansing products just strips the acid mantle off again and again.  The skin replaces it, but it's vulnerable to irritation and drying until it does.  That tight feeling is the feeling of skin that's been stripped of it's acid mantle. Some skin will over produce oils in response so washing makes it even oilier.  However, using a low ph cleanser will clean your skin but protect the acid mantle. Cerave is a low ph cleanser that is easy to find. We actually switched and only use that for all our cleansing needs. My son's acne calmed right down and so did my other son's eczema.

 

My son ended up on a script for antibiotics and adapalene.  Adapalene is now available OTC for about 10-12$ at 1% which is the same strength as my son's prescription.  It really, really helps.  However! It also makes him photosensitive. It must be used once a day, every day, at night (light makes it break down) and you MUST commit to sunscreen all the time. My son got a bad sunburn walking to school at 8am in February in upstate NY. Honestly, the sun isn't even out at 8am in February! He is very, very careful about sun protection now. With Adapalene (or Differin) it's the long game. You see immediate results but then usually a purge from weeks 2-4 and then a real improvement from weeks 6 on. It can be used every other night if it's too drying. But you can't just use it for a couple nights and then stop. You can get it on Amazon and I've seen it at my supermarket. But please use a sunscreen, you are in danger of damaging your skin if you don't.

[redsquirrel]

Does anyone know if Proactiv and Differen work differently?

 

DS has been using Differen for months and there's been no change. I don't mind spending the money, but want to make sure there will be some hope with a new product and it's not just more of the same.

 

Differen is a retinoid. It's the first retinoid to be available without a prescription. I'm not sure what the active ingredients of proactiv are, but it's probably very similar to other OTC stuff.

 

My son has a script for differen and it's 10$ copay for about four times the amount of what is sold OTC. I'm not sure how much longer it will be covered by insurance though.

 

My son is using an antibiotic with Differen. He needs both. We've tried stopping one and then the other and the inflammation and acne always comes back.

[Mandamom]

My teens don't suffer from major issues but they do have break-outs. In addition to doing some of the recommendations here, I give them zinc several times per week. I notice an improvement in my skin and theirs when they take it.