Best face wash for tween acne?

[csjordan]

When I was that age, Proactive worked wonders. It was unreal. Not sure if there is a cheaper alternative now or not. But I tried everything and can't say enough about how well Proactive worked for me. (Wow..I sound like an infomercial lol)

LOL, you do sound like an infomercial! I second the Proactive! I use it, as well as my two kids. I do not find it to be harsh, at all, and we all have sensitive skin. The orange Clean and Clear is my second choice. It works pretty well, but not as well as Proactive.

 

[katie111]

Thanks so much for all of the suggestions. I went ahead & bought her some of the Cetaphil gentle cleanser yesterday so we'll see how that works. At this point she just has very light tween acne so I don't think she needs a dermatologist (yet). She doesn't use makeup, or put anything in her hair besides shampoo and conditioner, and it's almost always tied back in a ponytail so I don't think it's oily hair or a product that is causing it. If anything, I think her skin seems a little dry.

Thanks for all of your help!

 

[floralmouse]

My little is only 9 and we use Clinique to keep her skin clear. No, it's definitely NOT budget friendly and yes we cringe but it's what works for her.

 

[jennyerin]

My kids both have acne. My twelve year old just started and it came on full force just like her brother at that age. My son tried proactiv, epiduo and such and nothing helped enough. He gave up and just used normal soap. My daughter tried a product from Paula's Choice that has 2% BHA. It is not perfect but helps a lot. Unknown to me my son started using it too and it had a remarkable effect on his acne. But as everyone said - things work differently for everyone so just try different things until they work .

 

[kinntj]

My 12 year old is finally seeing a dermatologist after OTC and one prescription failed. She has a little scarring on her forehead, so we're desperate to stop this before it gets worse.

I think it's a trial and error thing at first, since everyone is different. My ten year old uses Cetaphil and it works for her, but not for my oldest.

Good luck! It's a frustrating thing to deal with.

 

[brennicksmom]

Thank you! I just started Accutane and my lips are just awful!

I just ordered 6 more tubes! One stays in my car, one stays in the bathroom, one stays by his bead, he keeps one by the computer, and he carries one. He had never used any lip balm before, but he has become quite dependent on it.

 

[ktlm]

My little is only 9 and we use Clinique to keep her skin clear. No, it's definitely NOT budget friendly and yes we cringe but it's what works for her.

Another thing you and the OP might try, if the kids will let you, is having them use Johnson's Baby Wash as their face soap and see how that does. My DD is just under 9. I was about to switch her to Clinique. She is a theatre kid, so she does have to wear make up sometimes, and gets hair spray sprayed around her face. She also has really sensitive skin and so different soaps can cause breakouts on her face, and also if it gets dry she can have breakouts. Before switching to Clinique and incurring that expense, I told her how gentle and great Johnson's would be for her face and that even though it says it is a "baby" wash, that even a lot of adults use it as a face soap because it is really good for sensitive skin. After her initial resistance, she gave in and it really worked. She uses that as her face soap- but still uses whatever trendy scented thing she likes for the rest of her. The Johnson's stopped her little face breakouts. That would be a cheaper alternative you might try. If it quits working for DD, I will move her to Clinique for the reasons I posted above. I figured it would work for DD because it worked for me way back then and again now. It is good to hear it works for your same aged DD.

 

[chisnpeke]

I started getting acne at 12 on my forehead and I have had it ever since (first it moved to my cheeks then my jawline...hormonal) and I've been to dermatologists with little success. I'm 26 so been dealing with this for a while. My acne is mild so don't want to go on birth control or accutane. I use cetaphil or dove sensitive bar soap and recently started using Estée Lauder Clear Difference serum. It has helped a lot in the 2 months I have been using it. It's pricey but I have been using just about every day and still have about 1/4 of the 1 oz bottle left. Plus, you can return to Estée Lauder if you don't like it. It doesn't over dry my skin either.

 

[DaretoDis]

Is Phisohex still around? It's what I used some 50 years ago.

 

[rdevine10]

I know this may sound crazy but we wash our face with olive oil. I actually read about it here on the DIS several years ago. It works wonders and we love it.

Here is a link to learn more- hope its ok to post- I am not affiliated with this site.

http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/

 

[sullins5]

And yet...one more thought.

My teen dd's had trouble too. Yep, tried Proactive, went to Dr. and was prescribed much of what was listed. And suggested Accutane but we didn't want to go that route.

What worked? I told her to "lets get back to basics". Do what I have done for 30 years. She started washing her face with Dove soap, washing her face in the morning again with Dove or warm water, and then use " oil of Olay" for moisture before make up or if skin dried. She also quit using cream rinse on her head, and uses it only on the bottom of her hair (due to oils in shampoos/conditioners). Guess what? Beautiful clear faces. Yep, took a couple of weeks for everything to balance out, but we have seen it work great! If all else fails...

 

[818collette]

My daughter is 10 and is using an acne kit for tweens, It has helped alot! Kidskin

Half the battle is jjst getting her to wash her face in the morning, after school and before going to bed. Heres the link https://kidskin.com/products/acne-starter-kit

 

[C-CMom]

Pediatricians are also well-versed in acne care, and not so "drastic" as a Dermatologist visit for a mild case if you need back-up. Insurance copays are often cheaper for a "primary care" doc compared to specialist as well. May be a good way to weed through a plethora of online advice.
FWIW, the active ingredients of many of things listed above are the same (including for Proactive - whose active ingredients are available in other products).

 

[Faceoff445566]

As an acne sufferer and a mom of a teen who suffered, I hate it when people say to make sure they're washing their face. Of course you're going to do that. (no offense to anyone, but my opinion)
People said that numerous times to my daughter and she would cry because she was washing her face on a regular basis and it still wasn't helping. And sometimes washing too much will make it worse. Her dermatologist recommended Cerave Bar soap. She was also using Tazorac and differin but she hated how it dried her out and the pimples would still be there. What really cleared up her skin was Aveeno Clear complexion foaming cleanser.

 

[dosekies]

I realize this is an old post, but Lush products do wonders!! I'm 24 and still have acne. No store products have worked. I did go to the dermatologist but couldn't keep up with going to get tests for the medication they gave me while away at school. I finally tried Lush last year and have been amazed! Personally, I use the Aqua Marina cleanser, Mask of Magnaminty, and a few other masks. I have also tried their acne gel (can't remember the name) and that worked pretty well too. They are great with working with you to find the right product for your skin!

 

[holden]

My DD14 uses the Dermologica acne face wash. Not cheap but works well. She also has a prescrition cream from the Derm.

 

[Fat01]

Be at Animal Kingdom at rope drop time and head straight to Kilimanjaro Safaris. Just before the safari vehicles first start running for the morning, AK workers
place food out in the various habitats. This is first feed of the day for the animals and they will be out / eating in force along the safari route. This is prime time as far as seeing animals.

 

[Ariel484]

As an acne sufferer and a mom of a teen who suffered, I hate it when people say to make sure they're washing their face. Of course you're going to do that. (no offense to anyone, but my opinion)

YES YES YES I so agree. I had bad acne when I was younger and I was convinced that everyone just thought I was...dirty or something.

Different things work for different people - depends on her skin type among other things. I'm still battling the occasional breakout even at 33. Starting to consider a diet change to see if that will help!

 

[DLgal]

My son is 11 and started getting the small bumps on his forehead. I bought him some 1% salicylic acid Clearasil pads to use once a day after he showers. The bumps were gone within a week and have not returned. This was a few months ago.

Start with something mild OTC. Clearasil pads are great! I still use them and they keep my face clear without drying out my skin. In fact, my skin is in better shape since I started using them a few months ago. I have spent years trying to control perioral dermatitis and rosacea with prescription creams and gels and these pads have cleared EVERYTHING up. Dermatologists are not always correct in their treatment recommendations...

I use the Clearasil HydraClear 1% pads. Love them!

 

[iivye]

Starting to consider a diet change to see if that will help!

It's interesting you mentioned this. My daughter's skin was starting to really break out and we tried a variety of cleansers. Then she decided to stop eating meat and her skin really cleared up. I'm not saying people should become vegetarian but I found it interesting that there was definitely some kind of link there. Now she uses clean & clear face wipes and only has occasional breakouts (usually because of sleeping in make-up).

Edited to add that I am not a vegetarian and I think in my daughter's case it was some sort of allergy and not necessarily just about not eating meat.