DD, aged eleven, wants to wear concealer, advice please.

[Trumpette]

Hi everyone!

DD has announced she would like to wear concealer. She has the odd spot on her nose but nothing awful. We have just talked about tinted moisturiser, concealers and skin care.

What have other done? I am not averse to it but do not want to make any spots worse. It is also an opportunity to talk about skin care generally.

My Mum never spoke about this to me so I have never really followed a regime.

Thanks in advance

[lostowl]

I would give her a facial wash for example from Clean and Clear or clearasil and tell her she needs to wash her face with it every night. I'd probably give my daughters a tea tree oil concealer stick so they can cover their spots up with something that hopefully won't clog their skin further.

[VikingMuchToAllOurLiking]

Concealer dosent clog your skin. I'd let her, teens have it hard enough. And I'd show her how to put it on!

[FruitCider]

At 11 I'd be covering them up fir her and teaching her how to cover it up herself, she's only going to get more....

[FranklyMeDeer]

My 12yo has awful skin and has worn concealer for a couple of years.
She'd wear more makeup every day if I let her, but I let her have the concealer as she's really self conscious of the spots.

[keepmoving]

I've shown my DD how to use Concealer effectively to cover the odd spot but stressed it's just as important to make sure she cleans her face properly and removes it at the end of the day.

[JamieStarrIsAThief]

I wouldn't get clearasil or clean and clear, they are really drying and don't really do much good. I'd get her a really gentle cleanser from la Roche posay or avene instead.

Normal concealers are probably fine but a mineral concealer like bare minerals would be good because they aren't clogging, and they contain zinc which is supposed to help heal spots.

[defaulttodippy]

Miss Sporty ( from Superdrug) do a very light foundation ( not as thick as a concealer but covers really well ) ,called So Clear.It is for spot treatment as well as cover.
My son uses it and it is really good. Non drying ( well slightly, but it dries up the spots) and isn't chalky and doesn't need lots of blending.It's about £2.99 I think.
Need to use a cleaning regime as well , but it definitely shrinks and clears up the spots during the day too.

Wish I'd had something as good when I was a teen.

[Trumpette]

Thanks for suggestions, any more?

[Chocolateteabag]

I would second the bare minerals - good products and easy to apply a relatively natural amount so not mask like.

[olderthanyouthink]

Get her some that matches her skin so she doesnt look at photos like WTF? She'll just buy it anyway, may as well look good. (I have a... non standard skin colour so the cheap make up bought at her age looked shit on me)

[madmomma]

I'd let her do whatever makes her feel confident, and help her do it properly. I'm gonna have this problem in a few years with my youngest dd, who has a pronounced moustache! Just waiting until it bothers her.

[LastBusHome]

I like bare minerals foundation which I find better coverage than concealer and good for skin as not clogging.

[avamiah]

Hi Trumpette,
I don't see the Problem with her wearing a bit of concealer to cover a spot.
My nieces are all in their teens and have the odd spot and they use a great product called Eucerin, dermo purifyer cover stick, it seems to dry them up and cover the redness at the same time.
I wish i had known about this when i was growing up.
Hope this helps .

[avamiah]

Madmomma,
Yes.
My daughter is 7 in a couple of months and has jet black hair and already dark fine hairs above top lip.
She has seen me getting threading on my top lip and eye brows and asks when she can.
I don't want her to get bullied at school in a year or so .
Any thoughts anybody?

[Allibear]

Go and chat to someone who knows what they're talking about. Clean and clear and other washes like this can be AWFUL for the skin and cause acne. If you go to a Clinique counter or similar brand they can talk you and your daughter through her skin type and what the best products to use are.
The beauty ladies in boots are trained in skincare too

[madmomma]

avamiah if my dd had asked I wouldn't hesitate. It's her face and her hair. If she's already feeling self-conscious about it I'd just take her along for threading. I want to learn how to do it myself so I can sort it for her as and when. It's just that it isn't bothering her yet. I'm going to let her know that people have hair in all kinda of places and that some people like to get rid of it and others don't bother, and that either way is fine. My son is also set to be seriously hairy like his Dad, and I feel for him, given that celeb males all seem to be hairless these days. What happened to the days when a hairy cheat was sexy a la Tom Jones!?

[Smidge001]

madmomma I still think they are sexy! Hairy chests must be due a comeback. All this manscaping and the metrosexual look doesn't do it for me. i reckon your boy will be the height of fashion when he's older.

[avamiah]

madmomma,
It's so painful and to be honest i don't think a beauty therapist would even do it on a child, but saying that they pierce babys ears, so who knows?
But to be honest, i wouldn't let her have it done till she is at least 13.
So what before then?

[madmomma]

Ah I see. I am a hairless wonder myself so I didn't know it was that painful. Maybe veet before that then. Thanks smidge I reckon he'll be shaving in primary school, my kids seem to hit puberty mega-early and their dad is asian which is where the hair comes from. Fun and games eh? At least they won't have to get their eyebrows tattooed on like me!

[avamiah]

madmomma,
hahaha.
We've taken over the thread about hair removal, didn't mean to.
Well Veet, yes i swear by it, if you want a quick fix on the upper lip and the fine hairs on the eye brows.
Do i chance it on my daughter, i don't know.
My mother who is 80 next month uses it, so who knows. ?

[FruitCider]

Also tell DD too never EVER shave above her knee, or go mad on her brows.

Why on earth wouldn't you shave above your knee? Even at 16 the hairs above my knee, whilst blonde, were pretty obvious! Might as well not bother shaving at all unless your skirts are always going to be longer than your knee.

[Smidge001]

gardengeek why mustn't you shave above your knees? . I've always done so and haven't seen any ill-effects. I'm really intrigued to know what the reasoning is as you seem so sure it's a bad thing I'm now wondering what i'm risking/doing to myself!

[LillyBugg]

I would agree with the above the knee thing. They just come back thicker and darker. I only shave to my knee, and occasionally just over it if I know I'm wearing a shorter dress. The hairs on my thighs are barely visible so why start something that'll never stop?!

[NowThatsClosureJen]

They really do not come back thicker and darker.

Wearing make up does not make your skin worse.

Clearasil and Clinique are just as bad as each other in terms of drying skin out.

Please think gentle but effective. La Roche Posay is lovely, as is Avene. The Boots Botanics range is also good (and a little cheaper). And please take the advice of a qualified skincare professional rather than old wives' tales!