Teen acne WORSE with benzoyl peroxide. Any knowledgeable people around?

[AreolaGrande]

Poor DD(almost 14) is struggling with acne. She started her period for first time last month.

We bought Acnecide benzoyl peroxide (cleanser, 5% treatment gel and moisturiser) and she has been using diligently for 5 weeks now but rsther than improving, the acne has become worse 😥

Should she persevere or does she need to stop using and speak to the GP regarding something else? Could the contraceptive pill help?

She's upset as back to school next week and her poor face is so sore ☹

Any advice would be massively appreciated.

There is a thing known as purging when you start acne treatments where it gets worse before it gets better but five weeks in you’d expect to start seeing some more positive results. I’ve not used BP but it’s a very strong harsh chemical and not right for all.

My best advice would be to go to the GP or get a private derm appointment and look into Roaccutane if I’m honest. I struggled hugely with acne and know how debilitating it can be. I’ve spent years and years and so much money on things that didn’t help. Roaccutane while not right for everyone can be an absolute miracle.

Thanks @NotExactlyHappyToHelp .

Am reluctant to let her her go on roaccutane due to the links to suicides. I know that that level of side effect is rare but it's still very scary. That said, I don't want her to continue struggling the way she is now 🥺.

Think I will book a GP appt and request Derm referral in the first instance.

Yes definitely speak to a GP. Benzoyl peroxide is more a drying agent. It also acts as an antibacterial so useful to keep the area around the acne clean IYSWIM.

My daughter uses Clindamycin + Benzoyl Peroxide. Brand name Duac. The antibiotic plus BP combo has been very effective. Available on prescription

My dd went on Yasmin pill which worked wonders for her acne which was really getting her down.

Now she older she's going to come off it as she does think it affects her mood but not as much as the acne did.

you mean worse as in the skin is sore? BP can do this. The trick is to build up from using a very small amount and gradually increase. It will work, you just need to follow a good regime with it.

So i started by using just a tiny amount each day, spending a long time rubbing it in (this bit's really important) and a good but very bland moisturiser (cetaphil moisturiser is great).

I found the site acne.org really helpful

I'd suggest a 5.5ph facial wash like Sebamed (but from eBay). Then a gentle moisturiser. Once or maybe twice a week do the oil cleansing method. Oil dissolves oil you see.

The trouble with spots is that in trying to kill the bacteria we punish our skin and forget about bringing our skin back to a healthier condition.

It sound as though the skin barrier is damaged. Has she also been using moisturiser and suncream to protect from the drying effects of the BP?

There are lots of steps for treatment of acne before roaccutane and this applies whether she is nhs or private.Is she scarring? Arrange a GP appointment to discuss next steps which will be antibiotics or the pill plus more agents to dry out her skin.

I sometimes work with a dermatologist who swears that acne is basically diabetes of the skin. She’s cured hundreds by prescribing a low carb diet. It can’t do any harm to try.

This never really worked for me as a teenager either. I've suffered with my skin for years and have tried so many things prescribed and drug store so I can help with what helped me.

Please please tell her that even if she has the urge - don't touch her face, don't pick the spots! It's such a minor thing but makes such a difference. Once you start picking, it only really gets worse.

If she is up for trying to the contraceptive pill, this may help but a reminder that whenever she would eventually come off of the pill that the skin may flare up again.

If she has oily skin - Cetaphil face wash - Oily Skin Cleanser, morning and night. If she has drier skin, Cetaphil face wash - gentle skin cleanser.

If her skin is sore at the moment, a light rose water will do her the world of good. I used to find the Garnier Rose Water really helped with calming any angry spots down and it doesn't dry out your skin.

A Tea Tree Moisturiser - Superdrug do a good value one about £3.99. They do a day one and a night one, apply this after face wash > toner > then moisturiser.

If she has any spots that she has already picked then Sudocrem genuinely does work with the picked spots that may be scabby (heals them slightly quicker)

Any big boil spots - the zit stickers can help at night and it deters you from picking at your face also!

Niacinamide is a massive game changer. A Niacinamide serum would be helpful to apply possibly every other night, this would fit in after the toner stage. You can find drug store Niacinamide serums that have helped me, the one I found helped me the most is the revolution super strong one but obviously as a beginner, get the one that's not quite as strong. Again very affordable (bottle less than £10) and lasts forever. Or you can wash your face, apply serum and then moisturise. I would say in the mornings just do a face wash and a moisturise.
If she can continually do some of these stages at least, I'm almost sure she will see a massive improvement. She may have a flare up because she's just started her period but her skin will calm down in a few months!

I definitely would NOT recommend roaccutane- this is a LAST option after years of terrible terrible acne.

As much as people aren't ever sure it's true, how much sugar you eat really make a difference - less sweet food does help (I found with me anyway) and drinking water will keep your skin hydrated.

This is coming from me (I'm not a professional) but I'm 28 and my skin is pretty clear now, I've tried almost everything and I suffered with acne from that age of 14 so know exactly how she feels and how insecure it can make you feel. Please don't feel like you have to spend 100s on the best skin care. If I could go back the one thing I would tell myself is don't pick the spots. I found later In life that the simple things genuinely did work in the end, and keeping up with the right skincare routine.

Keep your skin moisturised and don't overwash. I hope this helps!

I suffered with teenage acne for years until they put me on roaccutane which was horrendous. I honestly think if I’d have cut out sugar and dairy it would have resolved on its own. I’d honestly look at diet first, I don’t have any problems with my skin now. I’m sure it’s caused by inflammation which is often caused by diet. Best of luck to her it’s a horrible thing as a teenager

So I suffer with acne due to having pcos & I use and swear by the acnecide face wash without the benzoyl stuff as I seem to flare up when I use that too. But in my skincare routine I use the acnecide face wash morning & evening, Paula's choice BHA exfoliant only in the evenings and for moisturiser I use the Inkey list omega water cream and my skin has been clear for about 6 months now after years of trying different stuff from the docs & antibiotics that didn't work. Your skin does purge though which for me took about 6 weeks to get through but I've gone through 3 acnecide face washes & I love it!

My sons dermatologist said unless it’s very mild, you’re best to get something from the GP and then depending on severity and how it’s responds to initial prescription treatments, see a dermatologist. He thought over the counter treatments were a waste of time for anything more than a few spots and made it clear that diet doesn’t fix teen acne. He said we’d done the right thing seeking help to reduce the risk of scarring

For girls, the pill can be really good. I used it years ago and my skin was clear within a few weeks. There’s also various prescription creams/gels and antibiotics that can work for some before trying roaccutane.

My son tried a gel from the GP and then an antibiotic from the GP which worked for a while but then they stopped being effective. He ended up taking roaccutane. He had a 6 month course although his skin was clear after 4 months and he has lovely skin now a year on with no scarring.

You’re definitely right to get her to the GP. Just be aware that she may wait quite a while if it’s NHS, we were told up to a year! We paid privately and were seen really quickly.

Duac from the GP has worked for my DS

*Up to a year to see a dermatologist

The pill - Dianette really helped me. Also Dalacin T lotion (topical clindamycin) from GP.

Beware of benzoyl peroxide - it is incredibly harsh. Might be better switching to a gentle cleanser. I love La Roche Posay - Rosaliac. I've always been prone to both acne and rosacea and it is the best I have found.

And - dare I say it - not everyone needs to moisturise in a traditional way. A serum might be better than a cream in this instance.

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate hearing what has worked for you and your DC.

She's going to stop using these products and I'll make appt with GP on Monday. I can't imagine GP will want to refer to Derm without trying whatever they advise first but will have the conversation.

Private dermatologist not an option unfortunately.

Thanks again.

My son founded BP very drying as he has excess as well. The doctor gave him something called zinyert which is sn antibiotic and zinc, it took 2 months and then his skin was clear. If has even stayed clear since he stopped using it

Excema not excess

Best thing I ever did was get roaccutane after trying pretty much every other option through my teen years with no success. Only side effect I got was dry skin/lips and have had barely any spots since (years now). Any spots I get are hormonal and go within a few days unlike my acne which was months of the same spots, scarring etc. Wish I'd done roaccutane earlier to save the scarring in the first place.

It would usually be antibiotics next, either topically or orally. I'd book an appt now and by the time you get seen you'll have given it a fair try. (You can also just buy from an online pharmacy.... I did this for myself for my skin because I couldn't be doing with the faff of waiting for the GP and then paying ten quid for the prescription anyway).

my teen dd suffers too but has been prescribed zineryt lotion by the gp I think it contains an antibiotic, it has worked wonders on her skin she's been using it for around 11 months now and there has been a massive improvement. she does still tend to have very mild flare ups though just before her period but it's no where near as bad as it used to be.
has your dd tried zineryt? it's definitely worth a try.

I think the link between Roaccutane (now called Trentinac) and suicide is not 100% clear.
it really does make an amazing difference. And the spots don’t usually come back.

I did a course of roaccutane when I was 21, having suffered acne since I was 14. It was life changing for me, yes I had the dry skin but using hand cream (!) helped. It might not be right for everyone, but for me it helped me realise I didn’t have to hide my face all the time.

I took roaccutane age 30. Wish I'd done it in my teens. It's a miracle.
I had those chin cysts that took weeks to heal and barely had a spot since.