Skincare recommendation for 8yo

[Newname211]

Not really AIBU but we are heading out soon so wanted quick replies.

My daughter is 8 and I’ve noticed she is getting slightly pimply around the nose/forehead. Nothing major, just small raised pimples with no head. I’ve got spot prone skin (not acne) and it’s the bane of my life and a constant battle to keep it under control.

I use la Roche posay on my own skin which works for me but I feel like she’s too young for a full routine - a face wash alone is enough of a battle.

She hasn’t started puberty yet and I think she’s still a fairly long way off (she’s newly 8, and is tiny for her age, wears 5-6 clothes)

Anyone with any experience or ideas? Ideally nothing too harsh.

FGS not Tea tree. It has been removed from NICE guidelines due to its ability to irritate skin. Please do not use.

I know it's utterly heartbreaking

I have battled with "skin issues" all my life. What I really could have done with is someone showing me "normal skin" so yes I had terrible acne. Yes I then had terrible roasacea. But I needed to know that "normal" skin also has the occasional pimple and bump.

Maybe because they've seen a parent do it?
Everyone should know - the bare minimum is washing your face and SPF and then whatever else they need for their specific skin
For normal skin it's probably nothing. For eczema then emollients etc

There seems to be a big thing about not having any type of routine and water being fine
You wouldn't just wash your body with water, face is the same, you need something to remove dirt and SPF and a gentle cleanser is less harsh than soap or body wash

Are you sure it's not an allergy? I have this sometimes, bumps under the skin that never turn into spots but it's an allergic reaction to some food colouring. It's not used that often now so it rarely happens.
It might be worth trying a very gentle moisturiser rather than harsher washing. Something like moogoo msm or maybe a natural baby moisturiser. Something light but natural.
I may be wrong, but it's probably worth a try.

I teach this age. Quite a few girls do have spots usually on their forehead or round their nose. Ive noticed that they have longer hair often with a fringe that hangs over their face as they're working. Most kids of that age are also pretty grubby in that they don't always have very clean hands, and are constantly touching their faces!
I would suggest reminding her to wash her hands regularly especially when they come in from school - have a quick wash, including their face, using a flannel and mild soap. And keep their fringe off their face!

for an SPF product, the only one I've found that I can use everyday without it affecting my skin is another simple product - Simple Protect 'N' Glow Radiance Booster SPF 30.
You only need a few drops - I use it everyday, and just getting to the end of the first bottle.

I'd be careful about only washing her face in the bath - is she rinsing with clear water afterwards?

Loads of boys do skincare. My brother is a late teen and has always looked after his skin since being young. It's not just a girl thing anymore

My DD is 8 and was frequently having pimples and blackheads- they were really bothering her, and similar to you water and fresh facecloths daily etc were not sorting it, but I massively wanted to avoid anything harsh, overly chemical etc- I can't believe some of the recommendations on here!! Way too much for an 8 yr old.
We bought this because it is specifically formulated for kids and it's been great- very gentle but effective

https://www.spots-and-stripes.com/product/girls-gentle-cleansing-lotion/

I would also look to swap the SPF- the Aldi one is very thick and likely clogging her pores. For kids I like this one:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Avene-Childrens-SPF-Milk-100/dp/B007TC869Y/ref=mpssa113?crid=1NB15NYW9IUFP&keywords=spf+50+milk&qid=1685287843&sprefix=spf+50+milk%2Caps%2C184&sr=8-3

I grew up suffering with acne. I believed if I found the right face products they would transform my skin - I tried so many ranges as a pre-teen/ teenager but nothing made a difference. It was hormonal. My DM was supportive and took me to the GP and I tried various treatments before being referred to a dermatologist - roaccutane was the only thing that helped.

I’m sure that whatever they use on their body (I.e. mild soap) is fine, as I’d imagine that’s gentle anyway. I enjoy using skincare as an adult, but I’m not encouraging my DD just yet. I don’t want her to feel that any skincare issues she may have in the future are her fault and due to her not using the right skincare. Boys/ men don’t tend to use special facial washes - the ones I know don’t anyway.

(I’m only saying this because you say in the OP that “a face wash alone is enough of a battle” - I wouldn’t push it)

@Newname211 I started my daughter on a basic skincare regime at a similar age for similar reasons. She's now 16 with gorgeous skin - very pale clear translucent skin with the odd hormonal spot. I was advised by skin guru Caroline Hirons to only use very gentle products so we used:

Cerave cleanser (am & pm with clean flannel)
Quick spray of LRP Niacinamide (am)
Cerave moisturiser (spf am & plain pm)

She also recommended plain Rosehip oil if her skin became dry - she also has eczema on her limbs & we use Aveeno on that regularly. She says she's grateful she got into good skin habits early!

yeah I struggle to get my own spf off sometimes, water certainly won’t cut it!

Yep, washing her face, how heartbreaking. I might post next week about washing her hair too! She really is a poor soul. And you are correct, I have never washed my son.

I’m pretty certain - she has a non ige food allergy so we are familiar with skin rashes due to allergies. This is localised to either side of her nose and her forehead between her eyebrows. It isn’t rough in texture like an allergy rash, nor is it red.

No fringe so I don’t think that is the issue - she wears her hair in French plaits most days so it’s definitely not in her face. As kids go she keeps herself pretty clean but a wee face wash after school probably wouldn’t do much harm!

She doesn’t only wash her face in the bath - we do a morning top and tail wash at the sink too. Bath at night, but not every night. I definitely can add an extra rinse of her face after her bath.

We don’t use any product in her bath on the most part, just sponge wash with body wash.

Exactly. I’m not sure what world people live in where they think not girls wash their faces 😂 her gender is irrelevant to her need to have a clean face.

They look great, thank you!

Sadly, she uses the most scented things possible on her body 😂 if it isn’t sweetie flavoured/glittery/neon pink she probably isn’t interested. We have always used something different for her face, ever since the day she ended up looking like something from twilight after a bath bomb.

Yeah, it’s really just to get her into the habit of properly washing her face rather than splashing a bit water on it. I had a nasty habit of using a baby wipe to wash my face as a teen and would rather she didn’t replicate this 😂

I've just one of these for my daughter aged almost 11. It's sold out online at the moment but you can often get them in store

https://www.aldi.co.uk/visage-facial-cleanser/p/820148706442300?utmsource=parcelLab&utmmmedium=email&utmcampaign=ScheduleddparcelLab

She's started using it with Aveeno facial wash as she has sensitive skin. I'm keen to get here into some sort of skin care regime as I can see the odd spot coming up and she's a lazy so and so. Hoping this will be a quick and relatively 'hands off' method of cleaning her skin that will hopefully form good habits.

I myself and my older daughter use Foreo Lumas to wash our faces and they are fab. I'm just not spending that amount on my youngest until she proves she can look after and use the Aldi one properly.

I've used the foreo luna for about 8 years now and it has been amazing. Softens my skin and I do believe keeps it relatively spot free. I also have a lot of faith in Balance Me Rose Otto oil for helping regulate sebum production.

Eau Thermale Avenue Xera calm cleansing oil

its made with mostly water and is super gentle and it’s easy to use, just pump into palm of hand, massage in and rinse with water.