talk to me about teenage acne please

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dc is starting to have really bad skin mainly on forehead and nose.
no real routine yet apart from washing face in mornings in the shower with bar soap.

it's itchy and whilst dc doesn't scratch during the day, sometimes does in sleep.

what is the current best routine? flannel & face wash? which face wash?
what about moisturiser?

DS is similar, he wears his fringe quite long and unfortunately (like me) has quite greasy hair. He uses a toner type thing which has been working well
www.boots.com/neutrogena-visibly-clear%C2%AE-spot-proofing%E2%84%A2-purifying-toner-10233114p?cm_mmc=bmm-buk-google-ppc--PLAs_HeroCompare--Neutrogena-_-Boots+Shopping+-+Category+-+Beauty+-+Desktop&gclid=Cj0KCQjwrrXtBRCKARIsAMbU6bHbMxbhLB_JCBjf7TccKNmPHIg2ua78T3d_zI7XeLnyo2chVUm5JoUaAnCWEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

yes, long fringe here too.

and very greasy hair.

thanks hello will look for that in the shop later today.

when I was a teenager there was only clerasil wash lotion. which stung like mad and made your skin feel like your face was about to peel off.
bow the shelves are full of different lotions and creams. very confusing.

Ds is on long term oral antibiotics. I would say that they keep the redness at bay and stop his spots getting too inflamed but he is still spotty. He's been on them a year now and the gp has recently agreed to allow him to stay on them until June next year when gcses are finished.

Maybe see the gp if you are concerned and other lotions and creams aren't helping.

we are not at gp/dermatology stage yet.
just very clueless what washes/lotions we should try first.

bumping for the evening crowd

is the supermarket stuff ok?
and what exactly should we be looking for?

My son's has cleared up now he's 19 but he tried various face washes and I think cetaphil facial wash/cleanser was the one that worked best. You can buy it from boots. I also tried to wash his pillowcases regularly.

pillow cases are washed a lot more now. the greasy hair takes it's toll.

I guess it's a bit trial and error... but the '83 % of 17 testers agree' or similar in the adverts are not really convincing to me.

Hi! Have you tried The Ordinary? Their stuff is really simple and I have always found it really effective. I think cleansers have moved on since all that harsh clearasil and oxy 10 (remember that?!) - experts recommend oil based cleansers now (with flannels). I would email The Ordinary (Deciem) and ask if they recommend a regime for teenagers. I have really oily skin (now 40) and their stuff has been a god send for me. Worth a shot... I don't work for them, promise - I just sympathise with how shitty it is having oily skin, especially when a teenager. Although now I'm 40, I have very few wrinkles as a result! Good luck X

Niacinimide now the acne ingredient of choice I think...

the problem is that is all so confusing and it's difficult (for me) to figure out what is dermatologically sound and what is skin care companies selling unicorns.

but I appreciate your comments, I looking into everything.

If you can find the Clear Start range by dermotologica, it is good and simple to use. Expensive though.

I have found that problem skin is often sensitive skin so avoid harsh products.
Someone on MN recommended cepahil (from their dermatologist) and it has been really good but you have to ensure DC will properly cleanse their face especially at night and wash hands well during the day to avoid additional bacteria.Cetaphil is available in Boots or in Costco.

If spots break out then get a good spot cream, Duac was recommended by GP but might be trial and error.

Also look at Chinese face mapping for acne as has been informative.

You might find it is an acid/yeast imbalance.
I had horrible skin for years (and it was at its worst in my teens when I consumed Dairy milk by the bucketload ) until I found some research that suggested this.
Reducing sugar intake...I know. It’s crap.
Increasing water intake
A probiotic supplement (to get the good bacteria. Mine was compromised by using lots of antibiotics)
Products with a low ph (Cetaphil mentioned by another poster does these, or Cerave - you can get these products in Boots)

Get a gentle foaming cleanser - all those spot cleansers strip the skin too much and make it worse. Look for a gel with salicylic acid or glycolic acid. Clean flannel every day. A very plain and light moisturiser only if required. My experience is too much skin care is counterproductive. I like alpha h and jan Marini products, more expensive than boots but not crazy.

If it’s fairly mild. Sudocrem is supposed to work wonders

Yes there is too much choice for everything now. Look at gin for instance! Most of it is BS, lots of false claims and marketing to wade through. Good luck X

Reduce sugar, increase water.

I would try the gentle approach first with Kefir friendly bacteria products from Chuckling Goat.

Dd uses their cleanser and moisturiser with very good results.

We had good results with neutrogena. Used the face wash. They very small tubes of spit cream and I also purchased one of the light masks. All from boots. Acne didn’t go away but kept it at bay a bit. Then it got a lot worse and now He is a few weeks into antibiotics

I agree with gentle foaming cleanser -antibacterial washes are too harsh. Try garnier aloe vera foaming wash or similar

Then wash face on a morning, when he/she gets home from school and again just before bed. Regular pillow washing

Nice simple routine. Even for a boy

I had acne when I was a teenager and until my early twenties (until I was prescribed Roaccutane, which sorted out the problem).

Obviously Roaccutane is only for serious cases, but until then I tried everything...the best advice I can give is:

Wash pillowcases and towels very often (every other day if possible)

Keep hair out of the face (and keep hair clean, of course)

Wash face both morning and evening before bed.

Use non-comedogenic but gentle products, the ones that dry out the skin are the worst, it is conterproductive to use those, really...

Use a good moisturizer, when you have acne you tend to go for creams that feel more like a gel because you are scared of using something that feels even a tiny bit greasy, but you really need a cream that keeps your skin moisturized, not dry, because to dry out the skin is also conterproductive. I think Avene is a wonderful brand (Hydrance Optimale cream).

Add a drop or two of pure tea tree oil in the cream before bed (avoid eye area). I tried everything under the sun for acne and I've got to say that tea tree oil is the most effective thing I've ever tried (apart from Roaccutane!), much more than antibiotic creams. I've got quite a good skin now normally, but sometimes prone to have some spots still and nothing beats tea tree oil.

thanks a lot