10 year old DD acne

[Tusktusk]

My almost 11 year old has had spots on her face and shoulders / back for about a year now. She has not yet started her periods but she is quite developed in other ways and has been for some time.

I have given her a cleanser aimed at spot prone skin (clean and clear) but it hasn’t made a difference and we tried a tea tree face wash (I think it was Body Shop) but this made her face sore and dry.

I have told her she looks lovely and that spots are normal (I had them at her age too) and she will grow out of them eventually. But she really hates them and nothing we have tried has worked.

They are mostly on her forehead and temples but also sometimes on her nose and chin. Angry red spots that sometimes grow a yellow head.

Looking for advice / recommendations please.

That’s really hard for her. Niacinamide serum helps with spots. It’s only topical vitamin B3 so nothing harsh for teenage skin IIRC.

Thank you - I will look at it.
Looking for a range of suggestions so…
Bump

My dc had same problem for a while, and nothing really worked. Recently prescribed Lymecycline(antibiotic mainly used for acne) by a doctor. Already seeing some improvements, old ones healing, not getting new ones anymore.

Okay so,

Ideally she would be able to see a dermatologist, however I realise that is not an accessible option for everyone.

Clean & Clear, The Body Shop and other similar products are too harsh and fragranced for most skin, particularly when dealing with a skin condition like acne. A gentle cleanser like Cetaphil, Avene, The Ordinary, CeraVe would be ideal. Wash skin once for at least 60 seconds in the morning and before bed.

Cleanser needs to be followed up with a moisturising product - skipping this on acne prone and oily skin can send signals to your skin to produce more oil to make up for the drying effects. Always use an SPF in the morning (this can replace the moisturiser in the A.M. ) Again, the brands mentioned above make excellent light weight options for acne prone skin.

You can add a serum - like the Niacinamide (B3) one mentioned above or a hydrating serum like Hyaluronic Acid to help calm and repair the damage - The Ordinary have great affordable options.

I would not be using harsh actives on you DD's skin without the advice of a dermatologist, at least until she can repair her skin barrier a bit. Eventually I would add a gentle exfoliating toner (use after cleansing and before serum & moisturiser) like Gallinee Face Vinegar or The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Toner.

So routine would be:
A.M
Gentle Cleanser
Serum
(optional moisturiser)
SPF

P.M
Gentle Cleanser
Exfoliating Toner (start a few nights per week and build up to nightly)
Serum
Moisturiser

Try CeraVe or La Roche Posay ranges for acne prone skin. Those cheap acne ranges are awful, so drying. Make sure she’s changing tops/bras regularly esp after exercise. Otherwise I’ve had success with Dermatica online skin prescription before

This this this ^^ the products she's using currently are way too harsh and will be making it worse. I've personally found cerave (the gentle one for sensitive skin) to be the best

My DS had similar skin. I found a mumsnet thread which recommended this https://amzn.eu/d/4TQ8iSl Salcura skin wash for teens. It has made a noticeable difference to his acne - it’s barely there now.

For me cutting out sugar helped my skin immensely.

Switch your washing powder to a non bio with no softener as mine became sensitive to the bio at this age and the first signs were the spots on the back, cleared up within a month and has stayed gone since then.

Take her to the GP.

As an adult I’ve found the Clinique anti blemish range really good but I appreciate that might be a bit expensive for a preteen.

she needs to get into a good skin care routine though.

I was going to say, have you looked at her diet? I'm in my 30's and still have acne breakouts. They are noticeably more severe when I've been overdoing it with dairy and sugar.

Another vote for cerave, the wash with salycilic acid specifically. SA for toner too, plus a gentle moisturiser.

If it is genuinely acne, and not spots, get her straight to the GP for a derm referral

My nearly 10 year old has started getting tiny little bumpy spots and blackheads, we are using Cerave SA smoothing cleanser and then the Cerave original moisturizer and so far it seems to be fine for her skin (too soon to tell if it's actually working!)

I did a lot of googling and looking at reviews for different products before buying anything as some items are quite expensive and I didn't want to chose the wrong thing. I found this video really helpful.

Sorry I'm not sure how to make it a clicky link!

My DC just used Duac from the GP. No special cleansers or moisturisers.

Acne is caused by hormones. Unfortunate no product applied topically will cure it or stop spots