Facewash for spotty teen DS with eczema....

[cantkeepawayforever]

OK, you were so brilliantly helpful for teen DD with thick dry hair that I'm back again...

16 year old DS is somewhat spotty, particularly around the temples / nose / sides of face. However, he also has lots of dry crusty eczema on other parts of his face and neck - specifically eyelids, under chin, in front of ears, which he treats, under doctors' orders, with hydrocortisone.

He needs a decent, easy to use facewash to deal with the spots / clocked pores that cause the spots, BUT it can't be drying to the rest of his face because he hates looking 'scaly'.

He would probably be willing to use a flannel + a facewash, but something he could use as part of a showering routine would be even better as he'd be more likely to do it every day. He uses Simple shower cream elsewhere, but it's too drying for his face.

Any thoughts?

Have a look at the Toleriane range by La Roche Posay. Very gentle cleansers which he could use as a face wash. I've got eczema and it doesn't irritate my skin. The Dermo Cleanser is a lotion which you just gently rub into skin and wash off. Leaves my skin soft.

Also look at the Salvation range by Pure Potions. They now do a shampoo and conditioner which may be worth a try. His current shampoo might be irritating his skin. www.purepotions.co.uk

Boots often do offers on LRP stuff.

I would definitely second Bagel's recs - I love LRP. I'm not sure if they do a face wash in the Toleriane range but the cream cleanser is v v gentle. They do a gently foaming face wash in the Effaclar range but even that might be too drying for him.

Cetaphil

Ooh, thanks! Looking at them online, I might try Cetaphil first, as it looks very 'mainstream' and, while not 'masculine', definitely not feminine. If that turns him into a flaking lizard, we'll try the Toleraine.

As someone whose skincare has been based on prescription products for 40+ years (Dermol 500 - which unfortunately DS reacts to quite spectacularly - for about the last 15) I've never really explored the 'non prescription but potentially eczema friendly' market before, so thanks so much for your help.

For teens I think it's also important to teach them about using a new face cloth and towel each and every time they wash their face. You can get face cloths from Wilko's for 30p... get a handful and teach him to chuck in the dirty washing each night.

He needs to cleanse and not just splash his face and moisturise. An oil free one - maybe Nivea? Cheap and oil free. Drinking water too.

Then GP if no results.

Good luck. He's obviously not the first teenager with skin trouble but that doesn't make it easier!

What about Liz Earle? An investment but very good

GP looked at the eczema, not so much the spots - hence the hydrocortisone (after an extensive series of other pharmaceutical products, from emollients through fungicides, had been tried, tested and painfully failed).

Now trying to balance the must-not-contain-anything-remotely-allergenic OR be excessively drying (at its worst, he can't open his eyes because of eczema-ed eyelids) - ie the medical needs - with the need to clean the rest of his face. Simple shower cream + Dermovate on his elbow and knee joints deals with the rest of him, and he seems to be able to tolerate normal deodorants [jealous], but Simple soap / shower products and the more mainstream / cheaper 'sensitive foaming face wash / cleansing cream' type face washes [borrowed from his sister for trials] have been too drying, and the emollients-that-can-also-be-used-as-wash products (e.g.Dermol) interestingly allergenic. And after years of being the least image-conscious teenager ever encountered, he's finally beginning to mind how his face looks.

We are also not a 'beauty products' type family - his sister, with a cream cleanser that she applies with a flannel and washes off, and very occasional weekend use of makeup, is at the 'very complex skin routine' end of our family's routines. I wash everything in Dermol and rinse (never wear makeup as I react to it), OH uses shower gel and then shaves with shaving foam ... if DS starts having to faff with cotton wool pads or two different products to cleanse then moisturise he's going to really mind as he hates the 'being different' thing his eczema already creates.

The Salcura range is very good. My skin is very sensitive and I've never had a problem with it. Try the Antiac spray!

E45 wash with a tepid flannel.

I've got spot and eczema prone skin and use avene face wash and moisturiser. Not cheap, but Lloyds have them on offer (25% off) pretty regularly.
I know it sounds a bit mumbo jumbo going on about the 'special thermal water' but I've actually found all their products have been great.

Sebamed. I suffered terribly with acne as a teenager and a dermatologist recommended this. Bar or liquid form, there is also a moisturiser...can be bought in Home Bargains of all places, also ebay and Amazon. We are going back 30 years....my eldest child now uses it to keep any spots under control. Cheap and effective in my experience!

Excellent, lots of options! Thank you all.

My eczema prone son uses neem oil soap from onevillage.com. He hasn't suffered from many spots yet so I can't comment on that part but it's kind to skin and does help dramatically with the eczema he gets on his face.
We all use it, actually. It's simple and effective.

I suffer from both and manage to keep it at bay with dermalogica products they do a complete range from oily skin to sensitive and different face washes to moisturisers etc x

Yes, Avene is a good brand too, although he (and you) sound super allergic to everything. What about Aveeno products? Is he able to use any of their products?

I'd be a bit careful with Cetaphil - it does contain some nasties

You could try COSRX cleanser, simple with a low ph. Available via Amazon or eBay.