Teen acne WORSE since using benzoyl peroxide. Any skincare peeps 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 rather 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.

It happened to me too, my skins very fair and hates anything like that or scrubs or tretonoin.

Some pills do help, avoid progesterone only ones because it makes skin oilier. I’d speak to the gp and ask them.

I just use a gentle foaming cleanser 2 x a day wait 20 mins after washing to apply skin care. Clean face cloths to wash and dry face on each time and a fresh pillowcase daily.

You can buy red/blue light led light face masks too, they really help. Loads on amazon.

Speak to the GP. They can prescribe Lymecycline or another antibiotic specific to acne, and a topical ointment like epiduo or differin. Hopefully those will make a difference

I had an allergic reaction like you describe your DDs.
What worked for me:
First of all stop the peroxide and wash face with water. Buy Clarins sos serum (it’s amazing). Nothing else for a week.

Then consider Dr Dennis Gross AHA face wash and Sunday Riley UFO, with a really gentle moisturiser maybe La Roche posay. None of that is cheap (sorry) but you might be able to get samples on EBay to see if the regime suits her skin.

I think GP is the next step. She’s given it a good go.

GP to get a referral to a dermatologist ASAP as the scarring from acne can be dreadful long term so this needs a proper treatment plan. Don’t allow GP to mess you or your daughter around .

Is she using the face wash with the BP in it or the daily cleanser? If she's using the face wash and the gel it's possible it's too much too soon. DC have had great results with the daily cleanser, gel and moisturiser.

There’s a protocol before ref to dermatology, if it isn’t followed dermatology will reject the referral and the practice will spend money on the referral fee.

NICE guidelines for acne are available online.

We find acnecide too drying and makes the skin flaky too.
We've had more success with La Roche Posay Effeclar face wash and cream.

My daughter has been struggling with acne since 9 years old she's now a teenager, definitely go and see your GP. My daughter's been through all the GP treatments and got referred to dermatology. She could have had roaccutane due to the severity of hers but decided to try Yasmin the contraceptive pill instead. What a difference she's still using regular epiduo but her face is 99% better and her back has completely cleared.

Agree with PPs that this needs the GP, this kind of thing can really affect you, and leave scarring, and you could end up buying all sorts of things over the counter, for months or even years on end, with no predictability of success, particularly if the underlying cause is hormonal (topical treatments will always be limited in that event). We are all different so different things have worked for us.

I would stop the BP immediately as it sounds like the skin barrier is compromised. Just gentle face wash and moisturiser until you can see a doctor.

Yes, go to the gp.
The first thing your DD will probably be put on is a topical antibiotic. Then if that doesn't help some oral antibiotics may be tried along with some topical creams
Try & find a GP interested in acne as some are rather dismissive. Three of mine have gone through this & ended up on Roaccutane eventually as Yasmin & Spironolactone didn't really help.

Yes to GP, I developed adult acne in my 40’s and it was bloody sore and needed proper medical treatment.
Once the worst of it cleared, I now don’t use anything harsh or perfumed on my face, just very mild cleansers and moisturisers.

I would see a derm. It's hard being a teen and this can really get them down.

5% benzoyl peroxide is very strong, usually it is recommended if you are going to try it, start at 1% or at most 3%. So, yes stop it immediately. Go back to basics, just warm water and a cotton flannel. If she can not wear make up that would help as well. If she’s going to wear make up, go for mineral based like bare minerals and just get a mild, gentle facial cleanser that has fruit acids or salicylic acid in it.

I agree go to the GP and ask for something milder for the acne with no benzoyl peroxide in it. If the usual things the GP can prescribe don’t work, then ask to be referred to a dermatologist.

Skin therapist here, I would stop using it as it can be too harsh for her skin and causing more oil to be produced and in turn increasing blockages. I have my DS 14 on Dermalogicas clearing skin wash and daily microfoliant and it's really helping but I'd recommend GP or taking her to a Dermalogica salon ( check out their reviews beforehand) and get professional skin care advice. To be able to prescribe properly we need to see and feel the skin to assess sensitivity etc

We are going through this too with teen DD
we’ve been liaising with GP since end of July
we’ve been prescribed Duac and Adapalene
She’s also using salycitic acid face wash
and the acne is still a massive problem
she has sensitive skin and allergies
GP has been really reluctant to prescribe oral medication- and we’ve been told she has to try the creams for 12 weeks
but the impact on self esteem is huge -
it’s very frustrating!!

5% BP is too strong.

She should cut back to 1% or as pp said up to 3%. On top of this she needs to use a non comedogenic moisturizer.

Since the problem has got so much worse, maybe stop with treatment altogether, wash with water, dry gently, and just use a moisturizer with salicylic acid in it.

But as advised by PPs, her doctor needs to take a look. A referral to a dermatologist is in order. They may recommend the pill as this often has a good result. (If she ends up on Roaccutane, she will be advised to use a fail safe form of contraception.)

Another mum of a teen here who suffered with her skin for 18 months or so. GP suggested trying a couple of routes before the pill but nothing worked. She went on Yasmin and her skin is beautiful now; cleared up within a few weeks.

The contraception pill Dianette Co-Cyprindiol works wonders for teenage acne.

We're the same OP! DD face is so sore with cystic acne. She has been prescribed adapalene and Lymecline but she won't take tablets as she's not good with them.

Adult here with acne although virtually non existent now. Over the years I have had oral contraceptives, oral antibiotics and creams etc... They all work to some extent. In recent years what has worked is cerave gel cleanser (I do think too harsh a clearser leads to more oil production) freederm and a blue light pen thingy. The light really does stop it developing. I imagine the blue light masks would be an option.

It is trial and error as you find something that work for her skin and a good GP will hopefully help you navigate it.

@KennAdams She needs to tell them this because cystic acne scars, I had it and it needed accutane.

Oh no - I feel for her having horrible acne myself as a teen and now 2 teenage girls who inherited my horrible skin.

Agree with the others - see a GP and see what they suggest. Both my girls used accutane, and it did wonders for them. But obviously there are steps before that and the GP will help.

I do know many of my friends daughters have had skin success with Yasmin - but again an understanding GP best place to discuss.

My DS found benzoyl peroxide much too harsh for his sensitive skin. After a lot of trial and error last year (because he absolutely would not go to the GP or even let me take photos for an e-consult) he now uses the face wash and silver serum from Skin Shop - face wash twice a day, silver serum at bedtime. He also uses this lavender water morning and evening. His skin is a hundred times better - he still gets the odd spot (which we zap with the ZNO Clear cream from Skinshop, which for some reason won't link) and he has to be diligent with the above, but the improvement within a couple of weeks was amazing. We have one of these as well (which I got for a tenner from eBay) but he hasn't needed to use it for months.