Face Cleaning routine for teen boys *gulp*

[Darcy Baldwin]

My 12yo is beginning to have blemishes on his face, and we need to start doing a proper face cleaning routine for the evenings.

What do your teens use?

[mariewilcox]

Deep breath Darcy! LOL

Christopher was about 11 when he started washing with the OxyClean pads. His pediatrician also started him on a cream for his face - tretinoin (Retin A) starting at a low percentage and then cranking it up as he got older.

The cream worked and Cheyanne has been using it since she was about 9 (she has always had "baby acne" with the little bumps all over her T-zone that is now turning into real acne). They have to be consistent with the cream and use it twice a day (it will look like the acne is getting worse for about a week before it starts to get a LOT better). Her pediatrician was very proactive about starting her early knowing ahead of time how bad her brother and her father both had acne as a teen.

[KyRainbow]

Casey uses Avon eye makeup remover (which he obviously won't need, lol) and plain soap and water. (We use Dove, because it's super gentle.)

[maryinaz]

Gosh, I so hate it when the blemishes show up on my babies! One of my twins is going through puberty and one is not - I knew that was going to happen.

For beginners, I just have them wash with a mild cleanser, then at night put some acne cream on the blemishes. As it gets worse, they can wash once a day with a scrub and the other time with a cleanser. Just watch for dryness and if that happens change the cleanser or cream or add in a mild lotion.

My older boys have gone the gamut on acne, so let me know when you get there.

[tanyiadeskins]

Oh I HATE this topic because my girls are horrendous about doing daily things and I hate harping on people it drives me nuts ... but that seems the only way to go with them. They are all using an Avon system, simply because the eldest sells it now

[lizzyfizzy]

maddie has been really great about this but again, she's not a boy.

i would never allow anything over the counter on my own face, let alone my kids faces so we use a system by mary kay.

we use the velocity cleanser and moisturizer and then the blemish control toner 3 and acne treatment gel. you don't need to do the blemish toner and acne gel steps everyday. i would say 1-2 times a week depending on how bad the blemishes are.

all 4 of those come in a set for $40. it lasts about 3-5 months, so very affordable!

maddie could seriously preach on how amazing this stuff is. she went without it for about a week while we were waiting on an order and she broke out terribly. back on it and a week later - it's all gone! amazing stuff. very gentle and very effective!

[mummytothree]

My oldest use to get terrible acne on her forehead right along the hairline and black heads on her nose. We use to use Clean & Clear products (unsuccessfully I might add) until someone posted about the Oil Cleansing Method on here. We immediately switched and her face cleared just like that....now she only gets a few bumps right before she starts her period!! But yours won't have to worry about that!!!

[Darcy Baldwin]

Thanks, folks. Yep, Elizabeth, that's probably going to be my first line of defense since it's what I use, plus maybe a little tea tree oil on a wipe in the morning. I just didn't know what there was out there since I don't deal with my acne (hormone driven).

[MissKim]

We use Cetaphil to wash. For acne, we've tired everything. I liked the Yes to Tomatoes stuff, but Mykiah didn't think it worked on her skin. Her grandma bought her some (very expensive) Clinique anti-acne and it destroyed her skin. More acne than she has ever had and I think it's going to leave permanent scars. I begged her to go back to just Cetaphil and moisturizer and it's finally clearing up. So don't spend a lot of money... money does not equal success.

[KristinCB]

I would suggest cetaphil to start - very mild! I keep trying other things and keep going back to the cetaphil and its what keeps my acne tame (along witha topical treatment)

good luck!

[ChristyHC]

When I was a teen I used Proactiv very successfully. My younger brothers all used it too. It starts with a cleanser and then has acne treatments. I think they suggest you use it twice a day but we often just did it once a day so the skin didn't dry out too much and it made it last twice as long.

[color of my heart]

another vote for cetaphil. it's what i used as a teenager, it's the only thing my mother would let me use.

another option which is what i use now: this cleanser and this scrub from st ives. i love the combo. the scrub is awesome, and the cleanser is really gentle. i get it at target, and i think they have a store brand version. i don't have acne per-say, but i get pimples now and then.

[taracotta7]

Originally Posted by lizzyfizzy

maddie has been really great about this but again, she's not a boy.

i would never allow anything over the counter on my own face, let alone my kids faces so we use a system by mary kay.

we use the velocity cleanser and moisturizer and then the blemish control toner 3 and acne treatment gel. you don't need to do the blemish toner and acne gel steps everyday. i would say 1-2 times a week depending on how bad the blemishes are.

all 4 of those come in a set for $40. it lasts about 3-5 months, so very affordable!

maddie could seriously preach on how amazing this stuff is. she went without it for about a week while we were waiting on an order and she broke out terribly. back on it and a week later - it's all gone! amazing stuff. very gentle and very effective!

Yep. This is what all my teenager used too. I only had one of mine that needed dr prescription stuff........her's was really bad and nothing was helping her. The other 3 did great with this system and had great results.