Best face wash for tween acne?

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Proactive can be very harsh on the skin. It is meant for severe acne - and formulated more for adult skin. There are some great options, target carries a lot. If she doesn't have oily skin (or even if she does) don't get something harsh - drying and irritation leads to more oil production which leads to more acne. Acne at that age is normal - the best thing is to encourage good hygiene and make sure she knows she is still beautiful.

I had BAD acne as an early teen. What finally cured it was stopping all those harsh cleansers and harsh wash routines. I went to a homemade cleaner, based with coconut oil, and an apple cider vinegar/water "toner". My face calmed down and my skin smoothed. I still get occasional break outs as an adult, but nothing some concealer can't handle.

Agree, don't use overly harsh products. Dehydrated dry skin will overproduce oil to try to balance the skin.

Apricot scrub! Go for St. Ives of targets up and up brand. I have used since I was about your daughters age, and have never had a major breakout. I do use it wherever I break out. (Face, back, etc)

This stuff is so harsh on the face and causes micro cuts that can let more bacteria in the skin.

I don't recommend listening to anyone here. No offense. Unless someone here is a dermatologist/esthetician and has seen your child's face. I recommend your child see a dermatologist. Their acne could be caused by something you have no clue about. And some acnes are different than others i.e. oily skin, dry skin, rosacea etc.

You don't have to buy the expensive products they recommend. Politely tell them you'll consider it but ask them to recommend some over the counter products (if cost is an issue). When I was a teen I had what was (still do but more controlled) called milia. They're baby cysts that were best removed by a professional that needed to be cut open and removed. Acne wash did not remove them. Please see a dermatologist before you throw your money away at useless products that may not help YOUR child's skin.

Really this.

Op, I do have some recommendations (see list) but will not recommend a medication here on a forum.

1.) Encourage the patient to keep hands off of face. Change hair style / hair placement so hair is not on the forehead / lying on the face.

2.) Face cleansing with a reputable product 3 times a day. First thing in the morning, mid-day and at bedtime. Additional cleansing dependent on the days activities.

3.) Always use warm water when cleansing. (even consider lying a warm wash cloth on the face for say 5 mins. after cleansing and then rinse with lots of cold cold tap water) Always Rinse with lots and lots of cold tap water. This closes the facial pores that the face cleansing opened and pushes bad stuff out of the pores.

4.) Be gentle but through when you cleanse your face. Do not pop / squeeze pimples.

5.) I know this is a tween .... face make up, any concealers should not be used.

Note: Op, your daughter is THAT age. Hormones and consistency of secretions change. Be supportive and do encourage the recommendations above. Explain the why's of above.
Of course, consulting a dermatologist is not a bad way to go if you think the issue is getting out of hand.

Based on the comment about not recommending a medication, I assume you're a dermatologist?

I'm really surprised to hear your insistence at washing and rinsing with different water temperatures. Pores don't open and close-I thought that beauty myth was busted long ago.

Warm water tends to soften hardened sebum in pores to allow it to wash out but unless you damage them creating scarring pore size is genetic. They appear smaller when clean but they do not open and close or grow and shrink.

 

[Ariel484]

It's interesting you mentioned this. My daughter's skin was starting to really break out and we tried a variety of cleansers. Then she decided to stop eating meat and her skin really cleared up. I'm not saying people should become vegetarian but I found it interesting that there was definitely some kind of link there. Now she uses clean & clear face wipes and only has occasional breakouts (usually because of sleeping in make-up).

Edited to add that I am not a vegetarian and I think in my daughter's case it was some sort of allergy and not necessarily just about not eating meat.

That's interesting! I was a vegetarian for 6 months and didn't notice any improvement, but that's awesome that your daughter did. I've heard that giving up dairy helps...but CHEESE.

I've been focusing on drinking more water lately (half my body weight in ounces each day) and that seems to help a bit.