Teenage spot treatments, which are best?

BinCat · 15/10/12 - 09:04

My 14 year old has just started getting a few spots, not loads, maybe about 3 or 4 at a time.

it's a shame as he has had really good skin up to now. I'm not sure what to advise him as me and his Dad were lucky and got away with the whole acne thing when we were young. He knows to keep his face clean, and he doesn't pick at them.

Does anyone know if the advertised spot treatments work, like Freederm and Clearasil etc, or are there any natural things that clear them up?

Akane Tendo · 15/10/12 - 09:19

Panoxyl. The 10% version is best never thought the weaker versions did much good. Quite harsh on your skin though.

FearFactor · 15/10/12 - 09:20

tea tree oil is very good for clearing up spots if you want something natural.

clearasil is pretty rubbish and I didn't particularly rate freederm.

quinoderm is good, but beware it bleaches clothes/sheets/towels etc.

shmisk · 15/10/12 - 09:52

Witch hazel sticks are very good at treating sits

I second tea tree also

haphash · 15/10/12 - 10:27

Well I took my daughter to the doctors regarding her spots and he gave her anti-bacterial cream and antibiotic cream. They worked a bit better than the over the counter stuff you can buy in the high street. We then tried antibiotics in tablet form which also worked a bit better but kids can't keep on them long term.

Then my daughter started using Sudocreme - the stuff you put on babies bottoms. This has worked better than all the treatments given to us so far by the doctors. Inexpensive too.

georgetheaspie · 15/10/12 - 16:20

Lavender oil.
Put it on neat - a few drops smeared over the affected areas/areas prone to acne. Put it on before bed so that you don't stink of lavender all day the next day.

I only discovered it recently - a tip from my mother. I'm 21 and only suffer from a few spots now. I wish I'd used it as a teenager when I had far more! I've never used anything as good, and that includes steroid cream from the doctor, toothpaste, extra-special effort to keep the face clean, solutions from the chemist etc.

Lavender oil apparently has 'incredible healing properties'. According to my mother, these were discovered when some scientist-type chap burnt his hand and 'plunged it into the first liquid he could find - a basin of lavender oil [which] he had there for something else.'

cnbcwatcher · 15/10/12 - 16:32

FearFactor wrote: »

clearasil is pretty rubbish and I didn't particularly rate freederm.

Mum tried Clearasil on me when I was a teen and it didn't really work. It stank to high heaven as well. Never tried Freederm but I doubt it works wither.

[Deleted User] · 15/10/12 - 16:40

Another vote for witch hazel or tea tree oil, they're the only two that really ever brought me any joy.

Sudocrem sometimes shrinks individual spots slightly too, but I don't think that it's anything worth writing home about.

[Deleted User] · 15/10/12 - 16:41

Products containing benzoyl peroxide are useful if he's getting pustules. It can be a bit harsh and these creams take several weeks to work.
You're not meant to use exfoliators or wash your face more than once or twice a day if prone to spots.

Mrs Mackintosh · 15/10/12 - 16:53

Clearasil never worked but Freederm seems a lot better. My daughter only gets them on her forehead, nowhere else. She's used toothpaste overnight to dry them out and that seemed to work for a while. Weirdly enough Avon's Skin So Soft helped them too.

[Deleted User] · 15/10/12 - 17:30

Witch hazel and tea tree are the best, and also products containing salicylic acid (but you have to be careful not to use too much of this).

BinCat · 15/10/12 - 18:04

Thanks, just bought him a witch hazel stick, lets see if that clears them up!

Markjuk · 27/10/12 - 11:14

BinCat wrote: »

My 14 year old has just started getting a few spots, not loads, maybe about 3 or 4 at a time.

it's a shame as he has had really good skin up to now. I'm not sure what to advise him as me and his Dad were lucky and got away with the whole acne thing when we were young. He knows to keep his face clean, and he doesn't pick at them.

Does anyone know if the advertised spot treatments work, like Freederm and Clearasil etc, or are there any natural things that clear them up?

Believe it or not Lemon juice. Either freshly squeezed or in bottles/lemon shaped plastic containers (the stuff you use for putting over pancakes)

I have suffered with blackheads and greasy skin for a while and tried Lemon Juice recently after reading about it online as a treatment for acne.

I can say it definitely works, this is coming from someone who has used nearly every other product that you can buy in the Supermarket including Benzoyl Peroxide and Tea Tree products.

The reason I believe is due to:

a) Citric Acid - Creating an acidic environment for Acne bacteria so they die off.
b) Vitamin C - Lemon juice has high levels of vitamin C (Powerful antioxidant) so you are applying this to the skin at the same time.

Added benefit is that it is cheap!

CoolCatFlash · 27/10/12 - 17:29

As someone who suffered from socially crippling acne in my teens the best remedy I found was regular use of a decent face scrub and moisturiser, plus making sure you get enough water throughout the day. Clearasil and Neutragena an all of the other over the counter treatment aimed at teens does nothing more than dry the skin out, which then makes the skin create more oil.

Hey there!

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Teenage spot treatments, which are best?

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