So my oldest son is getting to that point we all remember and love, puberty. And I started thinking about my own skin care regime… which is pretty horrible, basically just bar soap on the face twice a day. I want to provide him with tips on how to keep his skin better. High school sucks enough at the best of times. And I know it’ll go easier if his skin looks good. And in all honestly it is time to get my regimen upgraded as well.
So what is the basic regimen both he and I should be following? I know this can get as complicated as we want. So I figure a daily cleanser, a moisturizer, and a weekly scrub would be good for both of us? And a acne product for him?
A good face wash, exfoliant, and moisturizer are good ideas at any age. But please, don’t make him self-conscious about acne before he even develops it. You don’t have to buy an exfoliating scrub or special brush, just give your face a good scrubdown with a washcloth after it’s clean. First you wash, then you exfoliate, then you moisturize.
I’m female and I don’t generally buy into super-expensive beauty products. Clinique is good, sure, but big box store-brand facewash and face cream are fine, too.
Start with a routine once a day. Washing too much can cause breakouts, too (depending on activity level and skin type). If once isn’t enough, then go to twice. I wouldn’t wash my face much more than 2 or 3 times a day without a doctor’s advice. Also, unless the kid in question is a total slob-job, acne generally has more to do with heredity than environment. If he gets bad acne, take him to his doctor for prescriptions.
St. Ives has one, but lots of other places make generic versions, and as long as they have that little bit of salicylic acid in there, he’s good to go.
The packaging is always nice and neutral, not girly at all, and the scrub itself is all thick and tan colored, so it looks all manly and tough. It also (according to my husband) feels like it’s actually “doing something” because it’s all gritty and it stings a little when it’s sitting on the skin.
He shouldn’t need to use it all the time, but whenever he gets a breakout, or discovers an area of his body that tends to be more oily/sweaty than the rest of him, he can use it pretty regularly without doing any harm to his skin from overuse.
He is already getting breakouts and has already asked me what to do about it. And I am already well aware of how sensitive kids can be. The goal is to cut off what is obviously already a body image issue and eliminate it before it becomes serious.
So so far it sounds like a face wash and salicylic acid scrub for breakouts should take care of him?
A dermatologist is a better choice, if you have insurance. You can try the over-the-counter stuff for a while, but if it doesn’t respond to those, it’s doctor time.
Acne is a bacterial infection, and a long lived one. It has little to do with what you eat*, what you wash with or even how often you wash. Scrubs usually make it worse.
The standard of care these days is a gentle mild detergent - not soap (like Dove, Neutrogena or Cetaphil) once or twice a day. A soft washcloth may be used gently, but avoid puffs and scrubby things. The water should be lukewarm, neither hot nor cold. Use an over the counter ointment or cream with benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, resorcinol, or salicylic acid. Shampoo daily and keep the hair off the face. Avoid picking, squeezing, scrubbing, rubbing or scratching the pimples or touching your face with your hands - this only irritates the skin and spreads the bacteria. Avoid ballcaps, headbands and hats. If you must wear bandanas, doo-rags or hairnets, wear a clean one each day, never the same one twice without washing it in detergent and hot water.
If these don’t reverse the course in 3 months, seek medical attention.
*Chocolate, greasy foods and nuts have not been shown to cause or increase acne. High sugar diets *may *exacerbate acne, however.
Wash face with water if greasy. Repeat until not. I have a cleanser I use rarely.
If acne, then clean using generic Proactive if I have time, 1-step benzoyl if not. Yes, I still get zits. They came back with a vengeance when I turned 26.
For both you and your son, I recommend Alpha Hydrox. It’s a line of alpha hydroxy based skin care which means that your skin is exfoliated thoroughly which will also help with getting a close shave and avoiding ingrown hairs. You can go to neotericcosmetics.com to see the full line of products, ask questions and pick out products that will work for you. I don’t recommend soap because it’s so hard to thoroughly rinse off. I also don’t like exfoliators which use ground up fruit pits or nut shells because these are irregularly shaped and can cause microtears in the skin. Hope this helps.
I believe in taking care of myself and a balanced diet and rigorous exercise routine. In the morning if my face is a little puffy I’ll put on an ice pack while doing stomach crunches. I can do 1000 now. After I remove the ice pack I use a deep pore cleanser lotion. In the shower I use a water activated gel cleanser, then a honey almond body scrub, and on the face an exfoliating gel scrub. Then I apply an herb-mint facial mask which I leave on for 10 minutes while I prepare the rest of my routine. I always use an after shave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm followed by a final moisturizing protective lotion.
I’m not a man, but I’ve heard that using an electric shaver is a lot better if you have sensitive skin or acne as it is less irritating that using a regular razor.
salicyclic acid always worked for me in that stage. and still now a few times a week (like 3) i use yu-be skin care’s foaming skin polish as a good, strong face wash that’s not too abrasive.
Please take him to the doctor if he gets acne that is moderate to severe. There are affordable prescriptions (topical tretinoin mainly) that can work much better than anything OTC.
I have permanent scarring because my parents didn’t do that. It really sucks.
