The Teen Acne Treatment Plan You Should Try First
I’m going to come right out and say that what’s worse than seeing your pre-teen struggle with pre-algebra is seeing him (or her) deal with acne. Worse than that is when you know the dermatologist will suggest Retinoids or Benzoyl peroxide as the quick fix.
I had horrible teen acne in 6th grade. I had it all over my forehead, so of course, I always wore bangs and even a hat if I could (fashionably) get away with it.
You’ve likely been there, too. And it’s not fun.
At least with algebra, you can usually find an easy answer.
What surprises me about this age group is how motivated they are to problem-solve their own acne… to the point of even being willing to try non-conventional approaches to fixing it.
I was the one who snagged my brother’s prescription acne cream to apply to my own face… long before DIY acne recipes, and the Internet for that matter, were so readily available.
I asked my MadeOn readership about acne in their home:
Most mentioned their boys, not their girls. I researched and found out that teen acne is more prevalent with the male population in this age group.
57% of the respondents said their teen was open to trying almost anything.
43% said their teen is interested in trying natural remedies. (That's fantastic!)
In the survey, I listed 20 possible treatments to find out what has been tried, tried and failed, and tried and worked. The list included everything from manuka honey, to maca supplements, to diet changes, to using astringents.
I’ll share the results with you in a minute, but I need to preface this with something very important (in addition to the disclaimer that I am not licensed to give medical advice on acne):
Just like eczema and other skin conditions, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. There may be multiple causes.
We do know that it’s an inflammation issue, that it’s often bacteria-related, and can also have a connection to hormones.
When you’re plagued with it at age 13, all that doesn’t usually matter. You want something that will work now.
Have him try one of these strategies...
5 approaches to attacking acne that your teen can try now:
Oil Cleansing Method : The how-to is in this blog post I wrote in 2012. This is apparently working for many of my survey-takers. Crunchy Betty covers it extensively in her ebook Food on your Face for Acne and Oily Skin. In a nutshell, just apply the correct oil to your face (based on your skin type) and leave on your skin for 2 minutes, apply a warm, damp washcloth, and then gently wipe off.
DIY Acne Mask: mix 3 TBS honey with 1 TBS cinnamon. Apply to face, wait 20 minutes, and rinse.
DIY Toner: Toners had a high success rate with my readers. Mix 3/4 cup strong green tea with 1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar in a glass jar. Apply to face with a cotton ball. Store toner in fridge and use up within 2 weeks.
Use a micro-fiber wash towel for cleaning the face.
Try really, really hard not to pick at it (Yes, I know. Much easier said than done.)
Those were the most popular remedies that found success.
3 ways MadeOn can help:
There’s a popular YouTuber who is also a Certified Holistic Health Coach named Corrina Rachel. She put together an extensive video related to eczema and acne: the causes, along with natural remedies and DIY recipes. (MadeOn is featured there as well.) I took her content and created a PDF file for you to download. It’s called 10 Tips to Deal With Acne and Eczema. Her video link is contained in the file. Download here. It’s free!
Zinc oxide: the American Academy of Dermatology recommends finding products that contain zinc oxide to absorb oil, camouflage redness and prevent irritation. Our Simply Soothing Rash Cream contains over 15% zinc oxide in its formulation. Have your teen try the stick form for easy application (because they like easy!).
Replace any store-bought soap (especially if it’s anti-bacterial) with goat milk soap. Let MadeOn take care of that for you. Click to view
5 ways Mom can help:
Work in healthy, delicious alternatives to processed sugar and from-the-box foods. If you’re up for it, try reducing or eliminating grains and/or dairy to see if they’re the culprit.
Replace the anti-bacterial soap you have in the bathroom with a nourishing goat milk or other handcrafted soap, like our Avocado Goat Milk Soap.
Reduce or find a way to deal with stress (his, not just yours 😉 ).
In most cases, the acne will go away with age. A quick “this too shall pass” message from you may help.
It’s easy to hardly give anything a good try, so be a good example here. If YOU are trying to establish a healthy habit, set the example of giving something a good amount of time before giving up.
Natural Treatment for Acne Prone Skin (for Teens and Beyond):
Avocado Facial Cleansing Bar
Simply Soothing Rash Cream
Rash Cream & Avocado Facial Bar Testimonials
"I bought the Simply Soothing Rash Cream to try out on my shaving rash. It worked amazing. THEN my daughter tried it on her acne and it's working better than her $100 prescription cream! Will definitely buy more of this."
Annette in Ontario, Canada
"I have acne prone fair skin that burns/wrinkles/scars easily. This soap put ALL my other cleansers outta commission, I need them no longer"
Cari
Jane W:
This rash cream is wonderful!!!! It works on all of my family’s skin rashes, irritations, itches - we use it for everything. And it works!!
I got my first order while I was suffering a contact dermatitis eczema flair-up. This type of skin allergy causes my skin to become raw and weeps serum. My skin had stopped weeping and bandages were no longer needed by the time I received the Rash Cream. By this time, my skin was very dried and flaky as well as itchy. The rash cream healed this large patch of skin on my thigh within a week. Sometimes I forget to wear gardening sleeves and my arms get itchy bumps from various plants I’m pruning. The Rash Cream really helps! I love that the cream has no scent and goes on smooth. Also, a little go a long way!
I would have shared a picture, but it was too ugly! I love this cream!
Rash cream came just in time to help with my contact dermatitis from rye grass pollen. I still have the scars from it but it helped with the itching and inflammation.
Gifted my granddaughter Beesilk Junior and the rash cream. Within a week eczema on her six month old son back was gone! Lotion was a great success!
I absolutely love this! I have ordered several and will keep repurchasing for every summer! It’s amazing on sunburn. I used to use Ocean Potion sun lotion on my babies and it was amazing then they stopped making it…! I found out about MadeOn and tried a few things and this Rash Cream is the best! I apply it to sunburn a few times a day to my kids faces and now bring it on our yearly family vacation to FL for all my nieces and nephews’ little faces too! If you apply it a few times a day, reapplying once it soaks in, it’s gone or almost gone the next day and even on severe sunburn it has greatly lessened the pain and prevented blisters on one of my nephew’s shoulders! It’s expensive but I would imagine it last a while if you’re only using it on a few ppl. I bring a new can and use it daily for a week on a bunch of kids and usually give it to any that got really bad sunburn and need to keep applying it for a few more days. FL sun is mean and can burn you so much faster
Carry in purse for itchy
rashes and bug bites.
I use this on ezcema spots and bug bites. Works great!!
After several years of having eczema around his cheeks and ear areas, my husband has found total relief. Shaving had become difficult and very painful and so I ordered Made On rash cream. After only one week he noticed so much difference that I ordered him two more large of the cream he is a client for life.
Excited to try this for my new grandson
✨️Really amazing stuff. Zinc is incredibly healing and is in short supply in the soil and so in short supply in our diet. I have been using this on my face and body. It is silky & melts like butter. It feels wonderful and once rubbed in does not leave a film. A must have!