Teen Acne Treatment OTC

[mcppalmbeach]

My teen son has some small breakouts on his chin and nose. I don’t think we need to bring in a dermatologist yet, but he wants to treat them. I have an rx azelaic acid for acne that I gave him to try, but it made his skin itch.what are the favorite OTC products? His skin can get really dry so I told him to use Neutrogena acne wash in his nose and chin, but his regular gentle cetaphil everywhere else. He’s on a medication that can increase acne so that’s also working against him.

[orval]

My ds uses Differin, Stridex pads and the Neutrogena hydro boost water gel moisturizer. This combo seems to be working well right now.

[mcppalmbeach]

Sept 30, 2024 5:45:51 GMT -5 orval said:

My ds uses Differin, Stridex pads and the Neutrogena hydro boost water gel moisturizer. This combo seems to be working well right now.

I was looking at differin. Does he just use the basic one with benzoyl peroxide? I saw there were a few different choices.

[expectantsteelerfan]

Neutrogena oil free acne wash (2x a day) to wash, and then acne patches on actual pimples overnight.

I used 'on the spot' acne treatment that is salicylic acid, and another topical that is benzoyl peroxide, but I think the acne patches actually work better.

Also, just in case you aren't aware, if you put a benzoyl peroxide product on your face and then lay down, it will bleach spots on pillow cases. Might also bleach towels that you use too.

[orval]

mcppalmbeach, this is the one he has been using
www.amazon.com/Differin-Adapalene-Treatment-60-day-supply/dp/B07HKVBRCF/ref=sr_1_1_pp?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ipwikIKf3IJ_bHo_OiGAvz693n7vPqBxhpTQLiBe4jh0ymA5nYhuJuo7hbVCcP4sicN_KlsSd6aS_8FyjDtR3oDr-u9qZnhorbmM2ZNGMhJD29dj0u3kFEm5eb3Ff8MD9gwY5y7M-j8K2AaluhRAZxUGQOC-ftfJIddnZ9uEuewwo82rzz7B5J3UIycC9HiwSoUygBC_1JHrtW_1-W8_XzNaG29DGs5WL12-d23apWxgspzbm9HPjMkwwMOoHtxBihVsdE1InvcP0_e404zPrGVMsFEL-RWy0q8l5Ww4V88.UkJSEPQ9eMVmKTjAvbZFVlHMoyTvs2Q_frTPfDXlvFY&dib_tag=se&keywords=Differin&qid=1727696956&rdc=1&sr=8-1

[buckeyegirl]

I just took my son to the dermatologist and they recommended Joeseph’s bar soap. They also gave him a Rx but the soap has really been helping.

[brooke77]

The hero patches work really well for breakouts.

[vamoose]

AM: gentle cleanser, salicylic acid 2% solution (Paula’s choice), then moisturizer

PM: gentle cleanser, differin gel, moisturizer

A couple of times per week, he will use PanOxyl face wash in shower and leave it on for 5ish minutes before rinsing. We also wash his pillowcase weekly at least.

This works great for him as long as he is consistent. That is the hardest part. Skincare works well when you do it every single day. He tries to skip it some nights when he is tired and the acne comes back quickly.

[isabel]

The guy who does my Botox is a dermatologist and I asked him about my skin once. He said he highly recommends Differin adapalene gel. You can buy it at Target. I do think it has helped my skin, but it takes several months.

[statgirl]

I had horrible acne during the masking year. I found the best treatment was cetaphil (using a washcloth) to wash, a heavy moisturizer, acne patches, and benzoyl peroxide sparingly. Differin was too strong and I had a lot of pain. With differin, they warn about a “purge” that will get worse before it gets better. I never could get to the better stage. When it works, it is great but if he starts to hurt, he may want to try something else.

My son uses this routine (cetaphil, moisturize, acne patches) also. He does stridex pads when he remembers also.

We (both) also had good luck with CosRX and the acne line.