You’ve got this, Mom!

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. I had horrible teen acne in 6th grade. 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 recipe, and the Internet for that matter, were so readily available.

I asked my MadeOn readership about acne in their home:

1. 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.
2. 57% of the respondents said their teen was open to trying almost anything.
3. 43% said their teen is interested in trying natural remedies.

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:

1. 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.
2. DIY Acne Mask: mix 3 TBS honey with 1 TBS cinnamon. Apply to face, wait 20 minutes, and rinse.
3. 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.
4. Use a micro-fiber wash towel for cleaning the face.
5. 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. Leslie of Crunchy Betty has many more ideas to check out in her e-book and on her blog.

3 ways MadeOn can help:

1. 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!
2. 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!).
3. 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 soaps.

5 ways Mom can help:

1. 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.
2. Replace the anti-bacterial soap you have in the bathroom with a nourishing goat milk or other handcrafted soap.
3. Reduce or find a way to deal with stress (his, not just yours 😉 ).
4. In most cases, the acne will go away with age. A quick “this too shall pass” message from you may help.
5. 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.

Annette in Ontario, Canada: “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.”