Beauty Clinic: Skincare for teen spots
Q. My 13-year old daughter suffers from clusters of spots mainly on her forehead, with a few loners round her nose. Her skin tends towards greasy especially in the T-zone. Can you suggest any gentle effective skincare please? They do upset her.
A. It’s no surprise that your daughter is upset. But we’re here to help. And interestingly, we have been putting quite a few products through their paces recently that could help your daughter.
Beauty Bible has just finished carrying out a report commissioned by an American-based natural brand called Yes To Tomatoes, which has launched a range of blemish fighting products, in cute packaging and at competitive prices. The consensus from our 28-strong teen tester panel was that many products in the range were outstandingly effective.
Particularly high scores were gained by Yes to Tomatoes Blemish Detoxifying Charcoal SnapMask Stick/£11.99 for 56 g. Almost every tester commented that it left their spots looking less angry, and calmed their skin, while leaving it with an improved appearance of brightness and radiance. Their complexions felt soft and looked calm, plus there were several comments on its effectiveness at tackling blackheads, as well as reducing the future incidence of blemishes. Results lasted for a few days, generally.
The next most popular products were the Detoxifying Charcoal Cleanser/£8.99 for 147 ml, and the Balancing Daily Moisturiser/£11.99. Altogether a hugely positive outcome from the trial so these merit the new Beauty Bible Approved sticker. (We’ll be telling you all more about that in due course.)
Outside of the Yes to Tomatoes products, our colleague’s 11-year-old daughter found that using Crystal Clear Oxygen Face Polish/£33.99 for 200 ml, a daily wash-off exfoliating cleanser, plus a once weekly application of Crystal Clear 10 Minute Glow Mask/£25.99 for 100 ml, which comes in a tube, did wonders for her skin. They felt fresh and light and cleared her spots almost immediately, especially on the oily part of her forehead where she had quite a few breakouts.
On the beauty steal front, Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Blemish Stick, £2.99 for 6 g, was helpful and she liked using the matching Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Exfoliating Facial Scrub/£4.19 for 150 ml, once a week to exfoliate and refresh her skin. There is a similar mask that also contains charcoal and has lots of good reviews online; Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Charcoal Facial Scrub/£4.99 for 150 ml. Using a gentle facial scrub before applying a mask can boost the mask’s effectiveness. (This range contains the named botanicals alongside synthetic chemicals.)
Finally, this young tester recommends OY! Clear Skin Blemish Concealer/£12, which zaps and conceals spots in one go. She reports that it doesn't feel as if you’re using make up but yet hides the spot. OY! is an offspring of Green People and products contain a bounty of botanicals with no synthetic chemicals, which, they say, make the range suitable for people who are prone to eczema and psoriasis.
Just one thing we would add. It’s vital that your daughter washes her hands very thoroughly before touching her face. In fact, anything that comes in contact with her face should be scrupulously clean to avoid transferring the bacteria that cause spots. So wash face flannels and towels on a high temperature and only use them once each time.
