My Stepdaughter Is Breaking Out What Are So Home Remedies I Can Do to Help

Updated on July 11, 2011
J.B. asks from Gilbert, AZ
13 answers

Hi there, my stepdaughter is visiting for the summer. She is starting to break out and has asked me for help. Anyway are there any at home remedies I can use to save money? Also, do you have one for a hair treatment? Being in AZ and a mother to 4 girls I need cheap home remedies to keep hair soft and added shine. THX

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K.C.

answers from Albuquerque on

The latest news on acne is that it is a result of too high intake of wheat and dairy. One or both could be the biggest culprits. I know you want a product...the best we've found is a pink oily substance in a tube by mary kay called extra emollient night cream.

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M.A.

answers from Orlando on

I have heard that aloe vera is good for acne. Honey is another home remedy that is supposed to be good for acne. As far as hair conditioners, I buy target brand leave in conditioner-detanger in the baby department. Its only $1.50 compared to other leave ins that cost around $5.00 or more. Its so cheap that you could buy a bottle for each girl & still only spend as much as you would for 1 bottle of the more expensive stuff. I also keep a bottle in the car in the summer for before & after swimming. You can put it on dry hair too. You can also leave some regular conditioner on the bottom of long hair (not the top because it would be too oily) before you get out of the shower.

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R.K.

answers from San Francisco on

zinc, vit. e and lysine supplements can help internally. and lots of water.

externally, tea tree or lavender oil on blemishes (always dilute until you know there's no reaction) and a light, natural moisturizer (you don't want to let skin get too dry).

good luck!

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J.N.

answers from Salt Lake City on

The most important (and overlooked) thing in controlling breakouts is proper hygiene. It is important to wash morning and night (whether she wears makeup or not) with something made specifically for the face. Handsoap is going to dry her out, which can cause oil production and even more breakouts. Body wash isn't quite going to do the job. I know you want to save money, and there are some face products out there that don't cost an arm and a leg. But without proper hygiene most other products aren't going to be able to do much. (Besides, it's an important habit for a young woman to get into)

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A.H.

answers from Omaha on

Here is a link for some hair mask recipes using yogurt, egg and mustard oil or olive oil to moisturize and add shine. http://www.lipstickmasala.com/2009/05/21/natural-conditio...

As for helping with breakouts try to get her on a solid routine of washing her face and neck twice a day. When she showers and at night before bed. Especially if she wears makeup! Use a gentle cleanser or soap. I always used good old ivory soap. (gasp!) People will say don't use soap, but it was truly the only thing that worked for my oily skin during my preteen/teen years. Now I use those facial wipes (like baby wipes only designed specifically for the face.) Walmart has them and you can get a 3 month supply for about $5-7. You can use an acne treatment with salicylic acid in it. That also helps dry up excess oil. Also have her use a mild moisturizer. It will help balance the oil, but not dry out her skin too much either. I get facials all the time. A couple of methods she can try at home that will help is putting her face over a pan of steaming hot water for about five minutes before she washes her face. This will open pores and allow her to get a deeper cleanse. Also my esthetician would always massage regular talcum powder into my face. Over a blemish she would lightly tap it on and tell me to leave it there for the day. It really helped to calm the redness and it was always gone within a day or two because it helped to dry out the oil and zits. I even started putting it on after my foundation to help smooth out my complexion. Hope this helps!
A.

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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Witch hazel will be good for her face -- and refreshing!

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D.W.

answers from Philadelphia on

witch hazel is good. i would say if you go to the swimming pool it will help her skin. make sure if you do go to the pool that you use shampoo that will get rid of the chlorine. make sure she washes her face in the morning and in the afternoon. Ivory soap is good and it is not expensive. also you do masks at home. take egg whites and beat them up until they get fluffy,that will be good for the skin. I would warm up some olive oil and put it on the hair. take fish oil pills they are good for the skin and the hair. everyone needs to drink lots of water and no soda. what we do from the inside will promote our health on the outside not always from the outside.

Updated

witch hazel is good. i would say if you go to the swimming pool it will help her skin. make sure if you do go to the pool that you use shampoo that will get rid of the chlorine. make sure she washes her face in the morning and in the afternoon. Ivory soap is good and it is not expensive. also you do masks at home. take egg whites and beat them up until they get fluffy,that will be good for the skin. I would warm up some olive oil and put it on the hair. take fish oil pills they are good for the skin and the hair. everyone needs to drink lots of water and no soda. what we do from the inside will promote our health on the outside not always from the outside.

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K.B.

answers from Flagstaff on

Hi, I know what you mean. I can't use sunscreen because it break out in prickly heat rash type bumps that itch.
YogaBody2.com under Face & Body they have great products that you might be able to find locally. I used to get what I call under the skin zits that are huge and hurt. I noticed about 3 months ago that since I've been using goat milk soap I haven't gotten one. my daughter breaks out so bad some end up looking like blood blisters on her cheeks, she's very happy with the results!
Good luck
Oh yeah, she stopped drinking 2% milk that helped with the break outs and b.o. issues.

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C.B.

answers from Boston on

My 14 year old daughter uses the CVS version of Cetaphyl cleanser. We also buy Avon face tonic, or the CVS version of Clearasil blue tonic with 2% salicylic acid. Wash morning and evening with the gentle cleanser and use a cotton ball to swipe the 2% tonic across the face. Then stop touching the face. It is often germs from you hands and picking at zits that causes the worst infections. However, I have had cystic acne, which is the kind of zits that do not erupt out of the skin but just bad infections under the skin. For that you need a doctor and I took tetrcycline (I think, some kind of anti biotic) for about 6 months at age 25. Never had zits when I was a teen, and now that I am 50 and going through perimenopause, I have break outs again! Good luck.

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J.B.

answers from Detroit on

Here are the tips I give to my Arbonne clients that use our Clear Advantage Acne products to help speed things up and to keep it clear once they get it cleared up. Change the pillow case every night, be sure to wash the skin morning and night. don't squeeze it will make things worse, use a good mask to draw out the bacteria, wash the hair with a shampoo that DOES NOT have mineral oil or animal products or by products (yes we have that too). Drink water not pop and a lot of it and eat lots of fresh fruit and veggies. Don't over stimulate the skin by rubbing and picking at it this will cause more acne. FYI Arbonne's products are highly concentrated because they do NOT ad fillers what you see is what you get. We have a Oil Absorbing day cream that I use myself in the summer (I am not a young person I use our anti aging products) because I get oily in the summer. I would be more than happy to send you samples of the shampoo, and the FC5 for oily skin wash/toner and Day Cream the samples for the face will last at least a week. Keep the hair out of her face and off her forehead this will help too.

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B.P.

answers from New York on

Lots of things can help acne, like the previous posters mentioned but some people, no matter how healthy they are still have acne, and I am one of them. It's expensive, but Proactive works. One you have the acne under control, you don't have to use it 2 times a day. Once a day or even every other day is good and will keep her skin clear.

D.K.

answers from Sioux City on

Tell your step daughter to cut back on refined sugars and drink lots of water. My daughter lives by this and her complexion has cleared up completely.

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K.M.

answers from Houston on

What worked for my son's acne was twice a day (morning and afternoon) gentle cleansing (don't scrub), then an application of benzoyl peroxide. Be careful with the bp because it will take the color out of fabric it has contact with. After a few days of this regimen we saw a marked difference. This combo treatment (gentle cleanse followed by bp) has kept his formerly severe acne at bay for years now.

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