Help with Hygene for Pre-menstrual Daughter

Mary Kay offers a skin care set that's specifically for younger girls. It's the Velocity set. I do sell Mary Kay, so please let me know if you would like more information on this.
Hope it helps!

Aveeno has some really nice but gentle skin products. (I use them for myself because I have sensitive skin & eczema.) Either that or I'd suggest using neutrogena products - they make very mild soaps and lotions as well.

Wow! You've gotten a lot of responses, but here's a new one. I am on a holistic moms group that have been raving about this:

http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/

It might seem a little out there, but from what I hear, it is working for a lot of people!

S., The Neutrogena products are great and relatively in-expensive and can be found everywhere. They are the first thing I started using as a young teen and come highly recommended by dermatoligists as well. I still use it and I am 30! There is a whole acne line with washes, bar soaps, and even astringents (sp?) all perfectly safe for younger skin! As far as deoderant...dove, secret, soft'n'dri, I have had an allergic reaction to the Secret before and now use soft'n'dri with no problem. Good luck, and kudos to you for being so on top of your daughters hygene!!!

I use Cetaphil wash on my face and also the lotion with SPF 15 every day, twice a day. A dermatologist told me it's safe enough for babies. I wouldn't think that would be too harsh. I also have very sensitive skin and use Dove deodorant. I'm much older than your daughter, but it's cheap and available at all drug stores, Target, etc, so it might be worth a try. Good luck!

-L.

Hi S. - I would recommend a product called Cetaphil. You can get it at your local drug or grocery store. A bar is like $3 I think and the moisturizer is also inexpensive and lasts forever (its a large container). Its what I still use to this day and have never had acne problems.

A few years ago I went a very chi-chi spa in Chicago and when the esthitician (sp?) giving me my facial asked what I used I was embarrassed to tell her, but when I did she said that was just fine. She said its a little-known secret in the celeb world! Its very mild and works wonderfully - it won't irritate delicate skin and has no harsh additives. I'd really suggest trying it out!

Tom's of Maine makes great natural deodorants that work well for my daughter and don't irritate her sensitive skin. Plus it doesn't have aluminum or any other potentially harmful ingredients. You can find it at your local health food store or at Target stores (right with the other deodorants)

Good luck!
J.

Hi, I would recommenr Cetaphil or Dove Sensitive Skin for soaps. My doctor has okayed both these products for my daughter, who has eczema and needs very mild products. If you need a moisturizer, you could also try Eucerin or Cetaphil lotion. The most basic formula is best on the face, and the plus or extra strength is good on the body, especially in Winter. For deodorant, Dove works well also. My daughter alternates between that and Teen Spirit. It seems as if with using the same product every day, the body builds up a resistance to it and it doesnt fight odor and wetness as effectively, which is why we alternate.

I was told by my ped. that we could use glcyerin soap(neutrogena has this) benzoyl peroxide cream (walmart has this) try these first and then add retina if thee 2 things do not work

We used the Dove soap for sensitive skin. They also make a moisturizing soap that would not dry her skin but still be gentle. As for the deodorant, my husband was highly allergic to any of the "manly" brands. One day he was out of his brand and put on my Secret. No outbreak!! He started using Secret from that day on and never had another problem. You might want to try unscented.

Mary Kay sells Velocity which has a light scent which is for younger people (no age fighting products in it) and this would help with the acne in a gentle manner. Soap might be too harsh making her body want to produce more oil as the soap is drying it out. I sell Mary Kay products if you're interested, but I'm sure there are plenty of other products out there that aren't too harsh.

Personally, for a mild soap for myself and daughter, we use Neutregena bar soap....you can also get unscented if you prefer. I have pretty sensitive facial skin (breakout prone, etc ( and my daughter has all over sensitive skin...so this works for us)....for deoderant...I agree with the other suggestions....if its for odor and not wetness, look for just deoderant not anti-persperant...and maybe avoid the fragrance? I think the teen formulas just have fragrances that are supposed to appeal to the young girls...other than that, I am not sure the affectiveness is any different than another brand (such as Dove, Secret, etc).....when my daughter started wearing it, she just used what I bought for myself (I buy the multi-packs, so usually have a spare or 2 unopened, unused ones, so I just handed her one and we discussed it and I said "use this!"....after that was gone she tried all sorts of the teen ones, but ended up back at the kind I origonally gave her! LOL).....

My biggest issue with my dd at that age was regular showers...UGH.....start the routine now....wash the face in the morning and at night right along with tooth care, etc.....and whatever time shower time works for you (AM or PM) right along with it.....

Regarding deodorant, I would stick to just that: deodorant. NOT antiperspirants (which I think Teen Spirit is). Anti-perspirants usually contain aluminum which is harmful to put on the underarms which have lymph nodes right there and are so close to breast tissue, which has potential to cause disease if too many toxins are applied. Go to a natural food store and pick up something there. (Alba, Aubrey Organics, Tom's of Maine....those are all pretty decent. I use the salt crystal myself.) Remember, sweating is GOOD for you. It releases toxins from the body. Deodorant just helps us get through the day without smelling too bad. Rule of thumb: let them see you sweat! :)

You could have her wash her face with Cetaphil, it is a mild cleanser recommended by dermatalogists. As for deoderant, she may be having a reaction to the fragrance, you might try something unscented.

Our son uses Cetaphil to wash his face -- it's gentle and highly recommended by dermatologists. (I use it too.)

S.,
I use a mild oil free foam wash from Nutregena. It is the greatest stuff. I break out a bit right before the time of the month. I have very sensitive skin and this works wonderful and keeps my face clear. Also because of my sensitive skin I will break out in a rash from deoderant. I have started using Secret Platinum. I use the lavender but they have it in a lot of scents she may love.

S.,

I've read a number of responses. As for the deodorant - look for one without alcohol and she may be reacting to a fragrance in it as well, but start with alcohol. Since your daughter is 9, as a Mary Kay beauty consultant, I strongly suggest that you have her use soap and water, twice a day. Any of the suggested soaps would be great. She just needs to keep the skin clean. I wouldn't advise using a "skin care" system until she is about 14. I hope you find the answers you are looking for.

S. - you definitely want to use something that is gentle on her skin. Sense is a product line produced by USANA Health Sciences. It is paraben free (parabens are chemical preservatives that are being found in breast cancer tissue), and gentle on your skin. As far as deodorant goes, you want to stay away from anti-persperients. They, contain aluminum which is also not healthy for us. If you have a health food store close by or even Target carries Tom's brand. A natural deodorant.

Good luck,

D.

Clinique soaps are really good, and gental. Maybe try a deoderant with baking soda in it.

I don't have any suggestions for premenstral stuff. Because I grew up w/o a mom around. So I didn't really have anyone to explain it to me. As for deoderant. Try Degree. It has a few / several diff. scents avail. I prefer it over any other brand out there. Hope this helps.

C.

Try unscented deoderant. A lot of the time when we break-out from hygeine and cosmetic products it is because of the scent. As for the break-outs I would try a facial cleanser and a mask as well as a toner. I know she is young, both my daughters matured early and it is difficult for Mom's to handle. I would also take her to a departmet store that offers bra fitings and have her professionally fitted. I worked at Penneys as a bra fitter. Penney's has highly trained fitters. When I would have a young lady come in with her Mom I would often fit the Mom first, so the daughter understands how we fit a woman. Let her pick out a few cute ones, it is more for the girls self confidence than anything else. Penney's often has a great clearance rack of bras. If you look through it carefully you can find nice ones for $10 and less. Also the childrens department has Maidenform bras for girls that are rarely ever on sale but sell for $10. She should be fitted every 6 months or so depending upon her growth rate. She could grow out of her bras often, that's why I recommend the clearance rack.
I hope this helped.

There are a lot of gentle face soaps out there. Neutrogena, Cetaphil, and Kiss My Face are inexpensive brands you can find just about anywhere. Buy something scent-free to keep it gentle. Also, I have heard that Olive Oil soap does wonders for acne--I know Kiss My Face makes an Olive Oil Soap.

Tom's of Maine makes some really gentle deodorants, and deodorant/anti-perspirants. They even make an unscented deodorant that I love.

Give Nicole B a call. You will not be sorry. I sell Mary Kay too, and have seen great results from my young cousins and my ten year old son as well. It is never too early to take good care of your skin, and Mary Kay is inexpensive and America's #1 brand. The velocity cleanser is only $10 and the moisturiser is $12. They are oil absorbing so they are perfect for blemish prone skin. The cleanser cleans, freshens, and tones in one step so it is an easy skin care line. Then it is vital to use a moisturizer because sometimes it is because your face is too dry when you get irritations and breakouts from not using the right moisturizer. Anyway, Nicole will help you with all your questions and Mary Kay is 100 % satisfaction guarantee. SO even if it does not work for your daughter you are not out anything to try it. Have a great weekend!

Arbonne. It has a comprehensive system that works synergistically. The system includes a supplement that helps regulate the amount of oil produced~resolving the issue from the inside. Arbonne is a botanical product and they have 28 years of Pure, Safe and Beneficial products proven to offer results.
It is also reasonably priced, and goes a long way.
I have a some very satisfied customers with the Arbonne acne line.
By the way, fyi. . . be sure and let her know that picking isn't a good thing for trying to rid yourself of acne. It actually promotes more acne (in case she is tempted to do so).

Before purchasing any of the products mentioned in this string, be sure and check ingredients. A well known name doesn't necessarily mean quality.

Good luck, S.!
J.

Feel free to email me if you are interested in learning more.
____@____.com or www.mychoice.myarbonne.com

S.,

You should use something other than soap and water on her face. They are very drying and can cause more outbreaks.
I am with L'Bri Pure and Natural and have had customers buy the skincare line for their daughters and sons. They had great results with it. It is aloe based and about as natural as you can get. You can check the products out on my website www.kime.lbri.com or you can contact me privately ____@____.com you tried a "natural" deordorant for her? I am sure someone in the group has a line that carries a natural deodorant.

Hope you find some good suggestions for this.

KimE

Hi S.! Have you ever heard of Grandma's oatmeal soap? I loved that for my face. I would have her wash her face only at night as she still has tender young skin and it would be terrible to dry out her face. Follow up with a good moisturizer. Drying the skin can make it more prone to break outs. I use Renew lotion from Melaluca and I have never had softer skin! I love it! I use it on my little kids too.
There is a topical acne product called X-Zit. It's awesome. I never had acne problems as a kid but my hubby did even into adulthood. He loved the X-zit roll on. It is natural and won't harm her skin.
I agree with those who say that she should be using a deoderant WITHOUT anti-perspirent. Tom's of Maine is a good natural product but you can go to any health section of a grocery store or even Target and choose a good natural brand.
It sounds like you are very in tune with your daughter's body and her needs even while being so busy. Good job Mom!

There are deodarants out there with tea tree oil or melaluca, or other natural ones. They might not work as well, but may be a good one to start with. I use withhazel myself as an astringent, you can buy a big bottle for less and I think it is less harsh on the skin - I find it in the pharmacy area.

For a cleanser, I highly recommend Cetaphil. It's a very mild cleanser that doesn't contain soap. When I was a teen my dermatologist recommended it and I still use it to this day. I've also seen it mentioned in many magazines as something you should use. You should never use soap on your face as it is too drying, which then makes the acne worse. I had a decent amount of acne, and I tried everything. Have her use this and see if it helps. You can buy it anywhere and Walmart even has a generic brand of it. They have an entire line of products, but I've only tried the cleanser.

I saw that someone already recommended out Tea Tree products from The Body Shop, which is exactly what I was going to suggest. There are also wipes which are great for busy tweens or teens and a bar soap which can be used on the entire body. They are very mild, not a treatment plan, just to keep the skin clear and healthy. A soap (even a mild one) is just going to dry out her skin and cause a worse reaction. The skin on our face is much thinner than elsewhere on the body, and thus much more sensitive.
As for deoderant, is she using it after shaving? This could be causing the breakout. She may want to try using it at night. The skin will absorb it better and it will even last throughout the day, even after showering. The tea tree oil soap I mentioned above could also be used here as a natural way to eliminate bacteria. If you e-mail me your address I'd gladly send you a few samples so your daughter can try them out and see what you think. Good luck!

We use Cetaphil (very mild soap) for washing faces in the morning and at night. Our dermatologist recommended it for all of my children as a great, gentle cleanser for their face. We bought it in a pump (liquid) and keep it on the countertop...makes it easier to remember. My daughters also like to use headbands (the cloth kind) for keeping their hair out of their faces when they wash. (They think it is cool.)

Basis by Johnson and Johnson, or Neutrogena for sensitive skin, even good old fashioned hard milled oatmeal soap from a natural foods shop would all be good for young, sensitiv skin. A natural crystal type deoderant may be a good option as it is natural and has no harsh chemicals but is effective in stopping wetness. You can get this at a natural foods shop too.

I too have heard great things about Cetaphil and the MaryKay Velocity. A friend of mine had her 9 or 10 year old daughter using the Velocity. I would also suggest using a deodorant that is aluminum and paraben free. I found a brand at Target that was the same price of the other brands called, 'herbal clear Naturally'. I really like it...smells nice and is alcohol free also, so not drying. Good luck...I'll be there in a few years. :-)

Basis soap and Dove deoderant.

OK, I am definately not a pre-teen, however I have super-sensitive skin and would like to share a few things that have worked for me... Even when I was as young as your daughter every solution that I put on my face would immediately dry me out. For years now I have found that by using a mild face soap (make sure you choose one made for the face, they're less intense to begin with) and immediately applying "Eucarin Calming Cream" it illiminats that dry, irritated skin that can be caused by using soap on your face. It works like a charm. In the winter my skin is alwys dry and often I will re-apply the lotion halfway through the day as well. It's a great solution without having to resort to persription treatment for sensistive skin. Also, about the deoderant, I break out from any kind of deoderant as well. Try using "Dove Sensitive Skin". It works very well for me, however I don't think that it is quite as strong as other deoderants so if I am going to be working out or doing something that is really going to make me sweat I do use Degree just for that period of time, then following the activity I wipe it off with washcloth and apply the Dove. If your duaghter is only a pre-teen she may not even need a stronger deoderant for times of physical activity. I would definately try the Sensitive Skin deoderant, it worked very well for me.

Ah I remember those days, no so fondly... :-)
If she has sensitive skin Almay deoderant is awesome.
For preteen and teen skin there are a few great skin care systems out there to get her in the habbit now of good skin care. clear.now and artistry essentials are some of my favs, available at www.mhootman.qbeautyzone.com. Mary Kays Velosity line is fun for this age also and is truly geared towards the kinds of skin problems you have. Avoid anything with fragrance for truly sensitive skin. Get her in the habbit now and it can prevent the major breakouts of teen years. Good luck!!! And happy womenhood to come for your daughter :-)

You have received so many responses, and I did not read any of them. I have struggled with acne forever it seems. I only used soap and water. Come to find out from my dr that actually can make it worse not better. I would avoid soap. I do not know what is a better option, I have a 10 year old with the same things happening. I struggle to get her to shower, use her deoderant and on and on. Good Luck and I look forward to reading some of your responses to see if anything works for us.

Neutrogena has a mild soap and it really works. It is a light brown color. I have been using it since I was a teenager! I have really sensitive skin. Also try dove deoderant it really helps with sensitive skin. It is one of the only deoderants that I can use. Good luck with the teenage years!!

Look at your local health-food store or natural food co-op. They usually carry "all natural" personal care products.

ACNE: Find a product that contains tee-tree oil. (See http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/bodyshop/browse/product_de... ) It helps fight bacteria and is a non-clogging natural oil that will keep her skin from overproducing oil after she washes. [If you can't find any tee-tree oil in a product, go with a mild soap such as Burt's Bees Baby soaps, or something with shae butter. Then have her put a few drops of pure tee-tree oil in her hand with a few drops of all-natural face cream and apply after washing (should be roughly a 1 to 3 ratio).

BODY ODOR: As she is breaking out, she is likely allergic to the aluminum found in most deodorants. It could also be talc that is causing her breakouts. (F.Y.I. Aluminum has been linked to breast cancer and talc also - talc is also found in some food products... yikes!). I am allergic to deodorants too, I did find though that Secret Soft-Solids (not the stick kinds) are okay on 'special occasions' as long as I don't wear them eccessively. I HIGHLY recommend the mineral deodorant sticks found at health food stores - just apply water to the tip and rub under arms. They are non-toxic, all natural, and don't contain questionable products like aluminum and talc. Downside: They are not moisture absorbing, but when used daily after washing do generally stop odor (she may need to apply more than once a day if involved in sports or is prone to sweating).

Best wishes,
H.

My sister-in-law had bad acne when she was young, and the dermatologist told her to use SafeGuard soap. I've even used it myself and it does help!

Hi I have four children and have had this issue with my daughter the pediation suggested neutrogena, it is mild but it will not dry out her face like soap and water and cause more acne. As for the deoderant I would try the regular Dove brand my sister is allergic to everything and this is the one that is mild but works for her. Good luck it only gets more complicated from her!

Velocity facewash by Mary Kay is one of the best acne face washes. It is made for younger and sensitive skin. I also would recommend a natural deoderant - I use the one from Trader Joes. It does not have perfumes and dyes in it. Highly reccomended. Both are inexpensive too.

Does she need the deoderant for smell or wetness? I ask because maybe you want to switch her to just a deoderant without the anti-persperant. The chemicals used to stop sweating may be a little harsh for her.

You will find lots of help for your daughter at a natural food store S. (or natural foods/products online). There are great deoderants that won't harm her and supplements that can help to reduce acne. Google on what you are looking for to help her or go straight to your local food co-op or whole foods store.

S.,
I would continue to promote everyday washing as this will help her to get into good hygiene habits. I would recommend using Ivory soap or check Walgreens, Target or Walmart for a mild face wash with no fragrance and no mineral oil as these will irritate skin and clog pores. As far as deoderant I would suggest dove. Arbonne also has a good line for younger girls with face washes and lotions that are gentler on skin.