Full Thread

Loraine (Queens, Ny) on 05/18/2010
1 out of 5 stars

Hello Everyone: I do hope someone can help me here. My eleven year old daughter has the worst acne on her back ever. I have tried everything - milk thistle, borax, apple cider vinegar, zinc etc and nothing is helping. She feels very frustrated and is so depressed. Any recommedations would be greatly appreciated. Also, the marks are unsightly. Please advice what can be used to fade them. Thank you EC so much.

Replied By Kerry (Port Alberni, Bc, Canada) on 05/19/2010

Just my personal experience, I used to have pretty bad acne on my face as a teen. What I found that worked best for me was to use a washcloth that was soaked in water that was as hot as I could stand. I'd lightly wring it out and put it on my face, leaving it there to open the pores. Then I'd scrub with the washcloth, fairly firmly. Then I'd repeat the process again.

It helped with my acne and kept it down quite a bit. Other teens that I went to school with tried it as well and it worked for them as well. I hope it works for your daughter as well, it can be quite frustrating.

Replied By Lisa (Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa) on 05/19/2010

Hi Loraine,

I'm sorry your daughter is experiencing this but you must really explore her diet. The acne is not the source of the problem but rather the outcome. All the outer remedies are not going to cut it. Go to the root source which is what she ingests. If she is eating the Standard American Diet (SAD), that is the source right there. The body needs whole foods and lots of greens for it to find its balance. Begin by cutting out ALL processed foods and adding in greens. The ratio should be 80/20 greens to other whole foods. It may sound difficult but, do it in stages if you must. As you change the balance, her body will actually begin to crave greens and healthy food. Especially when one sees the direct correlation between what goes in our bodies and what the state of our health is this becomes a "no brainer"!

I wish you both the best, Lisa

Replied By Loraine (Queens, Ny) on 05/19/2010

Thank you Lisa, Kerry, for your info. I really do appreciate it. God Bless.

Replied By Cameron (Brisbane, Qld, Australia) on 05/20/2010

Hi Loraine, I think it has already been said but you need to fix her diet first and foremost.

I battled with acne for a lot of my adult life and found that Vitamin C in regular doses helped enormously. Build up the dose slowly as Vitamin C can cause stomach cramps and diarrhoea, also use Aloe Vera on the acne, it may feel like its drying out her skin but do not try anything else over the top of the Aloe. Apply the Aloe Gel as often as possible, this is a wonder for skin. Address the diet though, exclude all sugar as a priority and be patient.

Replied By Zay (Cape Town, South Africa) on 05/20/2010

Hi Lorraine, Lisa is correct in saying that your daughter needs good nutrition. I can advise if you are interested. You can contact me at azfries and it is at hotmail dot com Looking forward to hearing from you. Zay

Replied By Tony (London, Uk) on 05/20/2010

I have to say, having suffered for years, stopping using all non-natural toiletries has worked wonders. I use no soap and my back and face have cleared up loads.

Replied By Loraine (Queens, Ny) on 05/22/2010

Thank you Cameron/Tony for your response. I'll try these alongwith the diet change. If it works, I'll make sure EC knows!! Thank you again.

Replied By Pb (Cape Breton, Ns) on 07/06/2010

I'm so sorry to hear about your daughter's issues with acne. I've been doing alot of reading and personal experimentation on acne as it's an issue for me too.

This is what I've come up with so far for myself. I'm speaking as someone with skin that's extremely sensitive to breakouts!

-as far as diet goes it seem iodine in salt can be an issue for some people in terms of causing acne

-I would take her off all commercial body or face washes as I found that these can exacerbate acne in people with sensitive skin. Also any soap made from animal fat or animal products can cause breakouts and make acne worse. I use all-vegetable handmade soap (that I make myself or buy at specialty stores from private craftspeople). Remember that her shampoo/conditioner can coat the skin of her back so be careful of that too

-I would also recommend against any commercial moisturizing creams or lotions. Natural oils are very healing and you can find lots of info online. In particular jojoba oil can actually help regulate skin sebum. I found a mix of about 30 ml jojoba oil with added essential oils such as lavender and tea tree oil (maybe 6 drops of each) prevents breakouts. I apply like 2x/day like you would any face lotion, and I use a few drops on a cotton ball as a toner on my neck & back

-for new breakouts, a concentrated mix of a few drops of jojoba oil and a few drops of oil of oregano (antifungal and antibacterial; buy the kind with the highest carvacrol content) can stop the breakout. It stings a bit!

-Dead Sea salt is very healing to bathe in and can also be dissolved in a bit of water to dab on breakouts to help healing ( I put some on at night). Regular sea salt doesn't seem to help me at all.

-supplements of Vit C and Vit A can help too but make sure to research Vit A dosage carefully or check with your doctor

Good luck, let us know it goes!

Replied By Piper (Toronto, On) on 08/14/2010

Your daughter seems very young to be getting acne, let alone on her back. Acne seems to be a condition that you manage rather than cure. She may be prone to break out so maybe evaluate remedies on the basis of improving rather than eradicating. I have used UV light (tanning beds). UV kills bacteria. I use a led light (hand held) on face breakouts. Baths. Epsom salt or borax. Keep trying. I have had problems with acne since I was a teenager and I am now 44 years old. I don't believe it has everything to do with hormones, or what you eat. I eat well and still have problems. The more I read, the more I believe that demodex mites are part of the problem. We all have mites. I just believe that in some people, these become more of a problem. As I have gotten older, I have gotten acne in more places than just my face. I believe this is mites spreading. I have just started treating myself with borax, baths and drinking. I went to the doctor to see about getting treated for mites. He hadn't heard of demodex, but he is referring me to a dermatologist.

Replied By Piper (Toronto, On) on 03/15/2011

Salt. It occurred to me that when I swam in the ocean my skin cleared up, so I started to take salt baths. I use about a 1/4 cup of rock salt. Also rub individual pimples or affected area with wet salt crystal. Dries and heals quicker.

Entire Thread

You must be logged in to love this post! Please sign in:

You must be logged in to follow this post! Please sign in: