Dr. Chheda – Teen Acne part 2. Now, whenever a teenager complains about acne, one of the first things I ask about is “How do you wash your face?” And lately I have been flabbergasted by the answer. You know what they’re telling me? “Oh, I wash with water, no soap.” Okay, I try not to make judgments, but this one – come on! You need soap!

Acne is caused by bacteria. Soap is the only way you’re gonna kill the bacteria and get rid of the oil on your face that the bacteria live on.

Now I don’t care what kind of soap you use. If it says face wash, it’s gonna be gentle enough for your skin. Use face wash, use Dove soap, use Ivory, use beef tallow soap – use something! But you gotta use soap.

And if you’re worried about your eyes burning, then use Johnson and Johnson Baby shampoo, no tear formula. You can wash your face with that as well too, and it’s not gonna burn your eyes. But please, wash your face with soap and water twice a day to get rid of all the bacteria, to get rid of all of the oil on your face that the bacteria thrive in. That is the most basic thing to do if you want to get rid of acne.

Parents of young kids, make sure your child knows how to wash their face with soap and water before you let them become independent. And parents of teenagers, send this to your kid. There is somebody that really needs to hear this.