Acne meds and laundry woes

Here's a new one on me... my nearly 11-yo son has had some minor acne problems
for about 6 months. He entered puberty early, about a year ago. He controls
the acne well with a few over-the-counter products, including Oxy pads and
Stridex face wash.

Since he began using the products, he's ruined several towels. I'm not 100%
sure what is happening, but I think some substance in the acne meds is
bleaching the towels.

Does this sound familiar to any of you who are parents of older kids, and if
so, what can I do to prevent this (or do I just buy cheap white towels until
his face clears up?)

Or does anyone have any other ideas about what is happening here?

-Dawn
Mom to Henry, 10

The benzoyl peroxide is what is bleaching the towels. If you switch to
a salicylic acid product, it should reduce the bleaching affect, but
salicylic acid is not always as effective on the acne.

The bleaching is not the only effect of the medication. It will also
break down the material a little bit. You may also be seeing the
bleaching on pillow cases, sheets, and bedding. Blue towels are more
affected than some of the other colors I have had.

The acne problems are probably going to worse before they get better.
If you can keep the medication going, it will minimize the long term
issues with acne. I would probably get white towels.

Karen

PS My experience is unfortunately not from being a parent. My acne
didn't resolve until I was well into my twenties when I was buying my
own towels. :-)

(Iowacookiemom) wrote in message ...
Here's a new one on me... my nearly 11-yo son has had some minor acne problems
for about 6 months. He entered puberty early, about a year ago. He controls
the acne well with a few over-the-counter products, including Oxy pads and
Stridex face wash.

Since he began using the products, he's ruined several towels. I'm not 100%
sure what is happening, but I think some substance in the acne meds is
bleaching the towels.

Yep. It's the benzoil peroxide (oh, I probably mangled that spelling)
-- great for acne, awful for fabric. I, too, learned this the hard
way, and still have the fade spots on some of my older towels to prove
it. I think it's related to hydrogen peroxide, which is the sort of
"bleach" you keep in the medicine cabinet for minor injuries. (If I'm
wrong, I hope one of the chemists on the 'group will set me straight.)

Does this sound familiar to any of you who are parents of older kids, and if
so, what can I do to prevent this (or do I just buy cheap white towels until
his face clears up?)

Maybe cheap white washcloths would be sufficient. When my kids were
toddlers, I bought a package of two dozen or so for just a few dollars
at a discount store for the messier sorts of cleanup, so I could
sanitize them by washing them in hot water without worrying about
fading. They've held up great, and when they're worn, I won't hesitate
to throw them out. If Henry uses a white washcloth and rinses his
hands and face well before reaching for the towel, you might be able
to keep using the dyed towels, if that's important to you. You might
try this for a while using the towels that have already been ruined,
to see if they get worse. Of course you could go for white-everything.
Alternatively, get some white towels just for him and inform him not
to touch the others!

--Robin

Its no big mystery - one of the most common chemical stains that can
occur in the home is caused by benzoyl peroxide used in most acne
medications.* Benzoyl peroxide is a very strong oxidizing agent
capable of destroying most dyes (i.e. clothing, towels, carpet, you
name it). It can be transferred through direct contact of the skin or
even through the shedding of skin scales containing benzoyl peroxide
according to a thing I read about carpet stains.* As the chemical
reaction continues, the center of the affected area may be bleached
white with a pink or orange halo around the outer edges of the
affected area.*Nice, huh?

Buy white towels - there isn't a good way around this. As long as he's
using these products, the potential for bleach spots is there. You
might want to encourage him to really rinse his face well using a
washcloth to take off as much residual lotion as possible before he
dries his face on the towel - at least then, the worst of the damage
will happen to the washcloth, rather than the towel.

Mary G.
(oldest son is 12, and I'm not looking forward to the acne phase)

Hi Dawn, I am new here but as a mom of 2 teenage girls I think that we have
tried too many of the different acne washes IMO (and the girls) they prefer
the kind that they use right in the shower. Neutrogena has been a long time
favorite and except for the "monthly acne" it works really well. For
bedtime routine they use the same and we haven't had a bleaching affect.

--
As Always,
Anji


"Iowacookiemom" wrote in message
...
Here's a new one on me... my nearly 11-yo son has had some minor acne
problems
for about 6 months. He entered puberty early, about a year ago. He
controls
the acne well with a few over-the-counter products, including Oxy pads and
Stridex face wash.

Since he began using the products, he's ruined several towels. I'm not
100%
sure what is happening, but I think some substance in the acne meds is
bleaching the towels.

Does this sound familiar to any of you who are parents of older kids, and
if
so, what can I do to prevent this (or do I just buy cheap white towels
until
his face clears up?)

Or does anyone have any other ideas about what is happening here?

-Dawn
Mom to Henry, 10

"Iowacookiemom" wrote in message
...
Here's a new one on me... my nearly 11-yo son has had some minor acne
problems
for about 6 months. He entered puberty early, about a year ago. He
controls
the acne well with a few over-the-counter products, including Oxy pads and
Stridex face wash.

It's the benzol peroxide in the Oxy products. IIRC, Stridex has salicilic
acid as its acne fighter.

I used to ruin towels all the time with Oxy products as a teenager (colored
pillow cases, too).

Pick up a few cheap white towels and tell Henry they're for his
face....because the colored towels will end up with little bleached out
spots.

Come to think of it, that would explain the one towel in the boys' bathroom
that's developed spots, too.

Leah