Acne? Get Zinc

Your teenager doesn't want to hear about alpha lipoic acid or Nicholas Perricone. Nick Lachey, maybe! Your teenager ignores your lectures about silica and stares at her zit. Traditional cleansers usually contain chemicals that are harsh on her skin -- try .01 percent alpha-hydroxy formula instead. Better yet, get your teen to take zinc. Boys and girls are turning to zinc to fight acne. (You hope that your teen is also washing her face and cutting back on the sugar.) Zinc also helps your teen's immune system, but don't even hint that she's going to age! Tell her all her friends take zinc beauty supplements. She'll listen. But here's a secret: Even if she doesn't appear to listen to you, even if she slams the door, she still listens. You'll see her at breakfast eating plain yogurt and taking zinc tablets. Who says teenagers are difficult all the time?