Relapse
Nearly 2 years after I finally cleared up my first bout with Perioral Dermatitis, I had a relapse.
I spent New Years with friends in California, which reminded me that I was still looking for a go-to moisturizer with SPF. Walking around CVS while waiting for a train home from the airport, I found one that looked like it could be worth a try. It was a brand I was familiar with, it seemed to have all the features I was looking for, and at first glance I didn't see any no-go ingredients. It was a $14 impulse buy.
I tried it the next day and it was GLORIOUS. Smooth and effective in my driest spots, but light and quickly absorbed. I was so excited that I might have found a new unicorn product, and headed off to work with a smile on my face. I should have known it was too good to be true.
Around lunch time, I caught sight of myself in the restroom mirror and saw that the skin under my nose and around my mouth was turning pink. An hour or so later, I started to feel the telltale tightness PD sufferers know so well. By the time I left work, I had two stinging raw spots around my nostrils and the skin around my mouth was so red that the friends I saw that night asked me, "What happened to you?"
Friends, I stayed calm. I resisted all urges to touch my face or slather things on it. When I got home, I washed the area with Burt's Bees Sensitive Skin and went to bed with nothing on my face, even though I wanted to moisturize so badly!
The next morning, I woke up with just the tiniest bit of red rawness in the crease of my left nostril. To the untrained eye, my face was completely clear. I double-checked the ingredients and confirmed that nothing printed was suspicious; my guess is that the chemicals they used for SPF set me off, since I've only been using mineral/physical sunblock since my self-diagnosis.
I had two main takeaways from this experience:
Are my dreams dashed? Is it not meant to be? Do any PD sufferers out there have an SPF moisturizer they love?
I spent New Years with friends in California, which reminded me that I was still looking for a go-to moisturizer with SPF. Walking around CVS while waiting for a train home from the airport, I found one that looked like it could be worth a try. It was a brand I was familiar with, it seemed to have all the features I was looking for, and at first glance I didn't see any no-go ingredients. It was a $14 impulse buy.
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| Andalou Naturals Ultra Sheer Daily Defense Facial Lotion, SPF 18 |
I tried it the next day and it was GLORIOUS. Smooth and effective in my driest spots, but light and quickly absorbed. I was so excited that I might have found a new unicorn product, and headed off to work with a smile on my face. I should have known it was too good to be true.
Around lunch time, I caught sight of myself in the restroom mirror and saw that the skin under my nose and around my mouth was turning pink. An hour or so later, I started to feel the telltale tightness PD sufferers know so well. By the time I left work, I had two stinging raw spots around my nostrils and the skin around my mouth was so red that the friends I saw that night asked me, "What happened to you?"
Friends, I stayed calm. I resisted all urges to touch my face or slather things on it. When I got home, I washed the area with Burt's Bees Sensitive Skin and went to bed with nothing on my face, even though I wanted to moisturize so badly!
The next morning, I woke up with just the tiniest bit of red rawness in the crease of my left nostril. To the untrained eye, my face was completely clear. I double-checked the ingredients and confirmed that nothing printed was suspicious; my guess is that the chemicals they used for SPF set me off, since I've only been using mineral/physical sunblock since my self-diagnosis.
I had two main takeaways from this experience:
- I didn't just get lucky that my PD went away when I cut those chemicals out of my skincare routine. Though relapse was annoying to deal with, I was almost relieved to know that I haven't been spending all this energy and money on new products for no reason. I've been doing something right if it kept my skin clear for the last 2 years, and was able to clear this one up completely in just a few days!
- I haven't quite figured out all of my triggers yet. And maybe it's just not in the cards for me to have nice moisturizer with SPF.
Are my dreams dashed? Is it not meant to be? Do any PD sufferers out there have an SPF moisturizer they love?
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