How to treat perioral dermatitis

How to treat perioral dermatitis is a question that people often ask me in emails. In doing your research you come across my blog and some posts where I share my experience with perioral dermatitis. I wish to group all that worked for me and all the articles that address the subject of this dermatological disorder.

NB : I am not a doctor – I wish through this article to answer the many questions that I often receive by email. I share my experience and my personal expertise with this skin issue.

How to treat perioral dermatitis : the diagnosis

Many emails I receive speak of distress and doubt when dermatologists make the diagnosis of eczema or psoriasis. Perioral dermatitis is a poorly understood skin disorder. As my dermatologist told me in Paris : this inflammation is hardly met by the dermatological emergency services and only a few dermatologists know the right diagnosis.

Perioral dermatitis is manifested by red pimples in the form of a cluster (see my picture when dermatitis has started), especially around the eyes and mouth. The skin is swollen, red, in short, inflamed.

Generally, dermatitis occurs in women with dry skin. We hydrate but usually over-hydrate. After a certain period of time – different depending on each – the balance of the microbial flora of the skin. This imbalance causes inflammation of the skin.

How to treat perioral dermatitis ?

When the diagnosis is made, the skincare order may differ. Some of you have talked to me about prescription drugs, creams or cure suggestions on the internet.

What my dermatologist advised me and prescribed :

  • cosmetic diet : stop all cosmetics and moisturizers (serum, skin creams, etc.).
  • prescription of a medicine (I do not have the name anymore) : There are no drugs to cure dermatitis. As a palliative, the doctor informed me that it was a drug prescribed generally in the context of acne (not roaccutane).

Before I had the correct diagnosis, doctors prescribed cortisone to apply on my face. My dermatologist is intractable : CORTISONE IS NOT TO BE APPLIED ON THE FACE. I did it. This has helped temporarily but it is not a solution in the long run. In addition, cortisone is not a molecule adapted to be applied to the sensitive area that represents the skin of the face.

Living in the Paris region and having a hard time imagining not cleaning my skin, here is what I was allowed to do for about three months :

The morning :

  • hydration with thermal water and lightly pat with a tissue.

The evening :

  • clean my skin with cleansing milk,
  • rinse with thermal water and lightly dab with a tissue.

How to treat perioral dermatitis : the evolution of my dermatitis

Treating perioral dermatitis therefore requires new habits of skincare. After the three months of cosmetic diet, my skin had almost almost no pimples and was much less swollen and red. There was even a period when she peeled as if I had a sunburn (quite normal as my dermatologist told me). Since then, I have completely re-evaluated my care routines, I am further decrypting the labels and ingredients that make the skin react and creates a risk of recurrence.

What to avoid :

  • layering : diminishing cosmetics in our skincare routines is essential.
  • too rich creams : the skin must also learn to self-regulate its hydration.
  • scrubs and masks : too much to scratch the skin the attack and the imbalance.
  • products made with natural oils : which tend to clog the skin.

Since then, I have reduced the number of products I consume. Being always passionate about beauty and wishing to share nice discoveries on the blog, I continue to test some skincare products. However, my way of testing is different : I have a keen eye and have developed a kind of sixth sense where when I apply a new product, I can guess if it has a risk for my skin. Generally, when I have this feeling – which is usually immediate, I pass my turn. Treating perioral dermatitis is possible and comes with a new lifestyle. I have not had other episodes of crisis since the one in the summer of 2016. I had some small localized recurrences but as soon as it happened, I immediately knew how to do, which product stopped, etc. What helped me is also my consultation at the Dermacenter in Paris – which with the analysis of the skin by layer allowed me to see the underlying inflammation.

Since June 2018, I have not had any inflammation of the skin again. My skin has no scars and I managed to keep “beautiful skin” as I often say professionals. I do not have any more “have” by marketing or advertising, when I’m at beauty events, I mention it directly and no one in the cosmetics industry knows this dermatological disorder. I talk about it, I mention some ingredients that are not favorable to the skin – but we must also know that the cosmetics sector is a business : the brands do their marketing to sell products – which basically, are not always useful for the skin. So the advice I can give you is to trust you. Personally, I listen to my instinct, I try to be as connected as possible to my feelings and sensations to take maximum care of my skin and respect its balance.

Other posts on perioral dermatitis :

Upcoming articles on perioral dermatitis :

  • Directory of brands and cosmetic care tested and approved (if no reformulation since the test).

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