FryDAY: Jenna

By Jenna:

Screen Shot 2017-02-10 at 9.21.23 AMIf you follow me on my personal Instagram you know I’ve been having a journey with Perioral Dermatitis. It is aggressivel and I’ve had it for 2.5 months now and it’s finally clearing up. I have a ways to go still and there is some scarring so I’ll be working on that next. For so long I thought it was simply a hormonal breakout but it’s a lot more than that and actually requires a lot of vigilance to get rid of!

If you know me well you might know I’m super in to skin care and holistically supporting it. In fact I recently taught a webinar all about detoxing your skin care to help avoid chemicals!! This time with dermatitis my skin was relentless though and wouldn’t budge.

What IS IT? Pimples around the mouth in adult women are often diagnosed as acne, but many times it’s actually perioral dermatitis. Perioral dermatitis is an acne-like eruption that presents as red bumps on the chin and mouth. Like dermatitis, the skin can be red, scaly and itchy; like acne, it can have pimples. Perioral dermatitis usually starts as pimples around the mouth; in more severe cases, the bumps appear around the nose and eyes as well. It has a characteristic circular pattern, surrounding the mouth while sparing a thin border of skin around the lips. Unlike acne, there are no clogged pores (comedones) in perioral dermatitis.

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Here’s what I’ve learned so far:

  1. Get a diagnosis. This skin issue can look like zits and so you think they’ll go away and they often won’t without an antibiotic (although I’ll be sharing my natural products I’ve used thus far.) Just knowing I had it made me feel better, like I wasn’t shooting in the dark at treating what it was.
  2. STOP SCRUBBING. My initial feelings were ‘okay if I scrub with my normal sea salt I love or my favorite clay mask or anything it will get better.’ Honestly the MORE you do to your Perioral Dermatitis the worse it gets. It’s CRAZY. It gets red and inflamed so easily and is an angry little buddy. And do not even THINK about putting a steroid on it, that will make it so bad you’ll cry. Put it down, don’t do it.
  3. Stop using everything you currently own. Really. Even my essential oils I stopped once I knew I had it. It’s just a different kind of thing and you really do have to treat Dermatitis differently than you would any other acne break out.
  4. Avoid SLS and fluoride in your toothpaste. Sounds insane but this is A HUGE cause of Dermatitis. Most toothpastes contain Sodium Laurel Sulfate which is a chemical used in toothpaste to create the foaming action. SLS can cause or irritate existing allergies, canker sores and bad breath, which is why an SLS Free alternative is worth considering. Here is the one I found that I like.
  5. Go makeup free. Heavy foundations make dermatitis worse so plan on taking a break for a while. You need to disinfect and wash your brushes and any sponges that you use.
  6. Here has been my routine. For weeks I JUST used Apple Cider Vinegar as what I washed my face with. I dilute a cotton ball with water and put a few drops of ACV on it and just clean my face off. I did that for a few weeks with no other treatment and it helped. Hold it firmly to the spot for 1 minute too, it will sting but it showed improvement for me.
  7. I eventually started using this Black Clay Facial Soap and I think it’s been most instrumental in my skin repair. It’s made specifically for Dermatitis but if you have any kind of skin issue I highly recommend it. The results have been absolutely mind blowing. I’ll continue using this because I love it that much!
  8. I’ve been using this product made with coconut oil, aloe vera and manuka honey to heal and repair my skin. It’s well loved in the Dermatitis community (yep there is one) and for good reason. I’ve really found it nourishing to my skin which has aided in repair. You may think drying it out is the best thing but actually keeping it moisturized helps with healing. I’ve also been using this cream, I think it’s helping and a lot of people have recommended it but I’m not able to say totally if it’s what has worked.
  9. At this point if you’ve done this a few weeks and still haven’t seen results it’s time to get serious. You can either go the route of antibiotics (you’ll need to be on a low dose of them for 1-2 months in order to get rid of it.) And in that case you should always take a probiotic, supplements and bone broth along side with it to promote good gut flora while you’re breaking it down with the antibiotic. I take a probiotic and supplement from doTERRA and you can always sign up for our newsletter list to get more oily info. I get my bone broth at Thrive Market.

Screen Shot 2017-02-10 at 10.06.57 AMOr you can attempt to use Structured Silver as an antibiotic in the body. It is hugely powerful and I am no expert on how it works but my friend Jennie teaches about it constantly. And you can find her here.

Wow this is seriously a lot of information and more than I ever would want to know about Dermatitis so if this doesn’t pertain to you, I’m sorry! I’ve had hundreds of woman reach out to me saying they’ve had it or have it currently! If you have your own suggestions to chime in, please DO in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!

xo

J

 

6 Comments

  • Lori!
    February 10, 2017 at 1:31 pm

    I had luck with these products to clear mine up:
    Avene Tolerance Extreme Cream
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002D48QVQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    Weleda Sensitive Skin Almond Facial Oil
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003LDMVNM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

    My dermatologist said to stop stressing (ha!) it only makes it worse :[

    Reply
  • Ashmae
    February 10, 2017 at 2:54 pm

    I know you’re getting a million suggestions, but have you tried Mom’s Stuff Salve? It is a miracle salve that is 100% organic and natural and I swear we use it for everything. It also helps with scarring if that is the stage you are working through. I don’t work for them, I just truly love the product and want everyone to know about it. Momsstuffsalve.com

    Reply
  • Christie
    February 10, 2017 at 9:40 pm

    I had this off and on for years. It was so difficult to get rid of! Finally it cleared up with a round of antibiotics and a topical cream, Finacea, my dermatologist prescribed. Good luck! I know it’s incredibly frustrating.

    Reply
  • Lori
    February 10, 2017 at 11:31 pm

    I went down the same road and landed on those eorganic products. Love them for dermatitis. I miss my normal toothpaste, but Jason carries one that is decent. My dermatitis was in the same exact spot as yours! It actually showed up right after convention 🙁 Anyway… I am glad yours is getting better!

    Reply
  • Torri
    February 13, 2017 at 1:25 am

    Mine was severe I guess because it was around my nose and eyes too! I literally felt like a reptile with scales and peeling skin. Your picture is nothing compared to what I looked like! I’m curious why you didn’t use the doTERRA toothpaste? Does it have sls in it? I’m so happy to see this post! I’ve switched to natural facial cleansing products but Would you recommend the virage skin care line or should I stick with these other things?

    Reply
  • Mariah
    May 28, 2018 at 11:03 am

    I find that essential oils/plant extracts in skincare made mine flare up. I even used a gentle organic cleanser and it made it wayyy worse. Also, anything with a long list of ingredients makes it angry. I’m trying the Avene gentle milk cleanser and it’s soo soothing and has helped very much. Everyone is raving about the Tolerance Emulsion Cream for PD. I hope yours doesn’t rebound, this is my second time but hopefully last.

    Reply

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