RANDOM THOUGHTS : BEAUTY (PART DEUX)

[jemly]

welcome back to the junk drawer of random beauty thoughts and musings. it has been nearly a year, so i think it is time for a rew RT thread ! 

when i'm doing my makeup in the morning, my dog sometimes throws a fit until i move his food bowl over to where i'm sitting. i'm certainly not the diva in our relationship.

____________________

THE QUESTIONS THREAD:  http://community.sephora.com/t5/Products/The-Question-Thread-Because-not-all-questions-need-their-ow...

VINTAGE BEAUTY VIDEOS THREAD ! :  http://community.sephora.com/t5/Beauty-Confessions/VINTAGE-BEAUTY-VIDEOS/m-p/1826210#M69382

SWATCH REQUEST THREAD : http://community.sephora.com/t5/The-Swatch-Board/THE-SWATCH-REQUEST-THREAD/td-p/2223212

[kariyava]

It's my birthday today!  I remember seeing a post a while back where someone compiled a list of beauty-related deals you can get on/around your birthday, but I can't find it now.  Anyone else have a link?

[makeupobesessed]

NC, dont you have a bday list on ur blog?

[makeupobesessed]

Oh, and happy birthday

[veronika23]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY @kariyava!!!!!! Hope you have an amazing day!

sorry can't help you with your request 😞 I have no clue.

[heartsmyface]

hey ladies and gents, I'm asking this in multiple threads cause I have a pretty distraught friend right now who needs some advice. 

She recently went on the pill and is suffering from perioral dermatitis and has locked herself in her house refusing to go out.  She's in meds for it but I don't know which meds.  

Has anyone here suffered from something similar and are there any steps she can take to speed clearing things up?  

I've been referred to as her skincare guru and I have absolutely no experience with acne, but I told her I knew an awesome bunch of people who could give her advice.  

[prettyinpa]

Sorry I'm late to the parade, but I found eliminating dairy and meat products to do wonders for my acne. There are so much hormones in milk and beef especially that combined with the hormones in the BC, it can really screw up the endocrine system.  It only took 2 weeks to see a difference, it was really dramatic.

[jesscheems]

I have dermatitis on my scalp @heartsmyface and a really bad patch on my back. This all came about a couple years ago. I have been through a lot recently (past few years) so stress is one factor for sure. For my scalp I use Dermarest shampoo (salicylic acid temporarily calms it down). I also use T Gel shampoo sometimes. Nothing is seeming to get rid of it and I am at a loss too. It can calm down by not thinking about it, not stressing, maybe take an oatmeal bath etc...using oil treatments on the head also cause it to get worse for me so grease helps ruin your life lol

Flare ups can be caused (for me) by eating meat, spicy foods, caffeine, alcohol (anything sort that sort of heats the body up..try to eat cooling foods- I should take my own advice ha!) etc...I notice if my body gets overheated it can't handle it. Heat also makes it flare up. I have tried hydrocortisone which has helped temporarily but I wouldn't recommend it. 

[RainbowRae]

I read it wrong the first time I asked about medication. "the pill". Got it. I agree with several of the points ShannonAlexis hit on. I commented recently about my experiences with severe dermatitis and rosacea. I can't remember which thread it was in and probably too many pages back now. WebMD will have a breakdown of info on dermatitis. Their information is HonCode verified for accuracy.

My dermatologist wanted to avoid topical steroids. I had to change my face wash and some of my skincare items. I have had to avoid too much sunlight or heat, spicy foods, certain fruits (cherries were the worst at causing my irritation), changed to a fluoride free toothpaste (started using Jason toothpaste), and trying to manage stress as that will cause flare ups. Crying and getting upset would make things worse.

[veronika23]

@RainbowRae sorry to butt in... I just wanted to ask. Have you ever seen a naturopath or environmental doctor for your rosacea? The reason why I ask is because depending on how it started etc it could be related to food sensitivities (or other). NOT allergies but sensitivities. Everyone is different and has their own sensitivities but one of these types of doctors could help you figure it all out. I remember having a discussion with a lady that had it and she said she had some of the most random food sensitivities.  I'm not surprised considering my own. Just wanted to mention it in case it never crossed your mind. 🙂 You can pm me anytime if you want to chat.

[ShannonAlexis]

@heartsmyface I get mild dermatitis around my nose, here are some things that help me.

Avoiding all heavy creams, sunscreen, exfoliants, and vitamin C products is very important for me. The internet says to avoid steroid creams. People also so to avoid fluoride toothpaste. 

The PTR cucumber mask helps relieve the redness and itchiness, and some flaking. And the Kate Somerville Goat Milk Moisturizer has been very gentle and soothing, while still giving the needed moisture. 

Less products is generally better. When mine is bad I can only wash with a mild cleanser (like the Fresh Soy cleanser) and use a rosewater spray + cucumber mask for hydration. 

[Gwenhwyfar]

@heartsmyfaceI have perioral dermatitis around the sides of my nose and corners of mouth. A lot of what @ShannonAlexis has noted above is the same as what I avoid. I also have to avoid dimethicone as it irritates my dermatitis (probably because my skin is sensitive to it to begin with). Alcohol and acids can also irritate.

I moisturize with gentle facial oils that focus on hydration (Fresh Seaberry, Caudalie Vinosource Overnight Recovery) and lightweight gel creams that absorb instantly (Caudalie Vinosource Sorbet and sometimes my eye cream, Fresh Rose Eye Gel). I have to use a super gentle cleanser, but I cannot use one that doesn't rinse clean or I will get milia. I use Boscia Purifying Cleansing Gel with the softest konjac sponge for gentle daily exfoliation.

Diet is definitely related but very hard to pin down. For me, it gets worse if I eat greasy foods or processed foods that my body doesn't appreciate anyway.

The hormones could very well be the primary culprit though. The last variant of the pill I was on had horrid side effects including weight gain, breast enlargement, skin problems, the eventual lack of bleeding during the placebo week with random spotting at any time, and, worst of all, cognitive and behavioral changes (all developing within 1-2 years of starting on it). I took a lengthy break (about one and a half years) to get my system normalized again and then switched to the lowest possible dosage which is also another brand (and have been on it for the last five years) and I have none of those symptoms. So it may be worth trying another type or another formulation of BC!

[RainbowRae]

I agree with you about discussing a new bc with ob/gyn. Changing hormone levels can be a tricky balance.

I found that very acidic fruits and spicy foods definitely made things worse for me. Foods (or products) high in Vitamin A or C will aggravate things. Carrots, cherries, citrus-y fruits, tomatoes. I also have to be mindful of soy sauce. Hope this helps:)

[heartsmyface]

@Gwenhwyfar  Ahhhhhhh, this is not going to be an easy fix is it?  

So far I can safely advise her to switch her BC and find a gentle cleanser.  The rest I suppose will be trial and error.  

Thank you so much for all the info.  

[heartsmyface]

Thank you so very much!  I was so hesitant to suggest products.   I actually have a mini ptr cucumber mask I can bring her.    Ouhhhh, and samples of the Kate Somerville goat milk moisturizer!  😘

[wheeeee]

The pill caused this?  Pills are hormones and she is reacting to that particular hormone.  She should stop taking them and try another brand if she needs to be on the pill. 

I had a bad reaction to BC once and the doctor told me my body needed to get used to the hormone.  I said, heck no!  I want this hormone out of my body, ASAP!

Against doctor's orders, I refused my 2nd DP shot and it all went away. 

There are too many BC options out there to suffer.  I hope your friend  (ha, joking!) heals soon!

[heartsmyface]

Haha, it's definitely not me I promise!  😏I've had like two pimples my whole life and not much experience with the the pill either.

Hmmm, I wonder why they wouldn't have tried switching up what pill she's taking.  I see I'm going to be playing communication tag here. 

[Tamara76]

Ohhhh poor friend! 😞

I don't know the best answer, other than to talk to her OBGYN or dermatologist, but I know it is usually best NOT to use strong steroid creams on her face.

A few years back, I was put on strong oral steroids for several weeks to treat severe hives on my legs and torso resulting from a drug allergy.  I tapered off the dosage as recommended by my dermatologist and then I started to get a rebound rash on my face around my mouth and nose (perioral dermatitis?). 

My dermatologist then prescribed a steroid cream for my face and everything cleared up in a few days, but as soon as I stopped using it, it got worse than before - I looked awful and my face itched constantly (so I understand not wanting to leave the house). 

Went to a different derm and allergist as soon as I could get appts.  who put me on strong antihistamines multiple times per day and that did the trick after several days, but they both told me it is no bueno to use steroid cream on the face (I never went back to the original derm, obviously!)

Good luck to your friend - I feel for her.  😞

[RainbowRae]

It wasn't until I read your comment and put two and two together. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why my skin got so bad with dermatitis when I'd never had any problems like that before. I had completely forgotten that I had done a round of steroids in the spring. I bet that was the first domino to set off my problem. It got so bad I was itching all over my head and my face made me feel like I was internally overheating and burned as bad as a sunburn. I will keep the antihistamine thing in mind. My derm wanted me to take a sketchy antibiotic, but I never took it. My face is doing much better but maybe a few days of antihistamines would help.

[heartsmyface]

Omg, that would've been terrible.  I'm so glad you finally got it sorted. It takes like three months to get in to see a trustworthy/medical grade derm in BC.  That's quite a long time, but I guess she should get a referral now in case that's what she ultimately needs.  

i'll warn her about the steroid cream.

[KateLovesYSL]

I'm hoping for answers too. For the first time in my adult life, I have 13 zits on my face right now. Minimum. Stopped counting because I'm so upset about it. 

Super stressed this month so I didn't take care of my skin and now it's out of control. I even put Luna on at night which used to work for me but that's barely helping.

[NancieNano]

Speaking of SR Luna Oil. I opened a new deluxe sample yesterday and promptly spilled almost the entire bottle.:( I am posting because I know you ladies can feel my pain.

@heartsmyface, I don't have much to offer for your friend other than I do hope they stopped/changed her BC because I have seen that negatively affect a persons skin. I hope you help her find the answers she needs. Good Luck!