Multiple Remedies for Perioral Dermatitis

Well, it's been ONE week and I can assure you that the following combination so far is helping me A TON:

-- Do NOT use any make-up, moisturizers, face creams, ANYTHING that is synthetic. Leave your skin free of any soaps, washes, solutions, topical creams, etc. Trust me!!!

-- Start out by gently cleaning your face with ORGANIC honey... I know, it sounds weird, but just start by washing it with warm water and the honey (trust me, it cleans your makeup off too! )... it leaves your skin super-soft and moisturized.

-- When you are ready, start adding a plain yogurt mask to your cleaning regimen, preferably after gently washing your face with the honey. Try mixing the yogurt with the honey--it makes for a great, soothing, deliciously-smelling mask. Do that once in the morning and once at night.

-- After a day or so of the honey and yogurt, add some ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) to your regimen. For the last 4 days, I have used it as a toner, as well as taking it internally. As a toner, use a dab of it on cotton or soft tissue over the affected area for about a minute, and let it dry, It WILL burn as all hell, but just let it be. The burning wears off as the effect of the naturally-acidic properties dry off. Then...

-- Take a swig!!! The properties in the ACV are VERY helpful with balancing the properties of your skin. I don't claim to know much about that part or the ACV regimen, but I can tell you, my skin has NEVER felt this happy. Nor my tummy's digestion. It's done something to my body that I can't explain... just read up on it.

-- Finally, I have been taking vitamin E and calcium supplements since last week. I have also been using the oil of the vitamin E to dab upon the affected area overnight. It feels funny because it's an oil, but eventually it dissolves into the skin and it makes it feel supple and happy :)

Don't forget to drink tons of water and to also stay away from spicy foods and sulfites... these are killer for PD.

So far like I said it's been 6.5 days since the worst of my symptoms and I feel 95% back to the normal way I felt before. I will stress to try the natural way before you try the prescription creams/medicine. Best of luck :) I know it's frustrating as hell.

The PD resurfaced ten fold after a trip we took to Thailand in the winter, where I was applying sunscreen and using facial wipes every day.

Shortly after, I discovered I was expecting and couldn't take any of the antiobiotics prescribed for PD. I tried so many of the natural remedies listed on this site (including ACV & probiotics) plus all- natural creams, pure aloe (from the plant), but nothing seemed to work for me.

I started using a mild tea tree oil bar soap to wash my face in the am and pm. At the same time I started using yogurt masks at night, and this seemed to help start clearing up the problem (I have since stopped applying the yogurt).

I now follow with an aloe gel (99% pure from a health food store, like Fiddleheads) on the affected areas, allowed it to dry, and then apply a very mild moisturizer, like Spectro. I also had to resist the urge to pick at the flakes and to gently wash the affected areas, making sure not to scrub. I also try to avoid applying makeup on any affected areas.

It hasn't completely disappeared, but it has been a significant improvement, to where it is just slightly visible around my nostrils, and not nearly as itchy and uncomfortable.

I don't know if this will work for other people, but knowing what it's like to walk around with the PD on your face, I just wanted to add my two cents and hopefully help someone else out!

It has been almost 3 weeks now since I discontinued the steroid cream. 2 weeks after discontinuation, I had a horrible breakout. I was dead set on taking the Minocycline prescibed to me, although I was soooo against it. I held off. I cut out coffee and alcohol as much as possible. Starting drinking green tea. Cut out the steroid cream. Starting taking strong probiotics. I have to make note that I do have IBS which has been really bad lately, and I noticed a HUGE difference in my stomach problems within ONE day of taking this probiotic. ITS AMAZING! I was recommended this probiotic by my cousin who cured his horrible acne with this, as well as a very strict diet. From his experience & determination, I have alot of faith in curing these things naturally.

I believe the cause of my POD is a combination of steroid cream, stress, and liquor intake. My horrible rebound breakout 2 weeks after the steroid cream discontinuation was last Monday. The week since, my POD has gone down DRAMATICALLY. I do have Minocycline antibiotic on hand if I become too distressed with another horrible breakout, but if I can keep the POD tame with a few lifestyle changes and supplement additions, I will be so greatful. I am terrified of antibiotics, and will do anything I can to avoid them.

These are the following things by list that I have done to help my POD:

1) Stopped coffee, I now drink green tea every morning (for the past 3 weeks)

2) Limiting alcohol intake & sugar.

3) Started a probiotic which has already fixed my stomach problems, which may be an additional cause to my POD.

4) Yogurt mask every night for 30 min, plain organic yogurt with live cultures.

5) Following the yogurt mask, I apply a mix of pure calendula oil and coconut oil to the rash. By morning, the inflammation is greatly reduced.

6) I am taking oil of oregano every day internally and sometimes applying it with the calendula and coconut oil topically. It does burn a bit, so I don't use it topically all the time as the eye area is so sensative. However it is antibacterial so it believe it may help.

7) I take Omega 3, 6, 9 supplements along with Primrose oil supplements.. all of which are supposed to improve skin health.

8) For my eyelid eczema, which I also needed to cure in order to cut out the steroid cream.. I have found a miracle lotion via my Dermatologist --> La roche pose toleriane intense smoothing lotion. It does not work instantly but I have been applying it numerous times a day along with pure calendula oil (to reduce itching) and it has been a miracle. I will continue to apply it through the days as long as I have to. It is also very gentle, and not loaded with nasty ingredients. NO MORE STEROID CREAMS FOR ME!

Those are my tips, and they have helped keep my rash calm. And I hope with my new routine and determination to fix up my internal health and digestion system, that my skin will heal itself. Antibiotics are my last resort and I pray that I don't have to use them, but I do feel lucky that they are at least an option.

1. Gently Exfoliate. I used ProActive at first, for the small exfoliating grains. Gently massage the affected area in a circular motion and wash away. Repeat until the flakiness is gone.

2. Use Neosporin or Hydrochloric Acid (not recommended because this burns) on the affected area, with a sterile Q-Tip. Work in until the product is no longer visible.

3. Apply a hot compress. Place clean washcloth under hot running water, wring and place over the exfoliated/neosporin/affected area. Apply pressure for 15-25 seconds. Repeat if you'd like.

4. (Optional) But this reeeally helped me. Use an essential oil (I like Kukui Nut Oil), apply a thin layer and let sit.

5. Take Hyaluronic Acid and Collagen Pills on the regular. This may be the most important step.

6. Drink tons of water and anti-oxidant juices.

For the first couple of days (after stopping all cortisone/elidel use), this rash got much worse; blistered and scabbed, with raised bumps and whiteheads. It itched and burned. Skin got dried out, flaky, but rash started to disappear. Letting the yogurt mask dry on face, q.d. , then rinsing and rubbing gently, helped remove the dead skin, as did using the dandruff shampoo.

Yogurt was the most soothing and immediately stopped the itching. Ate what was left in the little container, since I only used a Tablespoon or so for the facemask.

I did not put makeup on my face for the first 4 days. When I did, I dabbed "Almay Skin-clearing Makeup" on the red spots with a clean sponge.

Thursday, 24 May - Skin nearly clear; redness and scabs almost disappeared.

Organic Apple Cider Vinegar- Apply w/ cotton pads - q.i.d., Dried rash (it burns; might want to dilute with 50% H20)

Aloe Gel 98% - Apply to face after vinegar, Stopped burn, soothed skin without spreading rash

Organic Plain Yogurt- Apply to face like a mask, Stopped itching and also burn; softened skin

Dandruff Shampoo- Face wash-leave on 1 min, Helped to remove dried skin, q.d.

Acidophilus, q.d. Probiotic

Nixoderm - ordered online

Organic active culture plain yogurt - applied and consumed in shakes

Aloe Vera Juice - also put in shakes, got at health food store

Hydrogen Peroxide - used as a toner on my skin, full strength

Using non-flouride toothpaste and mouthwash

Tea Tree oil - applied during the day after the peroxide toner.

Eliminating SLS products. Bought 'Crystal Clear' face and body wash made by AromaCrystal vibrational therapy - purchased at organic/health food store (or also online)

So I wash my face with the Crystal Clear, use hydrogen peroxide as a toner then apply the Nixoderm at night (it stays white) I make a shake in the morning with the aloe vera juice, yogurt, a banana, and some blueberries, and drink it.

I also stopped eating tomatoes (I read somewhere they have flouride?) fish and eggs. But other than that my diet is kinda bad - I eat junk food ;-)

So all in all everyone is different and will have different results... I honestly have a TON of different ointments, creams, washes, that I tried with no real results. The worst is when a product helps a little at first, but after a few days there was no significant change. I hate that! It felt like I would get excited for clear skin then just get let down and feel like it was a waste of time.

I wish you all the best in your fight against this terrible condition. Just remember it always looks (and feels) worse to you than to anyone else. And if you simply keep smiling... Your inner beauty will shine through!

At first I thought my Perioral Dermatitis was a small patch of acne around my mouth, while at the doctor I asked about the patch and she prescribed a steroid cream (one of the worst things to do). Unknowingly I applied as directed and long story short the PD SPREAD! What was once a small patch by my mouth soon enircled my entire mouth, went up around my nose, started patches on my forehead and at the outsides of my eyes. My doctor had said to apply the cream and see results in about 3 weeks, after 5 weeks I had full blown PD for the first time in my life. Didnt want to leave the house. Got very depressed. Started researching.

While waiting for my dermatologist referral I got to work on a solution. First thing I heard and did was try to rid fluoride and sodium laurel sulfate from my toothpaste, soap and shampoo. Second, I started taking acidophilus pills at least once a day. Third I started taking a pill which helps to balance womens hormones (since plastics and a horrrible environment are making our hormones go out of whack). Fourth, I searched for and eventually found a decent Calendula cream and started applying to my face.

Since I did a lot of these things at the same time, it was initially a bit hard to tell what was working. But its been about 6 months since my PD exploded, and I think the biggest help came from the Calendula cream. When I went to the dermatologist I had very little PD left to show, and I asked the doctor about Calendula cream. In a nutshell, this doc was an idiot. I was told that there was no medical evidence that calendula did anything, then I was prescribed yet another steroid cream which I was informed that I would probably have to apply FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE! This dermatologist was WRONG. I did not fill the prescription, and have since cleared my PD within a few months with my own research and trials.

CALENDULA CREAM: may also be called Marigold, or calendula officianalis.

ESTROGEN BALANCING PILLS: the brand I took is called _______, it is very natural, mostly natural extracts inside the pill. It is also supposed to help with mood swings and other side effects of wacky hormones.

In addition I read a lot of other threads about this subject since the whole ordeal was really upsetting, so thanks to everyone who has posted, there are so many people who suffer from this for years, so keep posting remedies and hopefully they can find something that works for them. I hope mine can help someone too. Just remember that its your body, your doctor may not know best, (for me, I didnt want to have to apply a cream for the rest of my life, or take a pill that was made up of chemicals) make your own decision and pick and choose from other people's remedies to find a formula that will work for you. Keep thinking that it will get better, just find the root of your problem. :]

Overall:

1. Stop using steroid creams on the face

2. Remove SLS from cleansing process (includes shampoo and toothpaste

3. Stop using makeup (although I used bare escentuals when I felt really embarassed and it didn't seem to irritate)

Face

1. Put tea tree oil on a cotton ball and dabbed on affected areas.

Note: I think tea tree gets rid of the pustules so if it does work the areas will be red and probably sting. You can mix with an essential oil as well.

2. Follow up creams:

I used Calendula cream which seemed to work relatively well. (Not available for sale in Canada)

I also mixed the tea tree with it as well.

Calendula Baby Face Cream (Easily available in Canada)

Calendula Salve

Any of these around the affected areas seemed to have helped with the condition

An intense dryness occurs around the affected areas and I found Weleda to help with the moisturization.

I recently discovered Cera Ve and I wonder if it would have helped as well as it seems to be effective for eczema.

Result

Since February (now April) there are no pustules and only faint redness that probably only I see.

My skin is still a little dry but I have been using Advanced Moisture Night Cream (important because ingredients are different from day cream) and slowly but surely my skin is improving.

My perioral was not as severe as some cases but my eczema flared at the same time so I was extremely uncomfortable. Since you may be using more natural products, you need to be patient as the improvement won't happen overnight.

I spent my first pregnancy unaware that I had a gluten intolerance so my PD was horrific and had spread around my entire mouth. It was so painful! My second pregnancy I steered clear of gluten and had that happy glowing skin! :) NOW im pregnant for the third time and its back ( probably from a trip pre pregnancy to italy where I couldnt resist some real pasta - haha - and the PD returned. )

Determined not to have this painful rash anymore I sought this website (thank you!! ) and took the advice I read here. One week later of eliminating a bunch of products and seeking the advice of a functional nutritionist I trust, I am now almost completely RASH FREE!! I am thrilled!!

Here is what I did:1) switched to floride free toothpaste. 2) switched to SLS free shampoo 3) switched to calendula cream for my skin 4)bought Dr Burts herbal blemish stick( burts bees brand )and.. Am doing a 2 week regimine of oral supplements of Standard Process brand "organically bound minerals" 9 pills in the am and pm with meals. My functional nutrtionist swore this would do the trick and I have to say im 4 days into the minerals and ive seen the greatest change in just the last two days!! Sooo happy! I believe there is something to the minerals that are helping immensely.

I hope this helps someone- particularly if youre pregnant and your immune system is temporarily out of whack! Good luck!!

We have been waiting 5 months just to see the dermatologist and today we finally got into see him, and his face was so clear he didn't want to prescribe him anything, just told me to keep up the go work. I only wish I had taken pictures of his face in december, the poor little fellow wouldn't leave the house he was so embarassed, and today he just has a very small patch around his nose. I seriously hope this helps someone else!

Morning with breakfast:

two capsules caprylic acid, one capsule grapefruit seed extract, one good probiotic plus some msm or turmeric for anti inflammation - I switch between the two

At dinner - two capsules caprylic acid, one capsule probiotic

The first week, I also took the capyrlic acid and grapefruit seed extract at lunch. one capsule each.

Now, I did change my diet drastically. But even with changing my diet, my pd did not go away - it didn't start to change until I added the caprylic acid and gf seed extract. You have to eliminate the white sugars completely. you need to eliminate all breads that have yeast in them, white or not.

Sample of my day:

breakfast - quinoa with pecans, flax meal, unsweetened coconut with almond milk and fresh blueberries

lunch - salad with grilled chicken

dinner - homemade soup with gluten free, brown rice muffins

snack - greek yogurt

I drink either water or coconut water all day. One cup of coffee in the morning. That's it. After YEARS of struggling with this... the above has cleared my face in one week.

Such a frustrating thing to go through. I feel, physically, so much better. I really hope this helps someone out there. Earth clinic is a great site. I can't tell you how relieved I am to have this cleared up for now. I will remain on a maintenance dose of the caprylic acid and the probiotic. peace to all.

Let me just say I have suffered from acne and eczema since I was a teenager and now at 31 years old, I finally have both under control. About six months ago I had perioral dermatitis (from now on: PD), which I got from stupidly applying Clobetasol to a red, dry and pimply patch of skin near my mouth. My dermatologist had advised me not to use it, but only said that it was "too strong" and did not mention the reprecussions of using it my face. I have been using Clobetasol for years, sparingly, to treat eczema spots on my legs and hands. But for the past 4-5 years I have gotten this pesky dry/pimply spot near my mouth, always in the same place, usually in winter. This past fall I got it really bad. Every time I thought it had healed, it would come back again with avengence. I tried so many expensive creams, derm-recomended over-the-counter moisterizers, expensive creams from Sephora, etc. I spent hundreds of dollars on this problem.

Then I got a rash--ALL OVER MY FACE--as a result of using Clobetasol. I self-diagnosed the problem after several days of research (during which I did not leave the house once! ). I also discovered the Earth Clinic website. After reading dozens and dozens of people's testimonies, I decided to STOP doing a variety of things: 1) using any kind of moisturizer, 2) using any kind of cleanser on my face, 3) washing my face with more than water, 4) wearing makeup.

Then I tried three natural remedies. The first was apple cider vinegar. Initially I used too much, which did not help my skin's redness, although the ACV did noticably help dry out the bacterial infection. Then I diluted just a couple drops in water with an organic cotton ball and dabbed it across my face, about once a day. The second remedy was organic raw honey. This I slapped on my face once a day for its good bacteria benefits, finding that it also reduced the redness and softened my flaky skin. Third, I made a yogurt mask twice a day (full fat and probiotic are best. ) My doctor eventually put me on antibiotics, so I cannot claim that these remedies alone got rid of the PD. However, in reaching this 'rock bottom' I completely changed my skin cleaning and moisterizing routine--and THAT has kept my skin looking better than it ever has in my life now that I'm off the antibiotics.

What is that routine? Well, not much of one to be honest! I now wake up in the morning and splash my face with room temperature water, then pat it dry. When my skin's fully dry I apply a minimal amount of Smashbox Healthy FX foundation, usually with an unused cosmetic sponge (rather than my fingers. ) I only wear foundation 4-5 days of the week, as to avoid clogging pours.

Then at night, I use a couple drops of California baby shampoo and room temp water to gently rise my face. I pat dry with a towel. I NEVER use moisterizer.

Once a week I do a yogurt mask for an hour before bed. Coach Farm probiotic yogurt, full fat. The good bacteria helps fight bad bacteria on my face. The next day my skin is noticeably softer. If I had more time, I'd do this every other night!

And that's it. I also try to eat yogurt often, to keep good bacteria in my system. And during the winter months, I spray my face with rose water from the health food store just to keep it from over-drying. The cost of this routine is negligable!

I still get to wear makeup but need a whole lot less than I used to. It's so nice to wake up to healthy skin! And no more dry patches near my mouth (even though it's January and I don't have a humidifier.)

Thanks, Earth Clinic, and everyone who has written about their experiences. Without all of these helpful accounts of trial and error, I might still be stuck in my room hiding with a rash!

That is when I finally turned to Tea Tree Oil. I had read about it before but put off using it because I thought it would be too harsh for my skin. I finally decided to give it a shot and bought some Tea Tree Soap. I've been using it for two days and my skin is 90% clear! I'm also taking a multivitamin, eating tons of fruits and veggies, and drinking echinacea tea (I ran out of all my other herbal teas).

My skin is much too sensitive to try the ACV, but the TTO soap is mild enough for my skin. I've been using it about 4 times a day and my skin feels baby soft. For those with really sensitive skin I recommend trying it. It's working so well, I've even stopped using the zinc. I just wash, and pat dry.

I've likewise made the connection between the Fluoride in the tea and my new skin condition, which has proven much harder to get rid of than to come by... I've learned also to beware of sky high fluoride levels in all conventionally grown grape products and rooibos/redbush teas, as well as most conventionally produced poultry products including broths (its in the chicken feed) and off gassing from teflon cookware, especially if it is scratched. And of course toothpastes, and fluoride is added to tapwater in most parts of the country (tho thankfully not here in Portland)

My bones are feeling much better since getting rid of all my known fluoride sources including changing out all my cookware. And my mouth & tongue have stopped breaking out in painful canker sores since switching to baking soda for a dentrifice. I've been using Ted's borax protocol, alternating with an iodine protocol I learned about on curezone, all this past year and am certain that has made a big difference in my energy levels... not so horribly fatigued & dark circles less evident most of the time

But the PD is certainly proving to be much tougher to get rid of! Hoping to learn some more new strategies here :)