How I Manage My Perioral Dermatitis

Since being diagnosed with PD, I have tried so many different things to try and get my skin under control. Whether it was skin care products, beauty products, food, medicines, I felt like I have tried it all. Over the last year and a half, I believe I finally figured out what works best for me and my skin. 

• Change your toothpaste. Ingesting fluoride can cause skin rashes, such as Perioral Dermatitis. You can read more about fluoride here. Simply changing my toothpaste alone had a big impact on my PD that bordered my lip line. Also another tip: brush your teeth before you wash your face! I use Jason's Powersmile Peppermint and I love it. The texture takes a little while to get used to and when I am done brushing my teeth I don't get that overwhelming minty fresh feeling but, it is so worth it.

• Throw away all products with Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. SLS is a detergent and a surfactant, which essentially forms a lather. It is found in all products; shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hand soap, toothpaste, make-up, the list could go on. I immediately got rid of all my products that contained this ingredient, and when on a hunt to find new products without it. Not only did it drastically improve my skin but, I really love the products I have been using. (I'll be sharing all my products in another post!) Here is more information about SLS.

• Drink up. Water, that is. I'm going to break this down real simple. Skin is an organ, and organs are made up of cells. And cells are made up of water. Without water, organs won't be able to function properly. YOU NEED WATER. If you have PD, your skin is basically screaming at you for hydration. I drink massive amounts of water on a daily basis (the one good thing about Sjogrens!). My skin always feels better when I increase my water consumption, and I am doing the rest of my body a favor because water is a major component for overall good health. 

• Eat with a fork. Okay, this may sound silly but, I am completely serious. Whenever I eat real spicy, hot, sweet, or sour food, my lips and the skin around it become irritated. I didn't eliminate these types of foods from my diet completely because lets be honest, I love me some Franks hot sauce, and a juicy green apple (ok and sour patch kids!). I did start to eat them less and when I ate them, I used a fork instead of directly biting into an apple, burrito, or chicken wing. Basically any food that you would bite into, don't… use a fork. I promise you it will make a difference. 

• Stop touching your face. I struggle big time with this one. It's hard! When you see a pimple, you want to pop it. When you see dry skin, you want to pick it. Just don't. It will aggravate the already irritated PD, making it much worse. Also, where have your hands been all day? Yes, you may have washed your hands with this lovely lavender smelling soap but, guess what? That soap probably has SLS in it. Perioral dermatitis wants to be left alone, so try your hardest not to touch your face.

• Less is more. Let your skin breath every once in a while. We all want to look our best, so we put on make-up every day, and get into a strict skin care routine to ultimately have beautiful glowing skin. When dealing with PD, sometimes it is best to just give your skin a break. Stop using make-up, skin care products, moisturizers, etc, and just wash your face with warm water for a few days. If I feel a flare coming on, I stop putting any and all products on my face and my skin really does thank me for it. 

There ya have it. My top six tips for managing Perioral Dermatitis. I kept tract of things I changed and did to better manage my PD, and these were the modifications that improved my skin. Everyone is different. What worked for me, might not work for you. Be patient, keep track of the changes you make, and take it one day at a time. 

Question

• What changes have you made to manage your PD?
• For friends without PD, what changes have you made to better your skin?