Skincare for Allergic Reactions

First of all and most importantly I do stress that I am not a doctor and if you have a several facial (or anywhere on the body for that matter) reaction to anything medical assistance. Now we have that out the way let me share what has been nursing my dried out skin back to its normal, oily self.

Last week I slapped on a yet to be launched face mask, I do this fairly regularly and very seldom have a reaction to anything, I consider my skin to be hardy (like a well weathered builder who has strong tea some may say?). Anyway the next day I awoke to the rash from hell, a red angry splattering of teeny tiny blemishes sprung up all over my cheeks and chins - a little like beard, only less appealing to the hipster crowd. Oh but it got worse, a few hours later my eyes became painful and began to swell. It was around about now I thought, hmm best get some medical advice just to be safe and all that. Yeah I was sent to A&E. A&E for a facial rash, meanwhile the man sat next to me all but severed his thumb off doing some bank holiday D.I.Y. To cut a long story short I was given some sort of injection - I want to say it was an antihistamine but there are some questions you don't ask when baring your ass to a complete stranger. Or perhaps that is the perfect time to ask all the questions in the world? In hindsight (get it) patch testing skin care is a far more sensible approach.

The first thing everyone should own is antihistamines, I never go anywhere with a packet in my bag and will purchase just about any brand. I'm a floozy like that. Before you think I am a pill popping lunatic I do have hayfever but have found in the past that said capsules really do prevent an allergic reaction from becoming worse. Well that is enough drug peddling for one day.To dry out the rash and stop it being so itchy (you'd have sworn I had chickenpox at one point) I did rely on Eurax Lotion. Basically this is a lightly medicated liquid that cools and calms the skin as well as taking the itch/sting out of rashes, bites and more. One thing they don't mention on the bottle is just how drying this lotion is or how messy the liquid is. Seriously it goes everywhere you don't want it to.Your skin will dry up and flake off. It really is a sexy time in a girls life because an inflamed, womanly beard like rash just isn't enough to contend with. Oh life. In fairness it does stop you scratching.

Every bathroom should have a gentle cleanser for bad skin days, you want something that will cleanse the skin effectively but not make a bad situation any worse. I fully recommend Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel, this feels heavenly on the face even when your skin is a little tender. It would even be ideal for sunburnt skin. It cools, gently removes all traces of make-up, grime and product without stripping the skin , it almost has a hydrating quality and as it is a gel it somewhat soothes irritated skin. A little goes a long, long way and I personally have been a fan of this cleanser for about two years now. You can find it here via Escentual on offer for £16 - link.

At the moment all my skin wants is moisture and lots of it. I have made a point of drinking more water than usual. Great for my skin not so much pocket. I hate to sound like my granny but 30p to use a smelly public toilet is a rip off. Anyway my current skin saving duo is a pea sized blob of Indeed Labs Hydraluron all over my face both morning and evening followed up by Clinique Dramtically Different Moisturising Lotion +. Both products happen to be happy accidents, having oily skin means I don't actually own too many products catered for drier complexions. If you haven't tried Indeed Labs Hydraluron yet, purchase a tube ASAP it really is worth all the hype. There is lots of science involved which I will talk about in a later post but essentially it helps your skin retain moisture - perfect for dried out skin, especially now the majority of us are sun seeking. You can find it via Boots on a offer (save £8) - link.  Clinique Dramtically Different Moisturising Lotion + really is a dry skin saviour, although a light texture it replenishes drier than dry skin in an instant. I particularly like that all of Clinique products are allergy tested so it really won't add to any existing problems. You can find it here - link.

For the last few nights I have incorporated Trilogy Rosehip Antioxidant Facial Oil into my routine as I read that such oil can help prevent scarring as well as adding a little extra elasticity into the skin. It is still very early days but so far a good number of the blemishes have vanished from my face without leaving behind a scar. Fingers crossed. You can find it here - link.

As you can see I have steered away from both facial scrubs and face masks for the moment to really allow my skin to heal. If you simply must use a mask then I would say that Lush Catastrophe Cosmetic as it calms, soothes and moisturises in one step. In terms of scrubs personally until you are utterly healed I'd stay well clear as you could end up aggravating the broken skin but again if you must, go for a powder. Think along the lines of Indeed Labs Facial Powdered Exfoliator or Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant as they are gentle and have a soft texture but like I said give your skin time to heal.

So there we have it, a tale of woe and all the products that are currently saving my skin.
If you have any suggestions other than I behave a little less recklessly in the future when it comes to my skin do let me know.