Eczema and Perioral Dermatitis Skincare Routine
As an Esthetician who’s dealt with often miserable eczema myself, these are my top skincare product picks for anyone dealing with a flare of atopic dermatitis (eczema) or perioral dermatitis. This is a perfect skincare routine for anyone with dry, itchy, irritated skin on the face.
Let’s start with some lifestyle changes that might save you a trip to the derm.
Avoid hot, humid environments, including steamy showers, hot tubs, heated workouts, saunas, and steam rooms. Switch to lukewarm water when bathing or washing your face. Steam is extremely dehydrating for the skin and both hydration and moisture are imperative for getting the skin back to a healthy state.
Stop all exfoliants and retinoids. This includes any AHAs (Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Mandelic Acid, and more), and BHA (Salicylic Acid), any physical scrubs, and retinoids (Retinoic Acid, Retinol, Retinal, Retinaldehyde). Don’t be concerned if you see Retinyl Palmitate in your products, though, as this is a very common mild retinoid ester that works as an antioxidant and is often used in healing products and even sunscreens.
Be cautious with your topical steroid use. Hydrocortisone creams are very beneficial to stop itching, but they must be used cautiously as topical steroid withdraw can be a nasty side effect that you don’t want. Everyone has a different tolerance, but it’s best to avoid using a topical steroid for more than 7 days in a row. Use it when you need it, and don’t when you don’t.
ALWAYS, always wash your face (or at least around the mouth) after each time you brush your teeth. This is the first thing a dermatologist will tell you if you see them with an unrelenting rash around your mouth, a.k.a. perioral dermatitis. Toothpaste is very harsh on the skin and even a small amount left behind can cause skin irritation in some people. Additionally, look for toothpaste free of SLS, a common PD trigger.
And the hardest one yet: look to minimize stressors in your diet and lifestyle. We don’t all have such a privilege, but if you’ve noticed excessive poor diet lately or other bodily stressors, it will not hurt your case to aim to reduce stress where you can. Often our daily stressors aggravate our skin and trigger dermatitis, so aiming to reduce stress will likely be of benefit in your healing process.
Use the following routine morning and night, adding your favorite sunscreen last in the morning.
Cleanser: GlyMed+ Mega Cream Cleanser
Soothing and so hydrating, this creamy cleanser is perfect as a standalone cleanser when feeling super dry, despite its indication as a makeup remover. Yes, it’s that too, but for ultra dry, irritated skin, this cleanser will ADD moisture to the skin, leaving your skin more hydrated than before cleansing. I love the addition of lavender for an extra calming boost, too!
Moisturizer: GlyMed+ Comfort Cream with Aloe Vera
The aloe vera is so soothing for itchy skin and the petrolatum helps to prevent TEWL (transepidermal water loss), which is much higher in eczematous skin (source). Packed with additional soothing ingredients like calendula, chamomile, and allantoin, you won’t want to be without this moisturizer when a flare comes around.
Occlusive: GlyMed+ Cell Protection Balm
Adding an occlusive overtop a moisturizer is one of the best ways to seal in moisture and create a barrier for irritated skin. Again with the main ingredient being petrolatum, this balm is amazing for reducing TEWL and is so much better than other popular occlusives as it additionally has added soothing ingredients to help to calm any itchiness. The live yeast cell derivatives promote skin healing, too.
Be sure to reapply your moisturizers and occlusives throughout the day. Don’t just rely on your morning and night routine if your skin is needing more moisture. For added bonus, try a healing serum.
Serum: PCA Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum
Simple is best when dealing with eczema or periroral dermatitis, but this serum can be added immediately after cleansing and before moisturizing to provide deeper hydration with PCA’s HA-Pro Complex, as well as the necessary ceramides for skin with poor barrier function, which is especially the case in eczema and perioral dermatitis.
If you’re eczema-prone or perioral dermatitis-prone and want to schedule a consultation to discuss the best skincare routine for you, I offer in-person consultations at my Atlanta skincare studio. You can also reach out to me via my contact form, or check back for virtual consultations coming soon.
