My Perioral Dermatitis Skin Care Routine

This post contains affiliate links.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of iHerb. While I was compensated for this post, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Remember a couple of weeks ago when I talked about my struggles with perioral dermatitis? Well I am happy to report that my skin looks soooo much better right now thanks to following my doctors treatment plan and completely overhauling my skincare routine.

In case you are new around here or just haven’t followed along on my perioral dermatitis journey let me give you a little background…

Perioral Dermatitis (POD) is defined as is a chronic papulopustular facial dermatitis that occurs more frequently in women and children. POD is often mistaken for rosacea as it is characterized by a red scaly/bumpy rash around the patient’s nose, mouth and/or eyes.

Some causes for Perioral Dermatitis include prolonged topical steroid use and prolonged inhaled nasal steroid sprays. POD can also be caused by using heavy moisturizers and creams on the face and hormonal changes. There isn’t one definitive cause and since the triggers vary there really isn’t a “one and done” answer.

Prescription treatments for POD include topical antibiotics, immunosuppressive creams, topical acne creams and oral antibiotics.

Lifestyle changes you can make in order to lessen the symptoms of POD can include getting rid of harsh exfoliating facial scrubs, stop using steroids on your face, stop using makeup and skincare that contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and stop using toothpaste with fluoride.

So now that all info is out of the way…what have I been doing to help clear up my current Perioral Dermatitis flare up?? I have followed my doctor’s treatment plan to a T…I take oral antibiotics twice a day and use both immunosuppressive cream and an antibiotic cream on my face twice a day. I also completely changed my skincare routine by eliminating any products with Sodium Lauryl Sulfates in them and my skin has done a complete 180! It looks soooo much better and it feels better too!!

It looks and feels so much better that even though I’m sure I could technically wear a full face of makeup now, I don’t. I love my skin and think I will continue only using mascara and brow stuff…at least until I have a date or feel like getting “fancy”! LOL!!

So let’s talk about skincare! If you have followed this blog for any amount of time then you know how important skincare is to me! I feel like I am always preaching about the benefits of skincare and how a good exfoliator and moisturizer can change your life. Well friends I am happy to report that since getting rid of all my skincare products I have completely changed my routine to include only products that are Sodium Lauryl Sulfate free and that are as natural as possible.

If you have ever delved into the world of natural skincare then you know how intimidating it is! There are so many brands and products that I had never heard of and I had no idea where to start! Luckily I found the iHerb website and the wonderful people there sent me a gift card and really helped me find exactly what I was looking for. The iHerb website carries over 7,000 bath and beauty products that can be shipped to over 150 countries and their customer service team also provides support in 10 languages.

I knew I wanted to keep my skincare routine as simple as possible while also maintaining the same types of products I used before. So after a LOT of research and talking to friends these are the products I got from iHerb that I am currently using to help with my Perioral Dermatitis skincare routine.

ONE. Palmer’s Coconut Oil Cleansing Balm The first step in my double cleansing face washing method is a good cleansing balm. I have always loved a good cleansing balm and was so upset that my usual balms were full of chemicals and bad for our skin ingredients. I have heard that Palmer’s made skin care products but had never tried any before so I was pleasantly surprised to find that they made a super budget-friendly cleansing balm that both smells amazing and works like a charm!! This cleansing balm gets off every single bit of my stubborn mascara plus it’s super gentle and smells like coconuts!!

TWO. Desert Essence Creamy Cleansing Oil. The next step in my double cleaning method is this super hydrating cleansing oil from Desert Essence and it makes my skin feel so soft!! It contains Evening Primrose, Argan Oil and Jojoba Oils and works well by itself or with a facial brush.

THREE. Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil Facial Cleansing Wipes. The next step in my skin care routine would normally be a toner but I have stepped away from traditional toners and am instead switching between these wipes and the next product on this list. These Tea Tree Oil Facial Cleansing Wipes form Desert Essence are truly a Godsend.

I will be the first to admit that I am not usually a big fan of tea tree oil (I think it stinks) these pads really work to tame my oily areas (specifically my t-zone) and tea tree oil is just really good for your skin.It has loads of anti-inflammatory properties that can really help with irritation. I use these very sparingly over the Perioral Dermatitis areas of my face and dab them rather than wipe.

FOUR. Sky Organics Rose Water Toner. This is the other product I use in the place of a traditional toner. On the days/nights I’m not using the tea tree oil pads I use this Rose Water Toner from Sky Organics. The only toners I am used to are full of alcohol and really get the junk off your face. This toner is a spray bottle and can be used to spray all of over your face if you need a pick-me-up during the day or can be spritzed on a cotton ball and used like a traditional toner.

I have used this one both ways and actually prefer it misted all over my face. Rose water has been known to soothe and refresh skin and this one is super gentle. It makes my face feel really good and I don’t worry about it irritating my skin at all!

FIVE. Indigo Wild Zum Face Under Eye Butter. Now that I am in my mid-30’s eye cream has been my best friend. I still get Botox on my crow’s feet but my under eyes still need some major help. I have dark circles and bags (thank you night shift work…ugh) and this product is full of rich butters and oils…evening primrose oil, clary sage, carrot seed oil, shea butter and macadamia nut oil just to name a few) that have seriously helped my under eyes stay moisturized!

Plus Indigo Wild products are made in Missouri and that’s Arkansas’ neighbor to the north so I feel like I’m shopping local when I purchase their products! LOL!

SIX. Desert Essence Restorative Face Oil. And now let’s talk about facial oils! I think I am facial oil obsessed but for a good reason, they are so good for your skin!! This Restorative Face Oil from Desert Essence is packed full of amazing ingredients like Evening Primrose, Marula, Jojoba and Argan Oils to infuse moisture back into the skin without clogging up your pores. It is also super soothing on the Perioral Dermatitis areas of my face!

SEVEN. Desert Essence Revitalizing Oils Moisturizer. After I let the oil sit on my face for a few minutes it’s time for moisturizer! I have fallen in LOVE with this Revitalizing Oils Moisturizer from Desert Essence. It is packed full of antioxidants and Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids as well as Evening Primrose, Argan and Avocado Oils and yet it’s still super lightweight and doesn’t make my skin feel heavy or weighted down. This is the perfect end to my skin routine!!

And that, my friends, is the conclusion of my Perioral Dermatitis skin care routine but I still have a few products left to talk about that I use more as “treatments” or really just as I need then throughout the day/night.

EIGHT. Derma-E Skinbiotics Treatment Cream. When I started researching skin care products that were good for Perioral Dermatitis this Skinbiotics Treatment Cream from Derma-E kept popping up. If it full of tea tree oil and oregano oils to help soothe and moisturize skin irritations and even just regular sensitive skin. I have used this cream on my face in the middle of the day when it wasn’t time for one of my prescription creams and on my hands  where I have super dry, eczema spots. I can honestly say that it has helped both areas!!

NINE. Savannah Bee Company Bamboo Honey Wipes, Tupelo Honey. Another product that kept popping up in my search for Perioral Dermatitis skin care products was pretty much anything made with honey. Honey is a natural skin soother and is rich in natural antioxidants. These Bamboo Honey Wipes can be used all over your body but I prefer them for my face as a refreshing pick-me-up in the middle of a long day. These wipes are super soft and have been enriched with moisturizing honey, conditioning beeswax, and soothing extracts from plant bees love to visit.

OK friends, this super long post is finally coming to an end but here are a few takeaways…if you are suffering from Perioral Dermatitis do your research! If you are like me you want your face to be cleared up as soon as possible but you also don’t want to overuse antibiotics so switching up your skin care is KEY!! Find what works for your skin and keep using it, maybe it’s something I talked about in this post and maybe it’s not. Do what’s best for your skin!

If you have been thinking about switching up your skin care and are trying to use more natural products (or you already use natural products) then you are going to love this next part…

iHerb is offering all customers (new and old) a discount code {CLICK HERE} and an additional $5 off $40 order for new customers!!!

If you have any questions about Perioral Dermatitis feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an email!! And just for fun here is an update “naked face” pic of my skin after using these products for a few weeks…

…to see how bad it was before check out this post. I hope that didn’t scare you too much!! LOL!!

Do you use natural skin care products??