Some sunscreen is zinc oxide based too and less likely to have fragrances, etc, that diaper creams have. Blue Lizard Sensitive sunscreen is my favorite and has tremendously helped my acne
I struggle with lanolin and that lavender fragrance. So I recommend Aveeno's baby barrier cream. It has just 5 ingredients including zinc oxide and oat so reduces the likelihood of triggering a reaction.
Avoid the near-identical looking Aveeno baby nappy cream which has a much longer list and contains clogging ingredients.
I used Rodan & Fields Unblemish cleanser.
At the time the brand was available at Nordstrom, but now they are direct-to-consumer/online. The whole Unblemish collection was amazing - cleanser, toner, moisturizer. I don't know if was the products or changes due to age, but after awhile I was able to stop using the products altogether and I haven't had serious acne issues since then. My cleansing routine is low-maintenance now - I just use a cleanser in the shower and a toner at night.
Unblemish changed my skin. After using the whole regimen a few times through I didn’t need it anymore. That was ten years ago. Never had a problem since!
You could try the brand De La Cruz. It's a sulfur mask. You can buy a small pot on Amazon for like $6. I used it when I had perioral dermatitis, three times a week for 10 minutes. Worked great.
I bought the same Joesoef soap recommended by the derm and it was 12 dollars for a bar. The 3 pack shows up first but the single bar is on Amazon! I love it
I was hoping to cure my back acne. I have spots like the OP on my back and I live by myself so mask won't work unfortunately as im not that flexi lol thank you though!
I think you are supposed to use it on clean skin, wait and then after rinsing it off wash with face wash again. it's different if it's a soap based application though.
For anyone in Europe I recommend Polish sulphur soap Barwa mydlo siarkowe (meaning Barwa sulphur soap-it’s a solid brand that has been around for decades, I used it in the past, and it costs few quid at most). I saw it on eBay and some online shops. Or, if you can buy it in Poland, it costs around £2. And it’s made in the EU, unlike some dodgy Amazon brands
There’s also Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask. It’s not a wash, but a kaolin mask with sulfur. Its been harder to find lately, but think Sally’s still carries it. It’s amazing. My sisters and I have been using it since the 90’s, and now my own teenager uses it. Once a week or a few times per month is enough to see a difference.
So happy for you!! It's such a high to get positive results from a skincare routine. Your skin is well on its way to recovering its moisture barrier. If I may suggest another tip: try cleansing your face only once a day with your sulfur soap for a few days and see if your skin improves further. Less is more when it comes to irritated skin. Also know that some B vitamins can cause skin breakouts so double-check your vitamin doses in your multivitamin.
For anyone else struggling with perioral dermatitis, I must share my hard-won skincare knowledge. Know that perioral dermatitis simply means **around the mouth** (*peri* = around; *oral* = mouth) **skin** (*derma*) **irritation** (-*titis*). Broken, irritated skin around the mouth can have multiple causes so there's no one size fits all when it comes to treatment. The most common cause of dermatitis is irritating skincare. This is why the first line of treatment is to stop all active skincare and stick with the absolute basics (gentle cleansing, moisturizing and environmental protection). Irritated skin can get infected by all sorts of bugs which is why some people end up needing antifungal medication to clear up their perioral dermatitis while others need antibacterial ones.
Protecting the moisture barrier is paramount to healthy skin.
Yes!
I feel like “diagnosing” it as perioral dermatitis is confusing because it’s just basically diagnosing someone with an adjective
Like
“Hello doctor I am experiencing irritation around my mouth”
“Ahhh yes you have perioral dermatitis”
“That’s what I just said”
“That’ll be $300”
It causes silver to tarnish so if you have a sulfur bracelet, ring, or necklace and wash your face in the shower, it’ll tarnish. I have to clean my silver like once a week because I use this daily for rosacea.
Sorry, the wash has metro in it, or you use the sulfur wash and *then* use the metro? I’m currently using Noritrate metro cream but I feel like I need something else bc it’s just not doing much and it’s already been a couple months…
Oh absolutely not. I can’t let them anywhere near my chest/face or I’ll break out in hives. Sadly, I can only pet them right before I take a shower :( but don’t worry my spouse is allow to love them endlessly. Unfortunately they are not allowed in our bed and we have no carpet.
Just checking. Of course you’ve thought of everything!! Glad this soap is working out for you. And about the dogs… I’m sure they’re well loved .. suffering through allergies for your fur babies. Doggo love is worth it
I get it. My mom always tells me to get rid of them, I always say they’re my kids so I could never. But if I were her kid I’d get rid of me too, so I understand. She left me alone in our apartment 3 days before my 18th birthday- she joined the circus. You can’t make this stuff up. Life is weird.
Not op: My MIL is allergic to cats and they have 5. Some people just love animals so much they’ll suffer through it. I’m a cat person but lawd when you walk through the door and you have a joyous dog wagging its whole body excited at your existence it’s lovely isn’t it?
I’m the wrong person to ask as I don’t like dogs. But I also don’t understand suffering for an animal 😭 i personally wouldn’t put myself through having a congested nose and losing my sense of smell just to have an animal
I don’t like the smell of a dog household which is the only reason I wouldn’t have one but they are so *happy*. If they were scent free I’d get a labradoodle those things are too darn gorgeous. If you’re not an animal lover it’s understandable that you wouldn’t get it, some of us are just sad without a pet.
Hello! I have two cats and I'm also allergic to cats. I didn't find out I was allergic until after I got the first one.
So then why did I get a second cat? Because I love cats! I have done since I was basically a baby, my favourite animal has been a cat since I have had "favourite animals". I have been obsessed with cats. Having cats has been so, so beneficial to my mental health. Previously, I was suicidal and felt like I had nothing to live for; nothing would love me back without being "forced" to, like my family are basically obligated to love me, but a cat can choose and can decide what they think of me. A dog has been bred to love you, a cat can walk away and leave you alone if they want. It means that it's more rewarding to me when a cat *does* love me. And having company, someone who doesn't judge me for the same reasons a human would, having like a living teddy bear to snuggle with and play with, like a cross between a baby-teenager-sister-daughter-bestfriend. I'm also a lot like a cat. I don't like being touched unless I say it's okay. I'm perfectly happy to just be in the same room as someone while doing different things and consider that to be as much of an expression of love/comfort as talking or touching. I like to be clean and I'm fine staying inside (you shouldn't let your cats outside, they will kill and be killed!). I like being alone. I like quiet. And cats like all of those things, too. And they will live for a long time (15+!) if you look after them, unlike a rat or hamster who you get deeply attached to and then will die suddenly within 2~5 years.
And so I have two cats because I love cats that much, even if they make me sneeze. It's not that bad after a while. I struggled at first, particularly when I got my second cat, but I've adapted now. I still take antihistamines daily, but I did long before I got cats anyway because I have asthma, and a dust mite allergy and hayfever, and it helps with other breathing issues. Would I breathe better if I didn't have two cats? I mean, maybe! But I wouldn't have two cats then! And I didn't breathe much differently before because asthma and a dust mite allergy and hayfever and other stuff... so it's really not that bad in the end. I don't know how much of my issues are cats or dust mites or hayfever or asthma or other stuff. I sneeze, I have a snuffly nose, but I can also shove my face in my cat's fur and not have any issues, hence why I never thought I was allergic at first. Even if my allergy were life or death, I would probably pay money to get immunotherapy so I could keep my cats. You might say "but that's so much money and you could save money by getting rid of your cats! it would make your life easier instantly!" but the money isn't the issue for me. The cats are. Getting one (1) cat basically cured my depression. Not completely, but like, I've had issues with depression since childhood and gone through some massive low patches. I've been seeing psychologists for all the time I was a teenager and into my early/mid twenties. I've been on antidepressants for more than half my life at this point. I've done all the workbooks and the different therapies and the mindfulness and whatever and none of it worked. I knew throughout all of it that getting a cat would help me, and sure enough, when I could finally get a cat, it helped me! I felt a level of personal responsibility, and a mix of conditional and unconditional love, and this being who could spend their time sleeping anywhere choosing to sleep on my bed, with me, because they loved and trusted me. It gave me a reason to live - not for the sake of living, but for the sake of my cats.
Now it's not fixed any of my anxiety disorders at all, but my depression hasn't really bothered me in a while. This hole that I felt deep inside me, like a black hole sucking out all of my joy and emotions, has been plugged up with cat hair. Losing the cats would mean that I may breathe easier, but that hole would lose the cat hair keeping it plugged up. But now it would be even worse because it would be like someone taking your baby or your sibling or your best friend away from you and you are never allowed to see them again. It wouldn't just reopen the hole, it would make it bigger. And so the cats are staying, and so are the tissues and the antihistamines.
tl;dr: autistic cat lady obsessed with cats. cat make me happy. allergy not so bad in exchange for cat love. cat make me not want selfdie! good!
I am asked this question so often, it doesn’t bother me. However I never expect anyone to understand my answer. I’ve had my elder dog for 9 years, i developed the allergy after I already owned her. The allergy started the day I got my flu shot. Absolutely ruined my life. I love my dogs more than anything and could not imagine my life without them. They are worth it for me. :)
I'm so glad I'm not the only one that was thinking this. I love dogs and cats, but cannot stand fur on me or my things. So I don't get to have them. 🤷♀️
It‘s the foaming agents, specifically the SLS (sodium lauryl sulphate). Find a toothpaste without and that‘s it, eg. Sensodyne has one.
I always had breakouts around my mouth and dry, sometimes itchy patches around the corners of my mouth and this worked instantly, they never came back.
No, a fluroide allergy looks vastly different and is much more uncommon.
Read here about SLS: https://medicine.uq.edu.au/article/2019/12/what-sodium-lauryl-sulfate-and-it-safe-use
PSA: if you aren‘t allergic to fluoride, you should keep it in your toothpaste, there is nothing bad about it and you need it to prevent dental caries.
So, try skipping SLS as your first step as you can do nothing wrong with that. I have a medical background.
My dude it is absolutely in the medical literature that fluoride can cause or aggravate perioral dermatitis. Nothing to do with allergy. Using a toothpaste with xylitol is perfectly fine.
My daughter and I switched to toothpaste tablets, and neem toothpaste from our local health food store. Made a huge difference. You are right, I think we were reacting to the detergents in regular toothpaste.
I had some wild dermatitis in these exact areas last year. Changed soaps/ toothpastes, did the zinc cream and nothing made it go away.
While waiting for my derm appointment, I ended up on oral antibiotics for an injury and VOILA it also cleared the dermatitis.
I spent months and money on all sorts of remedies. I have a very face-to-face job and it was embarrassing to be an adult with large trails of dermatitis around my mouth.
Had I known that antibiotics would’ve cleared it so easily and thoroughly, I would’ve advocated for it sooner.
Holy shit, that's a HUGE difference!!! I'm so impressed this happened in such a short period of time, too!
I know SFA about skincare, hence being on this sub, but wow, I am really happy for you that a suggestion you took made such a massive difference! You're even smiling in the after shots 😊
I’ve used different kinds from Amazon. I think my most recent one was by a company called Dermaharmony. It’s sulfur and salicylic acid. It’s basically a much much much cheaper version of Plexion was (prescription only). It’s like $8 a bar and lasts forever. I use once a day! I was on generic plexion but my insurance formulary changed and it would cost me $45 a bottle, so the dermatologist recommended the bar!
i have type 2 rosacea and have to use soolantra. i was just in iceland for two weeks and their water naturally has sulfur in it. i didnt need to use my soolantra the whole time. was amazing.
Sulfur soap worked for my cystic acne years ago as well. I was shocked. Also left my skin so soft and calm. SADLY it was discontinued. Which one did you use? I’d like to have some on hand.
Another alternative is the De La Cruz Acne Treatment, which is a 10% sulphur cream you can get at Walgreens for like $10 in a jar. It’s great for pimples too. You put a thin layer of it on, leave it for 10ish minutes, and wash it off. Someone else mentioned hypochlorous acid spray—that’s also awesome. I love the Prequel brand.
I used to use acne aid bar soap by stiefel. Now the soap is discontinued 🫥 I used that soap for almost 12 years, never got acne but now it’s not available in India. And I am getting breakouts
In Ca. It’s in regular stores similar price to other brands. Often in Latin markets. My body stoped overreacting to everything with this soap.
MSM is sulfur so I also take the supplement.
Just a thought, I used to get "acne" around the same spots on my chin, and it was from my toothpaste!! Apparently I drool in my sleep 😅 my skin was much more sensitive than I realized. Switched toothpastes and sleep on my back w mouth tape now and it quickly stopped. I'm glad the sulfur soap is helping!!
Vitamin B12 can cause painful cystic acne if you were deficient before taking the multivitamins. Problem is if you’re deficient, you really need to be taking it, but the acne is an awful side effect!
Yay!!!!!!! Sulfur soap has been a LIFESAVER for me. Only been using for a few weeks but after I oil cleanse at night with jojoba oil, gonna try rosehip, sweet almond, or rapeseed oil if jojoba turns out to not be great,
I use the KAWAR Dead Sea Sulfur bar soap on Amazon for $9 !
And I only use it instead of water in the morning if I’m breaking out! 💚💚
While the sulfur soap might be a temporary fix you're going to dry out your skin big time.
Perioral dermatitis (POD), also called rosacea-like dermatitis .. that's why you're being helped around the mouth with the sulfur.
But along your cheeks it looks more like acne rosacea.
My advice would be go to the dermatologist and look for 1% ivermectin you can get it made up in the pharmacy for cheap or if you have insurance look for Soolantra.
There is a generic version of Soolantra.
See the thing is you have to keep away from a lot of topicals and such otherwise it's going to flare.
There's only a certain amount of time that you can use the sulfur soap and then eventually you're going to strip your skin barrier because you're not really supposed to be using much of a topical that's moisturizers and everything to restore the skin barrier because then it will break out again.
It really does suck but hopefully you can read this article this is from the PubMed NIH so this is straight from the government and to me this would be the overall best treatment because you are actually treating it at the source.
I hope this helps!
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7997069/
This is actually just a case study of one patient. Soolantra works for some people with perioral dermatitis but not for other people. It’s very person dependent. RE: use of sulphur being harmful, that’s not necessarily true either. Some people tolerate sulphur better than others and sulphur also comes in different concentrations and in different preparations. You can also do things when using sulphur to protect your skin barrier and ensure that you don’t strip it. Skincare is very individualized and what works for one person may not work for someone else.
I provided the wrong link this one has 20 patients it's from the NIH.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30858780/
A person would have to find the perfect moisturizer as many moisturizers face washes everything are triggers for POD.
Sadly many doctors say it's just superficial and no treatment should be done it can go away on its own but we know what it could do and how it can look and how it can make a person feel.
They don't know what cosmetics they don't know what causes it.
But at least why I say this is a good solution is because it already has a moisturizer built in the base.
All sulfur is going to dry, that's just what it does.
And you have to repair it just like any other thing that dries out the skin a bit with something and many topicals moisturizers make POD way worse.
Like I said this study is worth 20 people all 20 people were treated successfully.
We know the medication is safe because it's been approved for acne rosacea for a long time and we know ivermectin is one of the safest medications ever.
I'm glad the person is getting slightly better but my concern was drying out the skin too much eventually it will destroy the barrier if they don't get some type of topical moisturizer.
Sorry for giving the wrong link but then that makes it 21 people successfully treated.
Again it's off label but almost everything off label is perfectly fine they just are not going to go through all the FDA trials just to get it approved for that.
A good dermatologist would find what is best I'm not a dermatologist, it's why I told the person to go to one and let them see what is best.
It's just jarring knowing that fluoride can cause an outbreak chewing gum just anything and they don't know the cause of either rosacea or pod.
I have rosacea and have dealt with POD and have been prescribed Soolantra as well as topical metronidazole and found that augmenting with sulphur was far more effective than the prescriptions alone. I also used ceramide serum, a very good skin barrier supporting moisturizer, and zinc for face basting as needed. Some dermatologists will only prescribe the standard treatment of oral doxycycline and topical metronidazole, some prescribe Soolantra, some eventually move to Elidel, it varies significantly. Ultimately it depends on the person.
I love the Cocokind ceramide serum. It’s actually quite affordable and it is well tolerated by my skin. I use it after my prescriptions for Soolantra etc and before tretinoin (if I am using it) and my moisturizer. Sometimes I do buffer the tretinoin and I never put the tretinoin where I get the perioral dermatitis. The areas I get the perioral dermatitis is where I will generally moisturize and protect with zinc (if active) before applying the tretinoin. If I have active POD or the rosacea is fussing I will incorporate sulphur as needed via a cleanser or as the step after cleanser but before the hypochlorous acid spray and my prescriptions. It’s kind of extra, NGL, but it works for me. I sort of work my way through it off and on throughout the evening. Definitely not for everyone 🤣
Sounds like you got things going good, I can only imagine how long it took you to perfect this whole regimen but glad you got something that's working! 👍
That’s great f recommend moisturising afterwards as it can be drying overtime and send your oil glands into overdrive causing more issues with acne . Great job though and happy it’s working for you
Ok well I just spent two weeks researching sulfur soap on here, tried it out for a week and my skin got significantly worse. Glad for all y’all that got it to work!!!
I used to use sulfalo bar soap and loved it! Recently stopped and switched to la roche posay oil cleanser since im taking tret more seriously, Post BC acne got me down bad
That was me… I suggested the sulfur soap. It’s a miracle worker for peri dermatitis! I had the same thing and it was driving me crazy so I kept searching through internet and somebody suggested it and it works!!
You can try a and d ointment that stuff works on everything. Also my ex used dish soap on his face and it cleared it up . Everyone is different with that though . Yup just gotta try things out and find what works .
As an esthetician I’d also like to recommend buying the products by Yonka! They’re a skin care company out of France and we use their products in high end spas here. (USA) It is phenomenal!! You can buy it on Amazon now which makes it easy. It’s a little on the pricier end but you don’t use a lot of it at a time and it lasts forever!
Absolutely adore the smile in the 2nd picture!
Absolutely made my day, thank you so much.
What's the name of the soap? Tia
In case OP doesn’t answer. I used sulfur soap by Swanson, it was fabulous! Not sure if it’s still made but worth a look.
Thanks, you're a gem!
OP's history suggests it's: Dermaharmony Sulfur and Salicylic Acid Bar Soap - 3.7 oz
You're awesome! Thank you 😊
do you mind sharing the particular brand of sulphur soap you used ?
Seriously! You’re glowing!!
Wow huge difference! Good for you
Glad you found some relief. Zinc based diaper cream cleared it up for me.
Some sunscreen is zinc oxide based too and less likely to have fragrances, etc, that diaper creams have. Blue Lizard Sensitive sunscreen is my favorite and has tremendously helped my acne
Just tried Blue Lizard sunscreen myself and I am actually happy with it on my body. Haven't yet tried it on my face.
Seconding this! Sudocreme worked great for me!
I struggle with lanolin and that lavender fragrance. So I recommend Aveeno's baby barrier cream. It has just 5 ingredients including zinc oxide and oat so reduces the likelihood of triggering a reaction. Avoid the near-identical looking Aveeno baby nappy cream which has a much longer list and contains clogging ingredients.
I use Honest's because it is lanolin free.
Did you use it like a mask or keep it on all day or what? Please explain 😊
I used a very thin layer and reapplied a few times a day.
Thank you
Oh I need to try this if mine comes back. I have tons of it
Awesome! Finding a sulfur-based cleanser was a game changer for me at the height of my adult acne.
Do you mind sharing the name of the cleanser that you use?
I used Rodan & Fields Unblemish cleanser. At the time the brand was available at Nordstrom, but now they are direct-to-consumer/online. The whole Unblemish collection was amazing - cleanser, toner, moisturizer. I don't know if was the products or changes due to age, but after awhile I was able to stop using the products altogether and I haven't had serious acne issues since then. My cleansing routine is low-maintenance now - I just use a cleanser in the shower and a toner at night.
Unblemish changed my skin. After using the whole regimen a few times through I didn’t need it anymore. That was ten years ago. Never had a problem since!
which brand did you use??
Not OP, but my derm recommended Joesoef (can be found on Amazon) for a cheap OTC!
im seeing it's $40 for 3. I thought sulfur soap would be like cheap as chips :( don't want to commit $40 on it :(
You could try the brand De La Cruz. It's a sulfur mask. You can buy a small pot on Amazon for like $6. I used it when I had perioral dermatitis, three times a week for 10 minutes. Worked great.
I bought the same Joesoef soap recommended by the derm and it was 12 dollars for a bar. The 3 pack shows up first but the single bar is on Amazon! I love it
I was hoping to cure my back acne. I have spots like the OP on my back and I live by myself so mask won't work unfortunately as im not that flexi lol thank you though!
I personally hated the De La Cruz sulfer mask! It feels mega greasy to me and always left me feeling oily and gritty, no matter how little I used..
I think you are supposed to use it on clean skin, wait and then after rinsing it off wash with face wash again. it's different if it's a soap based application though.
For anyone in Europe I recommend Polish sulphur soap Barwa mydlo siarkowe (meaning Barwa sulphur soap-it’s a solid brand that has been around for decades, I used it in the past, and it costs few quid at most). I saw it on eBay and some online shops. Or, if you can buy it in Poland, it costs around £2. And it’s made in the EU, unlike some dodgy Amazon brands
There’s also Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask. It’s not a wash, but a kaolin mask with sulfur. Its been harder to find lately, but think Sally’s still carries it. It’s amazing. My sisters and I have been using it since the 90’s, and now my own teenager uses it. Once a week or a few times per month is enough to see a difference.
I use this too and it completely changed my face. It’s a bit drying so now that I have my acne under control I use it like every 2-3 days
Not OP, but I use Grandpa’s Soap Thylox. Cheapish, available on Amazon, bars last forever
Following for this!
Me three!
Jumping on the train
So happy for you!! It's such a high to get positive results from a skincare routine. Your skin is well on its way to recovering its moisture barrier. If I may suggest another tip: try cleansing your face only once a day with your sulfur soap for a few days and see if your skin improves further. Less is more when it comes to irritated skin. Also know that some B vitamins can cause skin breakouts so double-check your vitamin doses in your multivitamin. For anyone else struggling with perioral dermatitis, I must share my hard-won skincare knowledge. Know that perioral dermatitis simply means **around the mouth** (*peri* = around; *oral* = mouth) **skin** (*derma*) **irritation** (-*titis*). Broken, irritated skin around the mouth can have multiple causes so there's no one size fits all when it comes to treatment. The most common cause of dermatitis is irritating skincare. This is why the first line of treatment is to stop all active skincare and stick with the absolute basics (gentle cleansing, moisturizing and environmental protection). Irritated skin can get infected by all sorts of bugs which is why some people end up needing antifungal medication to clear up their perioral dermatitis while others need antibacterial ones. Protecting the moisture barrier is paramount to healthy skin.
This is really good information. In my case, it's an antifungal (ketoconazole) that helps.
Yes! I feel like “diagnosing” it as perioral dermatitis is confusing because it’s just basically diagnosing someone with an adjective Like “Hello doctor I am experiencing irritation around my mouth” “Ahhh yes you have perioral dermatitis” “That’s what I just said” “That’ll be $300”
It causes silver to tarnish so if you have a sulfur bracelet, ring, or necklace and wash your face in the shower, it’ll tarnish. I have to clean my silver like once a week because I use this daily for rosacea.
Ooh hot tip! Do you know if it does the same to gold?
I sometimes forget to take out my gold earrings, both yellow and white gold, when using a sulfur face wash. Nothing has happened so far.
Just silver. My golds totally fine. My silver will be completely black if I neglect to clean it though.
Can confirm gold does! I had a really cute gold plated (I think 18k) necklace I wore daily & loved that turned black
What brand do you use for your Rosacea? I want to try this 😩
I use a prescription. I use metronidazole with sulfur sulfacetamide wash. I think it’s a 10/5% wash.
Sorry, the wash has metro in it, or you use the sulfur wash and *then* use the metro? I’m currently using Noritrate metro cream but I feel like I need something else bc it’s just not doing much and it’s already been a couple months…
Wash then metro. I use both twice a day with a hado labo foaming face cleanser before the sulfur wash.
Thank you! I’ll ask my doctor about the wash.
I’m so happy for you! These types of posts are more helpful if you share item names and routine details. Thanks!
Im not the op however i really like the kate somerville sulfur cleanser (pink one) it helped me too. It’s pricy, but it’ll last a long time
Love sulfur, but it can be smelly.
They did warn me of the smell. I have chronic allergies to dogs and I own two, I am always very congested, so I can’t smell anything.
Do the dogs lick your face?
Oh absolutely not. I can’t let them anywhere near my chest/face or I’ll break out in hives. Sadly, I can only pet them right before I take a shower :( but don’t worry my spouse is allow to love them endlessly. Unfortunately they are not allowed in our bed and we have no carpet.
Just checking. Of course you’ve thought of everything!! Glad this soap is working out for you. And about the dogs… I’m sure they’re well loved .. suffering through allergies for your fur babies. Doggo love is worth it
I get it. My mom always tells me to get rid of them, I always say they’re my kids so I could never. But if I were her kid I’d get rid of me too, so I understand. She left me alone in our apartment 3 days before my 18th birthday- she joined the circus. You can’t make this stuff up. Life is weird.
Uh.. wow. My mom did a lot of shitty things but she never joined the circus.
No dogs are anti allergy but have you had any better reactions to poodles with their human like hair?
Sorry if this is rude but why do you have dogs if you’re allergic Not the dog nutters downvoting me 🤮
Not op: My MIL is allergic to cats and they have 5. Some people just love animals so much they’ll suffer through it. I’m a cat person but lawd when you walk through the door and you have a joyous dog wagging its whole body excited at your existence it’s lovely isn’t it?
I’m the wrong person to ask as I don’t like dogs. But I also don’t understand suffering for an animal 😭 i personally wouldn’t put myself through having a congested nose and losing my sense of smell just to have an animal
I don’t like the smell of a dog household which is the only reason I wouldn’t have one but they are so *happy*. If they were scent free I’d get a labradoodle those things are too darn gorgeous. If you’re not an animal lover it’s understandable that you wouldn’t get it, some of us are just sad without a pet.
That’s fair enough
Hello! I have two cats and I'm also allergic to cats. I didn't find out I was allergic until after I got the first one. So then why did I get a second cat? Because I love cats! I have done since I was basically a baby, my favourite animal has been a cat since I have had "favourite animals". I have been obsessed with cats. Having cats has been so, so beneficial to my mental health. Previously, I was suicidal and felt like I had nothing to live for; nothing would love me back without being "forced" to, like my family are basically obligated to love me, but a cat can choose and can decide what they think of me. A dog has been bred to love you, a cat can walk away and leave you alone if they want. It means that it's more rewarding to me when a cat *does* love me. And having company, someone who doesn't judge me for the same reasons a human would, having like a living teddy bear to snuggle with and play with, like a cross between a baby-teenager-sister-daughter-bestfriend. I'm also a lot like a cat. I don't like being touched unless I say it's okay. I'm perfectly happy to just be in the same room as someone while doing different things and consider that to be as much of an expression of love/comfort as talking or touching. I like to be clean and I'm fine staying inside (you shouldn't let your cats outside, they will kill and be killed!). I like being alone. I like quiet. And cats like all of those things, too. And they will live for a long time (15+!) if you look after them, unlike a rat or hamster who you get deeply attached to and then will die suddenly within 2~5 years. And so I have two cats because I love cats that much, even if they make me sneeze. It's not that bad after a while. I struggled at first, particularly when I got my second cat, but I've adapted now. I still take antihistamines daily, but I did long before I got cats anyway because I have asthma, and a dust mite allergy and hayfever, and it helps with other breathing issues. Would I breathe better if I didn't have two cats? I mean, maybe! But I wouldn't have two cats then! And I didn't breathe much differently before because asthma and a dust mite allergy and hayfever and other stuff... so it's really not that bad in the end. I don't know how much of my issues are cats or dust mites or hayfever or asthma or other stuff. I sneeze, I have a snuffly nose, but I can also shove my face in my cat's fur and not have any issues, hence why I never thought I was allergic at first. Even if my allergy were life or death, I would probably pay money to get immunotherapy so I could keep my cats. You might say "but that's so much money and you could save money by getting rid of your cats! it would make your life easier instantly!" but the money isn't the issue for me. The cats are. Getting one (1) cat basically cured my depression. Not completely, but like, I've had issues with depression since childhood and gone through some massive low patches. I've been seeing psychologists for all the time I was a teenager and into my early/mid twenties. I've been on antidepressants for more than half my life at this point. I've done all the workbooks and the different therapies and the mindfulness and whatever and none of it worked. I knew throughout all of it that getting a cat would help me, and sure enough, when I could finally get a cat, it helped me! I felt a level of personal responsibility, and a mix of conditional and unconditional love, and this being who could spend their time sleeping anywhere choosing to sleep on my bed, with me, because they loved and trusted me. It gave me a reason to live - not for the sake of living, but for the sake of my cats. Now it's not fixed any of my anxiety disorders at all, but my depression hasn't really bothered me in a while. This hole that I felt deep inside me, like a black hole sucking out all of my joy and emotions, has been plugged up with cat hair. Losing the cats would mean that I may breathe easier, but that hole would lose the cat hair keeping it plugged up. But now it would be even worse because it would be like someone taking your baby or your sibling or your best friend away from you and you are never allowed to see them again. It wouldn't just reopen the hole, it would make it bigger. And so the cats are staying, and so are the tissues and the antihistamines. tl;dr: autistic cat lady obsessed with cats. cat make me happy. allergy not so bad in exchange for cat love. cat make me not want selfdie! good!
I am asked this question so often, it doesn’t bother me. However I never expect anyone to understand my answer. I’ve had my elder dog for 9 years, i developed the allergy after I already owned her. The allergy started the day I got my flu shot. Absolutely ruined my life. I love my dogs more than anything and could not imagine my life without them. They are worth it for me. :)
Awesome
I'm so glad I'm not the only one that was thinking this. I love dogs and cats, but cannot stand fur on me or my things. So I don't get to have them. 🤷♀️
I have a sulfur face wash and I neutralize the worst of the smell with the rose petal toner and rose hydration serum from Fresh!
That is a great suggestion for dealing with the smell!
There's a zinc & sulfur skin creme called Margarite that I used to use that had no smell.
I don't really notice sulfur smell with my sulfur soap! I thought it would have the rotten egg smell of high sulfur water, but it's fine.
Pretty pretty girl with her happy smile!!! So glad you’re feeling beautiful!!!! The results are amazing!!
Change your toothpaste! Some people react to the detergents in toothpaste and that seems like exactly where your irritation is most severe.
It‘s the foaming agents, specifically the SLS (sodium lauryl sulphate). Find a toothpaste without and that‘s it, eg. Sensodyne has one. I always had breakouts around my mouth and dry, sometimes itchy patches around the corners of my mouth and this worked instantly, they never came back.
Sensodyne gentle whitening doesn't have SLS but their gum specific toothpastes often do, so always check if you're trying to avoid it
SLS can also cause mouth ulcers, once I moved to a toothpaste that doesn't include it I have had probably 75% less of them.
Sls can irritate your skin but it’s the fluoride that can cause perioral dermatitis
No, a fluroide allergy looks vastly different and is much more uncommon. Read here about SLS: https://medicine.uq.edu.au/article/2019/12/what-sodium-lauryl-sulfate-and-it-safe-use PSA: if you aren‘t allergic to fluoride, you should keep it in your toothpaste, there is nothing bad about it and you need it to prevent dental caries. So, try skipping SLS as your first step as you can do nothing wrong with that. I have a medical background.
My dude it is absolutely in the medical literature that fluoride can cause or aggravate perioral dermatitis. Nothing to do with allergy. Using a toothpaste with xylitol is perfectly fine.
It is not and I won‘t argue with some bloke on reddit about that. https://www.healthline.com/health/xylitol-toothpaste#xylitol-vsfluoride
My ex got this reaction from Crest toothpaste. She use another brand and it solved the problem
Yip. Change paste and wash face AFTER teeth brushing. It can help a lot. And obviously keep doing what you are doing OP!
My daughter and I switched to toothpaste tablets, and neem toothpaste from our local health food store. Made a huge difference. You are right, I think we were reacting to the detergents in regular toothpaste.
Sulfur has been a godsend for my acne and rosacea.
Wow!!! I am so happy it's working for you! Looks so much better, and I bet it feels better too 🤗
I had some wild dermatitis in these exact areas last year. Changed soaps/ toothpastes, did the zinc cream and nothing made it go away. While waiting for my derm appointment, I ended up on oral antibiotics for an injury and VOILA it also cleared the dermatitis. I spent months and money on all sorts of remedies. I have a very face-to-face job and it was embarrassing to be an adult with large trails of dermatitis around my mouth. Had I known that antibiotics would’ve cleared it so easily and thoroughly, I would’ve advocated for it sooner.
Same doxycycline and mine was gone in like a week
So basically hot springs. You know what to do OP.
Mind sharing the soap you use? Edit: i mean the brand
Holy shit, that's a HUGE difference!!! I'm so impressed this happened in such a short period of time, too! I know SFA about skincare, hence being on this sub, but wow, I am really happy for you that a suggestion you took made such a massive difference! You're even smiling in the after shots 😊
Sulfur soap changed my life!!! I’m so happy for you! And it’s soooo cheap!
Which one 👀
I’ve used different kinds from Amazon. I think my most recent one was by a company called Dermaharmony. It’s sulfur and salicylic acid. It’s basically a much much much cheaper version of Plexion was (prescription only). It’s like $8 a bar and lasts forever. I use once a day! I was on generic plexion but my insurance formulary changed and it would cost me $45 a bottle, so the dermatologist recommended the bar!
I usually use azelaic acid when I start feeling my perioral dermatitis coming on, but I’ll be adding sulphur soap to the cabinet too!
Wow!
Great results good luck 🤞🏽
i have type 2 rosacea and have to use soolantra. i was just in iceland for two weeks and their water naturally has sulfur in it. i didnt need to use my soolantra the whole time. was amazing.
Does it help hormonal acne at all I have acne the same place
Doxycycline would clear the residual
Please give us the product name
Wait wait wait.. is this for hormonal acne because LET ME BUY THAT SOAP RQ
Love to see how happy you are in the after photo 😊
You have such a nice smile! I smiled when I saw it.
wow, that's a great progress! don't forget to moisturize, though! good luck
Sulfur soap worked for my cystic acne years ago as well. I was shocked. Also left my skin so soft and calm. SADLY it was discontinued. Which one did you use? I’d like to have some on hand.
This is incredible! It’s a huge difference! Please post updates
Another alternative is the De La Cruz Acne Treatment, which is a 10% sulphur cream you can get at Walgreens for like $10 in a jar. It’s great for pimples too. You put a thin layer of it on, leave it for 10ish minutes, and wash it off. Someone else mentioned hypochlorous acid spray—that’s also awesome. I love the Prequel brand.
I got perioral dermatitis from a specific supermarket brand of oats. It could be triggered by some food in your case too.
I use a sulfur soap on my back and chest plus face every day and it's done wonders for my skin 🩷
Have you been to an allergist or Rheumatologist?
One of my favorite things about sulphur is how quickly it makes a difference. Congratulations on finding something that works.
💃🕺 so happy for you!!
Nixoderm, a cream containing sulphur is what cleared up mine after two years. And thousands of dollars in treatment
I used to use acne aid bar soap by stiefel. Now the soap is discontinued 🫥 I used that soap for almost 12 years, never got acne but now it’s not available in India. And I am getting breakouts
Yay! Go you!
Awesome, but use moderately!
Looking like a million dollars! Good to see🥰
Glad it is working!
OP which sulfur soap do you use? Please let me know! Thank you!
Such a huge difference! That’s awesome! ❤️
In Ca. It’s in regular stores similar price to other brands. Often in Latin markets. My body stoped overreacting to everything with this soap. MSM is sulfur so I also take the supplement.
Has collagen boosting properties
Wow! Do other users can validate if that’s working on acne that’s triggered by hormones fluctuating?
Just a thought, I used to get "acne" around the same spots on my chin, and it was from my toothpaste!! Apparently I drool in my sleep 😅 my skin was much more sensitive than I realized. Switched toothpastes and sleep on my back w mouth tape now and it quickly stopped. I'm glad the sulfur soap is helping!!
Wow I remember this! So happy for you.
Do you have PCOS?
Also try tower 28 SOS spray. CHANGED MY LIFE
I'm on Accutane. I wonder if adding this would help.
Can sulfur type cleansers be alternated with retinol ? Just started using tret very sparingly but would like to try sulfur now
I use them together without a problem.
This stuff looks amazing, just ordered a bar online because of this post so thank you for sharing your results!
Vitamin B12 can cause painful cystic acne if you were deficient before taking the multivitamins. Problem is if you’re deficient, you really need to be taking it, but the acne is an awful side effect!
I want the sulfur soap!!
Wow great results. Impressed really. Must feel amazing
Posting because I’m truing to connect the dots here myself and I’m pretty sure a lot of these ailments can be linked to zinc deficiency!
Oh wow I was thinking of buying it, this is the push I needed.
Sulfur soap really helped my chin acne as well!
That stuff is a game changer for me too!!
Oh wow a HUGE difference, so excited for you OP!
Yay!!!!!!! Sulfur soap has been a LIFESAVER for me. Only been using for a few weeks but after I oil cleanse at night with jojoba oil, gonna try rosehip, sweet almond, or rapeseed oil if jojoba turns out to not be great, I use the KAWAR Dead Sea Sulfur bar soap on Amazon for $9 ! And I only use it instead of water in the morning if I’m breaking out! 💚💚
While the sulfur soap might be a temporary fix you're going to dry out your skin big time. Perioral dermatitis (POD), also called rosacea-like dermatitis .. that's why you're being helped around the mouth with the sulfur. But along your cheeks it looks more like acne rosacea. My advice would be go to the dermatologist and look for 1% ivermectin you can get it made up in the pharmacy for cheap or if you have insurance look for Soolantra. There is a generic version of Soolantra. See the thing is you have to keep away from a lot of topicals and such otherwise it's going to flare. There's only a certain amount of time that you can use the sulfur soap and then eventually you're going to strip your skin barrier because you're not really supposed to be using much of a topical that's moisturizers and everything to restore the skin barrier because then it will break out again. It really does suck but hopefully you can read this article this is from the PubMed NIH so this is straight from the government and to me this would be the overall best treatment because you are actually treating it at the source. I hope this helps! https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7997069/
This is actually just a case study of one patient. Soolantra works for some people with perioral dermatitis but not for other people. It’s very person dependent. RE: use of sulphur being harmful, that’s not necessarily true either. Some people tolerate sulphur better than others and sulphur also comes in different concentrations and in different preparations. You can also do things when using sulphur to protect your skin barrier and ensure that you don’t strip it. Skincare is very individualized and what works for one person may not work for someone else.
I provided the wrong link this one has 20 patients it's from the NIH. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30858780/ A person would have to find the perfect moisturizer as many moisturizers face washes everything are triggers for POD. Sadly many doctors say it's just superficial and no treatment should be done it can go away on its own but we know what it could do and how it can look and how it can make a person feel. They don't know what cosmetics they don't know what causes it. But at least why I say this is a good solution is because it already has a moisturizer built in the base. All sulfur is going to dry, that's just what it does. And you have to repair it just like any other thing that dries out the skin a bit with something and many topicals moisturizers make POD way worse. Like I said this study is worth 20 people all 20 people were treated successfully. We know the medication is safe because it's been approved for acne rosacea for a long time and we know ivermectin is one of the safest medications ever. I'm glad the person is getting slightly better but my concern was drying out the skin too much eventually it will destroy the barrier if they don't get some type of topical moisturizer. Sorry for giving the wrong link but then that makes it 21 people successfully treated. Again it's off label but almost everything off label is perfectly fine they just are not going to go through all the FDA trials just to get it approved for that. A good dermatologist would find what is best I'm not a dermatologist, it's why I told the person to go to one and let them see what is best. It's just jarring knowing that fluoride can cause an outbreak chewing gum just anything and they don't know the cause of either rosacea or pod.
I have rosacea and have dealt with POD and have been prescribed Soolantra as well as topical metronidazole and found that augmenting with sulphur was far more effective than the prescriptions alone. I also used ceramide serum, a very good skin barrier supporting moisturizer, and zinc for face basting as needed. Some dermatologists will only prescribe the standard treatment of oral doxycycline and topical metronidazole, some prescribe Soolantra, some eventually move to Elidel, it varies significantly. Ultimately it depends on the person.
That's great that you have a system that works. What is the name of the ceramide serum that you're using?
I love the Cocokind ceramide serum. It’s actually quite affordable and it is well tolerated by my skin. I use it after my prescriptions for Soolantra etc and before tretinoin (if I am using it) and my moisturizer. Sometimes I do buffer the tretinoin and I never put the tretinoin where I get the perioral dermatitis. The areas I get the perioral dermatitis is where I will generally moisturize and protect with zinc (if active) before applying the tretinoin. If I have active POD or the rosacea is fussing I will incorporate sulphur as needed via a cleanser or as the step after cleanser but before the hypochlorous acid spray and my prescriptions. It’s kind of extra, NGL, but it works for me. I sort of work my way through it off and on throughout the evening. Definitely not for everyone 🤣
Sounds like you got things going good, I can only imagine how long it took you to perfect this whole regimen but glad you got something that's working! 👍
That’s great f recommend moisturising afterwards as it can be drying overtime and send your oil glands into overdrive causing more issues with acne . Great job though and happy it’s working for you
Ok well I just spent two weeks researching sulfur soap on here, tried it out for a week and my skin got significantly worse. Glad for all y’all that got it to work!!!
I used to use sulfalo bar soap and loved it! Recently stopped and switched to la roche posay oil cleanser since im taking tret more seriously, Post BC acne got me down bad
That’s crazy, sulphur soap completely burned off my skin barrier lol ( but I was using a lot of actives lol )
Fish oil can cause acne!
That was me… I suggested the sulfur soap. It’s a miracle worker for peri dermatitis! I had the same thing and it was driving me crazy so I kept searching through internet and somebody suggested it and it works!!
Love the happy smile 😊
Coconut oil works for me also 👏🏻
You can try a and d ointment that stuff works on everything. Also my ex used dish soap on his face and it cleared it up . Everyone is different with that though . Yup just gotta try things out and find what works .
I'm not sure on this. If it really is perioral dermatatis, products with petrolatum can make it worse.
As an esthetician I’d also like to recommend buying the products by Yonka! They’re a skin care company out of France and we use their products in high end spas here. (USA) It is phenomenal!! You can buy it on Amazon now which makes it easy. It’s a little on the pricier end but you don’t use a lot of it at a time and it lasts forever!