Please help me with my angry pregnant skin! Any ideas/advice welcome.

[mamaheids]

I posted about a month ago about my acne getting worse with this pregnancy. I had been previously diagnosed with Rosacea, but haven't had a flare in a really long time. (Pregnancy experience with DD was totally different- my skin was glowing and beautiful.) It got so bad that my OB prescribed clindamyacin gel. The interesting thing though is that my skin on my face is really dry and irritated and literally flakes and sloughs off DAILY. I was feeling like the red bumps must be zits from the dirt and oil being trapped under the dead skin- and my OB agreed, thus the rx for clindamyacin. Well, after 4 weeks and no improvement on the "zit" side of thing and a flare in sensitivity/redness and scaliness. This is unlike any other rosacea flare I have EVER experienced. (I'm not even sure it is rosacea that I'm dealing with now.) I can't even cover it with makeup. I don't think the little red bumps are actually zits either- as they haven't changed much (haven't come and gone) or dried up with the antibiotic gel. So I decided to stop using the clindamycin- because if it isn't working anyways I'd rather not expose the babe. I have a OB appt on Wednesday and will talk about other alternatives then. Dermatologists here book out 6 months or more, so I probably won't get help that way. (Not that they have ever really helped me in the past with rosacea either- they just prescribe/recommend tons of chemicals and skincare with parabens and other irratants.) Has anyone experienced this weird facial condition? The rest of my skin on my body is dry and sometimes itchy, but nothing like this daily sloughing off/molting that my face seems to be doing and not red or irritated. I don't think it is sebb. dermatitis- because the worst areas are my forehead, cheeks and chin. (Not eyebrows, nose creases etc like in sebb. derm.)
For washing I am using cetaphil bar
For a moisturizer I am using evan healy shea butter face and olive leaf face and body cream.
I do have to roll the dead skin off of my face in the shower with either my fingertips or a washcloth, otherwise I can't get my moisturizer to penetrate and I can't use makeup to cover the redness.
Help- I don't even feel like I can go out in public it has gotten SO bad.

[Talula Fairie]

IME, cetaphil was incredibly drying and my face reacted pretty badly to it. I had a massive acne attack. My skin was dry and scaly too. I have issues with most soaps, but that one was one of the worst which perplexed me becuase it's supposedly gentle. I'd imagine the bar is even more drying than the liquid I used.

Have you ever tried the Oil Cleansing Method? It made a big difference in my skin.

Also: is it possible you have a dairy, soy, wheat, or nut allergy? Food allergies often have that kind of negative effect on your skin, especially when you're hormones are all crazy.

[mamaheids]

Originally Posted by Talula Fairie

IME, cetaphil was incredibly drying and my face reacted pretty badly to it. I had a massive acne attack. My skin was dry and scaly too. I have issues with most soaps, but that one was one of the worst which perplexed me becuase it's supposedly gentle. I'd imagine the bar is even more drying than the liquid I used.

Have you ever tried the Oil Cleansing Method? It made a big difference in my skin.

Also: is it possible you have a dairy, soy, wheat, or nut allergy? Food allergies often have that kind of negative effect on your skin, especially when you're hormones are all crazy.

Thanks for writing! I have tried the OCM with olive oil before (2 years ago) - not much success, but I have considered trying it recently with coconut oil because of its healing antibacterial properties.
I did a 4 week trial elimination of gluten and dairy on the recommendation of a holistic nutritionist/chiropractor last summer- I saw no improvement, so I stopped because it was so hard. Maybe I should try that again- but honestly it is very depressing because my morning sickness has finally gone away and I can eat again! I love to eat!
I have a consult with an esthetician on wednesday to talk about a line of products called Dermaquest, and I've also been looking at some skincare on etsy by JofulNaturalGirl. I see my OB on Wednesday too- so I'll talk to her then as well.
I think I am going to stop using the cetaphil too. I'll just stick to coconut oil for now.

[Talula Fairie]

It could just be crazy pregnant skin. My midwife also told me to buy vitamin D3 for my angry skin. Could be helpful to you as well.

4 weeks is long enough to know that you're probably not allergic to gluten or dairy. That doesn't mean you're not allergic to anything, though. Common allergens are also soy, some types of nuts, citrus, strawberries, MSG, all kinds of things. Some people are even allergic to artificial food coloring. Can be hard to narrow it down, though.

Coconut oil OCM is probably great for your face! In fact, that inspires me to try the same thing, I have half a jar of unused coconut oil becuase I bought the wrong kind...the refined kind...but I bet it would be great for my face. OCM doesn't work for everyone, and different oils work for different people. I'd give it a shot and see if things improve at least a little.

[natasharae612]

I know this post is a couple years old, but I'd like to ask, did things ever get better for you?

When did your skin start to clear up? Or was it bad throughout?

I am feeling the same as your original post conveys you were feeling. I have the worst acne of

my life. Large, deep, red, bumps, PAINFUL! and constantly shedding skin. Its around my chin and

jaw line. It is literally, devastating my entire world. I too, dread leaving my home. Every morning I wake

up, its worse.

Im using, after trying a plethera of combos/creams/naturals/changes in diet.....

Cetaphil bar soap every other night, Proactive Extra strength the other nights

Witch Hazel/Apple Cider with a couple drips of Tea Tree oil as a toner

Vitamin A cream for a slath.

After all that, once my skin dries I started using tonight, a Clindamycin Phosphate Rx 2% cream.

In my early twenties, this cream plus a Minocycline pill cleared up some pretty bad acne for me.

Since I cant take the pill now, Im begging to GOD the cream will help me along with other things

Im doing.

Basically, how did your story end?? If you get this..