Battle Plan for Allergy-Prone or Sensitizing Skin Reactions

By Paula Begoun

Whether or not you have sensitive or allergy-prone skin, chances are that you've had a reaction to a skin-care product or cosmetic somewhere on your face or body. For some, identifying which product caused the problem and discontinuing its use is enough to improve the appearance of skin within a day or two. For others, even after you've stopped using the item(s), your skin can remain irritated for days or even months. There are a few simple things you can do to wage a successful battle against your skin's irritated response.

1. Be certain you are dealing with an allergy or sensitizing reaction to a product, and not a skin disorder. Many skin conditions such as psoriasis, rosacea, eczema, folliculitis (an inflammation of the hair follicle), and reactions to food cause irritated, swollen, red, itchy, flaky or rashy skin. Medscape.com is a great resource for identifying whether or not you're having an allergic or sensitizing reaction. Go to their Primary Care home page, http://www.medscape.com/primarycarehome, and then look for the link to their Dermatology Atlas where you can search more than 2,600 images of skin problems. (You will need to create a user name and password, but otherwise this is a free online service of Medscape.) This gives you a way to help identify whether or not your skin looks like the images found for a particular skin disorder.
   
   
2. Find what product(s) or ingredient(s) are causing the problem and stop using them. Sometimes this is a simple enough procedure. If you started using a new concealer and within a few hours that area became red, itchy, and swollen, it is clear that the concealer is the problem. Unfortunately, it isn't always that easy. What makes this process so difficult is that many skin reactions don't happen quickly. It may be several weeks or even months or years after you've been using a product before your skin has a negative reaction to it. Further, given the number of cosmetic products women use daily, it is no wonder that pinning down exactly which item caused the problem can be a challenge. To make matters even more complicated, it may not be a single product but the combination of products that caused the problem (maybe the concealer isn't the problem, but the concealer, foundation, and moisturizer together that caused the reaction). The key here is to be patient and diligence, experimenting with the item or items you suspect and then see how your skin responds when you discontinue use.
   
   
3. Whether or not you've been able to identify the problem product, an over-the-counter cortisone cream can be your skin's best friend. Lanacort or Cortaid are excellent over-the-counter cortisone creams that function as anti-inflammatories. When either of these is applied to irritated, inflamed skin they can turn off the reaction that is causing the problem. Once the skin irritation shows up, apply the cortisone cream over the affected area for several days, even after everything seems back to normal. Remember that the skin can hold on to a sensitizing or allergic reaction for a long period of time. And don't be afraid about the short-term use of an over-the-counter cortisone cream. It is the long-term (more than two or three months of consistent use) of cortisone creams that can damage collagen and elastin in the skin.
   
   
4. While you are combating the allergic or sensitizing reaction do not use any other skin irritants of any kind over the affected area. Fragrances, scrubs, washcloths, AHAs, Retin-A, Renova, benzoyl peroxide, skin lighteners, or other skin-care products with active ingredients can trigger irritation and only add to the problem.
   
   
5. Avoid saunas, steam, sweating (if possible), or rubbing the affected area, all of which can help re-trigger the reaction.
   
   
6. If matters aren't improving after four to six weeks, you should seek professional help. See your dermatologist for an evaluation.
   
   
7. If you suspect that you are having a serious allergic reaction (in the form of hives, extremely swollen skin and eyes, or red patches over the skin that feel warm or tingle), consult with your physician to discuss the option of taking an oral antihistamine such as Benadryl to stop the condition.
   Paula Begoun