Problems with my skin.

[*Dee*]

So since i started making hp soap, my face has broken out bad. i cant think of anything else that would make it break out. it looks like a rash almost on my cheeks both sides. it is red and has the pimples, but the pimples never get white heads or anything they just stay red like a raised rash.

well last week i tried the oil cleasing method and it never helped, but it didnt get worse. it seems like it looks better when i just rinse my face with a hot wash cloth. last night i went and got a bar of nuetragena (sp) for acne. so i am hoping maybe that will work. but i just washed with it on my face and now my face is extremely dry and really tight.

now my cheeks with this rash or whatever it is, the parts where the rash is feels really dry like chapped or wind burnt.

any suggestions on what i can do to clear this up ?

[LuminousBoutique]

since you started making it or using it?

[*Dee*]

making it, i have yet to use a bar. i dont know if i rubbed my face when i had oils on my hands or what is going on. but that is when my face started breaking out.

im not sure if it is a coincidence or if they are related. it doesnt itch, it kinda burns. my husband says it looks like i am sunburned but it has raised red spots in it. it feels very dry like chapped skin or something. i dont know what it is ?

[CBE]

Some people's facial skin is more sensitive than others. I cannot use any type of soap on my face, not even facial "cleansers" from the store.

What type of oils are you using for the oil cleansing method? Castor draws the impurities out, and too much can be irritating (it is to me).

You'll have to find the right balance of oils for your own skin, so try different % of different oils.

I used to use DHC's Olive Oil Cleanser, but it got too expensive for my taste after a while. I loved the way it was water dispersable, which meant it rinsed off cleanly, leaving no oiliness behind on my face, but still left it feeling moisturized. After researching, I formulated my own water dispersable oil cleanser for my own use. No more break outs, no more redness, or burning irritation, rashes, or skin peeling. And I get to use the oils that my skin loves.

ETA: after reading your reply, not sure what's going on since you haven't used the soap on your face..... ??? Did you by chance maybe have raw soap on your hands, and then rubbed your face? I don't know, but that's sure kinda puzzling.

Edited February 16, 2010 by CBE

[*Dee*]

i started with 10% castor 90% sunflower. then i went to 50/50 when i didnt see a difference. i havent done it for 3 days now and it still looks the same. i dont know what is going on.

[CBE]

50% castor would suck me dry to the bone. LOL Do you have some emu oil? Apply a little bit as a moisturizer, it should heal that irritation up in a few days.

[Judy, USMC]

Personal experience. I've developed the type of facial rash several times in my life. My causes were: new brand of dryer sheets, new brand of laundry detergent, new cosmetics, and even a new pillow! Hand sanitizers cause it too if I forget and rub my cheeks with my sanitized hands. Those were easy to detect.

I was used to shoveling snow when I was up north and it never crossed my mind when I got a rash one winter ... that it was really caused by simple wind burn. The other harder-to-determine-the-cause was from using a new aerosol room air freshener.

Cleansers made it worse, acne treatment made it worse, soap made it worse, too. The only thing that helped was leaving it alone and letting the natural oils come back to the skin surface. If I needed to wash my face I just used warm water and patted dry. It can take up to a week of leaving it alone to start seeing improvement ... if there's no improvement after a week I would probably see a doctor.

I've never made HP soap. Could it be something that got dispersed into the air that contacted your skin ... or maybe something that vaporized?

Hope you find the cause.

Edited February 16, 2010 by Judy, USMC

[LuminousBoutique]

hmm, kinda puzzling! I wouldnt do more than 20% with the castor... it will dry your skin out even more.... 30% is like, MAX you should use I think.

[*Dee*]

i dont have any emu oil. i havent changed any soaps, cleaners ect. everything is the same except the soap making, and the oil cleansing ( which i started after i got this hoping it would help) im just going to use a hot wash cloth on my face for awhile and see how it goes. im puzzled at what it could be from. I do live in Pa so it is snowing lol. and right about the time it started it was tax time, and we were out and about way more than usual so maybe i didnt get over exposed to the cold winds. i dunno!

[Sharon in KY]

I wouldn't do anything either. Maybe rinse with water and pat dry. A drop or so of Lavender EO in a quart of water and apply that with a wash cloth, just let it sit on your face. Maybe Neosporin applied a couple of times a day. I wouldn't get the one with the pain killer in it cause that might irritate it more. I use this when ever I have almost any kind of boo boo. good luck..

Took this off their web site.

NEOSPORIN® First Aid Antibiotic provides long-lasting infection protection. NEOSPORIN® First Aid Antibiotic kills more types of infectious bacteria in laboratory tests than even the leading topical prescription. NEOSPORIN® First Aid Antibiotic may help minimize the appearance of scars.

[cdesousa5]

You might have touched the FO to your face, but it could also be from just smelling them. If you are highly sensitive it can cause a reaction.

To me it sounds like it could also be Rosacea even if this is the first time you noticed it. I'd check with a dermatologist and see what they say seeing as it hasn't gone away.

[*Dee*]

i was reading about rosacea and looking at pics, it kinda looks like it but im just not sure.

[Kitn]

I can't use anything but water on my face or I get a rash like you described.

[canongirl]

Hi Dee,

I was reading about your skin problems, and thought I would share my story with you. I had perfect skin up until about 3 years ago. Overnight I developed a red, pimpled rash on my chin. They looked more like tiny blisters. This soon spread to my cheeks and forehead. The blisters or pimples would pop, crust over and new ones would show up. I tried treating it with everything over the counter I could think of. I was racking my brain trying to figure out what I had changed recently. No new soaps, fabric softeners, etc... Nothing I tried helped. I finally had to see a dermatologist. He diagnosed me with Rosacea. I have no family history of it, never had a skin problem in my life, and yet one day, it just showed up. I have since been using a prescription cream twice a day on my face. It does help control the symptoms, but I will forever have rosacea.

Hopefully you're just having a reaction to something you've come in contact with. If it starts to worsen or spread, I would see a dermatologist. I let mine get out of control thinking I could treat this thing myself, not even knowing what it was. Good luck and keep me posted.

Lisa