In November 2019, I had a severe allergic reaction. Where it came from, I still don’t know. A number of things happened in a short period of time, so there are a few possible culprits. My skin was severely affected, literally from head to toe. Almost every inch of me was covered in a raised rash, and it lasted for over a year and a half. To this day, it still comes out once in a while (I’m actually in a flare right now), from something as simple as the water in a shower (and I don’t even take hot showers– that would bring it out much more). Before this reaction started, I wasn’t doing any skincare. I was washing my face in the shower with body wash, and with regular bar soap when I wasn’t in the shower. That’s it. Nothing special, no moisturizer, no serums, no creams, nada. This allergic reaction made me get more serious about my skincare, and I’ve learned what I can and cannot use. I have very sensitive skin (even before this happened), so I try to use products that are fragrance-free, or at least with a very light fragrance. I swear by these products now, and cannot live without them.
When the allergic reaction first started, it was Thanksgiving. I was covered in these raised bumps and hives, especially on my face and arms. The night before, I got a new carpet, so at first I thought it was that. It’s possible it was, but then I later remembered that a couple weeks before, I was put on an antibiotic that I was allergic to as a child (and forgot I had an allergic reaction to). It took a couple weeks to come out, but that’s definitely a possible contender.
About a month into my allergic reaction. Imagine this all over my body. This was right after a shower.
How I woke up on day 2 of the rash. It was also on my eyelids and my lips.
Over a year into the allergic reaction. Again, after a shower. This always manages to bring it out.
On top of those things, my doctors think I have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), and that’s probably why it lasted so long, would never leave my system, and why it still plagues me from time-to-time still to this day. I was tested for MCAS, but it came back inconclusive. Testing for MCAS is rarely positive, and a lot of people have negative testing and still have it. I’ve never been put on any treatment for it, though.
I went to a bunch of doctors while I was in my flare, including a dermatologist who did patch testing. He found a lot of things I was allergic to (about 12, which he said was very high compared to the general population), including fragrance. I removed all of the products I was supposedly allergic to, but nothing changed. I started using nothing with fragrance, but I couldn’t keep that up forever (it made no difference in my skin, and I needed a shampoo and body wash that didn’t smell like oatmeal and cardboard). These are the products that I’ve discovered and still use to this day.
A funny side note. Most of us elder millennials didn’t do skincare in our teens or our twenties. Some of us used St. Ives Apricot Scrub (I did not), and that’s basically it. Skincare was not the multi-billion dollar industry it is now when we were coming of age. Our version of skincare was taking off our eye makeup before bed, which we rarely did in our teens and in my case, only started to do in my mid-20s. About five years ago or so, one of my friends was saying she only washed her face in the shower, and did it with shampoo!! That just goes to show how different it is now! Now we have multiple steps, and most people pay hundreds-upon-hundreds of dollars on skincare each year. I’m trying to learn more, and it’s certainly more fun when you actually see results! I try to find products that are good, but still inexpensive enough to afford.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
Moisturizers
When I bought my first facial moisturizer, it was this one. I bought it several times, and it helped a lot, until I realized they made one for dry skin. Not fragrance-free, has a light scent.
Gel-Cream Extra Dry Skin Moisturizer
Once I found the dry skin version, I started buying this version. I like that it’s thick and luxurious, and goes on so smooth. My skin instantly feels refreshed. Fragrance-free.
My eyes are extremely sensitive, and this has helped with the flaking and itchiness I was getting before I started using it. Fragrance-free.
Cetaphil Eye Gel Cream Moisturizer
There were a couple of instances where the Neutrogena eye moisturizer was out of stock, so I bought this one. This one is great too, and I still use it from time-to-time if I can’t get the other one. Not fragrance-free, has a light fragrance.
I started getting worried about developing a turkey neck. I felt like I was starting to lose the elasticity, and wanted to jump on it before it became too late. A lot of the neck firming creams I found were crazy expensive, so when I found this I was pleasantly surprised. I figured it was worth giving a shot, and I can honestly say I noticed a difference in the skin of my neck. It makes me curious to try it on other parts of the body, like thighs and arms. Has no added fragrance, but does have a very minimal scent from the ingredients.
During the peak of my allergic reactions, I was so itchy and dry. My dermatologist told me to slather myself in this, and oh my God it worked. I would put it everywhere– face, lips, arms, legs, breasts, (I’m telling you the rash was everywhere!) feet, stomach, shoulders, hands…. you name it. It felt like such a relief. I did this for months, and I would wake up less dry and itchy than I went to sleep.
One area that wasn’t improving was my lips. Aquaphor made them smoother, but the rash wouldn’t subside. My dermatologist suggested this, and I’ve already been using it on and off for decades. I’ve had eczema all my life, so I’m fluent in Vaseline. Whenever I’d get chapped lips (especially when I was sick), I’d use Vaseline, and I swore by it. A lot of people spend so much money on lip masks, but this is just as good, if not better. I still use it every night, and have for years now.
When my allergy was at its worst, I was going to Physical Therapy every week. My therapist would do massage, but I was afraid I was allergic to the cream she was using. She told me to buy this, and I did, and it smells fantastic. I love the smell of coconut, so make sure you love it too if you get this! I also was using it after a shower to moisturize my skin, and it worked great. A bit oily, but it is a body oil.
Since I do so well with the facial and eye moisturizers, I bought the body moisturizer more recently. Fragrance-free.
The other moisturizer I’ve used is this one. This is the one my dermatologist recommended, as it’s gentle on the skin, and of course fragrance-free. It’s formulated without a lot of the common irritants those with sensitive skin are allergic to. Oddly enough, there were times I thought this was giving me a rash on my legs, and I talked to my dermatologist about it. He was shocked, saying he’s never heard of a single person being allergic to this. I still use it once in a while on my hands and arms, but have stayed away from my legs because who knows. My body has no rhyme or reason sometimes!
Cleansers
I was using this before the rashes started, but since my dermatologist determined I wasn’t allergic to it, I put it back in my rotation after I tried a trial of not using it. I’ve been using it for a few years now, and I love the fresh, clean smell. This is the cleanser I use in the shower. Not fragrance-free.
The cleanser I use when I wash my face daily (not in the shower) and remove my makeup with. It’s very gentle, and doesn’t really create suds. It’s definitely good for sensitive skin, and is fragrance-free.
It’s funny, because I don’t use their makeup wipes because I’ve had severe reactions to them, but I swear by Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost line. I haven’t tried this yet, but it’s in my cart for when I run out of the La Roche-Posay. I’m curious to try to it to see if I like it better.
Before the rashes started, I was using the same body wash for over 15 years. I loved it, but the patch testing showed that I was allergic to it. I had to retire it, and used fragrance-free for a while. Fragrance-free body wash though smelled like cardboard, and I couldn’t stand it. Finally through testing different ones, I found this one, and I love it. It’s not fragrance-free, and it does have a light scent, but I haven’t had any reactions to it.
I don’t use makeup wipes often anymore, as they sometimes burn my eyes, but when I’m in a pinch, these are the only ones I can use. I seem to be allergic to all others. Keeping this by the side of your bed can be a game changer for those nights where you don’t have the energy to wash your face or take off your makeup.
There are only 2 eye makeup removers my eyes can tolerate, this is one of them. I’ve been using it since I started wearing makeup, it’s the best.
When I don’t have Bi-Facil (above), I use this to remove my eye makeup. These are the only two that I know don’t irritate my eyes.
Serums & Treatments
While on the skincare train, I delved deep and started to learn about products. I can’t afford expensive skincare (and you can’t convince me anything is worth the HUNDREDS of dollars La Mer is), I try to find inexpensive alternatives that work just as well. Here are my favorites.
I started using this when my facial rashes were bad, and this really helped sooth the skin. It smells like rosehips, and it made my skin so much softer. Not fragrance-free, but I love the floral rose scent, it’s not too overwhelming for me.
I’ve bought this a couple of times, and it’s a good Vitamin C serum. I wanted to try a different one to see if I got more results from that one instead, though. Fragrance-free.
I just ordered this one, as I’ve heard great things about it. I hope it works well, I’m hopeful. I’ve heard it’s a great dupe for the Skinceuticals C E Ferulic (I can’t afford $169 for a serum, that’s ridiculous!) We shall see, but I’m exited to try it!
I’ve had keratosis pilaris (KP) since I was a teenager, and nothing ever helped. This stuff actually works. It’s a sand-like exfoliator, and helps break down the bumps on your arms and legs. Fragrance-free.
Stay tuned for a part 2 in the future with more skincare, serums, and treatments.
