If you have EXTREMELY reactive sensitive skin

[Anonymous]

If seems I can't use anything besides petroleum jelly lately. Anything else causes eczema. I can't even put any make up on... , can't use any sunscreen. It's so annoying. I know I am allergic to aloe, but can't figure the rest out, the funny thing - the contact allergy test at the dermatologist came back negative. If you suffer from this like me, please share your resources: names of doctors, make up, lotions, sunscreens. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

I don't have recs, but I do have crazy reactive skin. I'd actually love a rec for shampoo/conditioner. I'm having a difficult time these days finding anything that doesn't make my skin freak out.

Have you tried Alba's unpetroleum jelly? I prefer that since it's plant-based, not filled with crude oil derivatives.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you. For hair I might not be the best resource - Pantene works great for me. Sometimes I splurge on Bumble and Bumble - have not had a reaction yet.

[Anonymous]

Like you, I have crazy reactive skin and my contact allergy test came back negative. Are you on any antihistamines? I use Nasonex daily year round and it seems to keep things under control. When it gets really bad I add Allegra during the day and Benedryl at night.

I use CeraVe cleanser on my face once/day. I can usually wear Smashbox tinted moisturizer without too much problem. I've given up on eye makeup.

[Anonymous]

I'm in the same boat. I don't wash my face, just use water, because any cleanser makes me so so so itchy. The only makeup I wear is a little tinted Nivea-brand chapstick. Everything else makes my face feel like it's got a mask of itch on.

Been using Kiehls eye cream, which hasn't been irritating me. I don't use facial moisturizer at all, but usually after I finish using some CVS-brand vitamin E cream on my legs, etc, I'll pat my face with my hands. Seems to give me a little moisture without too too much reaction. A pharmacist in India once gave me an incredibly inexpensive tube of a vitamin E cream for my face. It was the most comfortable lotion I'd ever used. I wish like anything I'd written down the name...and bought 100 more tubes...

I went to a dermatologist in DC who said that I could use cortisone lotion on my face. I'd been told before not to do that. Have done it a little; hasn't seemed to help. She also gave me some other special lotion that's for extra-sensitive skin and it made me go crazy with itchiness after a few seconds. So, yeah.

I've been to Nusta spa for facials with Rebecca. She's done magical things to my skin. I walk away from sessions with her feeling a gazillion times more comfortable. Highly recommended. (She's given me samples to use afterwards. Invariably, they end up making me itchy.)

Looking forward to hearing other people's favorite brands, doctors, etc.

[Anonymous]

PP 9:00 here. I noticed this summer when I went to the beach that the salt water helped my skin a lot. So I try to take a lukewarm bath with a TON of epsom salt in it. It seems to calm down the eczema quite a bit for a few days.

[Anonymous]

I have super sensitive skin. I use coconut oil for everything - and it helps a lot.

[Anonymous]

15:26 - do you use coconut oil as facial moisturizer? It works and feels ok? I love that idea - imagine how great it'd be to smell like vacation all the time!

[Anonymous]

Cerave is good stuff - the cleanser and the moisturizer. I also have good luck with the Olay sensitive sunscreen - the physical sunblock is soothing. I bought a bottle of really expensive moisturizer on the recommendation of a Sephora lady once - it was really great, so you might try to ask there.

The preservative methylsalizone (sp?) and a similar sounding one are big allergens. They are in most shampoos and conditioners. Neutrogena is the only brand I have found easily without it. Believe it or not the preservative is in eucerin lotion as well - avoid!

[Anonymous]

OP here: thank you ladies, good to know I am not alone. Here are some brands that worked for me but then stopped- maybe they'll work for you. La Roche Posay tolerane like - creamy cleanser and moisturizers. I once bought their sunscreen in Greece and it did not cause irritation. US version does not work. Another brand is Avene ( not avenO). Their products did wonders to me for 2 years, but no more.
As to eye make up, I read aBout nickel derivatives (I am butchering the explanation, sorry) that are in most mascaras. I had the ingridients written down, but lost it. I found one eyeliner in sephora that did not have that chemical and did not make my eyes puffy. I'll look up the name tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

Vanicream and aquaphor. Long time eczema. Maybe also use humidifier. Coconut oil in bath helpful. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

mychelle brand skin products, they have an unscented line

also try california baby super sensitive line

[Anonymous]

California Baby Calendula Cream used to work well for me, but now they've reformulated it to include new preservatives and irritants and a lower concentration of calendula. Now I'm using a calendula cream by Martin and Pleasance, and it is great.

Coconut oil is soothing, but it doesn't have a very lasting effect on my dry skin.

[Anonymous]

Olive oil products?

[Anonymous]

OP, not sure if this is at all helpful, but pretty much the only thing I can use on my face and body as a cleanser that doesn't trigger my eczema is Dr. Bronners soap.