Taylorkay25 (Lincoln, Ne) on 02/03/2011
After a couple days of letting it really dry out with the TTO I started applying Shea Butter. I got the Badger and Nutmeg Shea Butter from my local health store. I would still apply the TTO, but I would let it dry a few minutes then put on the Shea Butter. Again, do this when you don't need to go anywhere because the Shea Butter doesn't absorb into the skin completely and its VERY moisturizing so it gives a greasy look to the areas you apply it to. I started off just applying it before bed. Then if I had time and didn't need to be anywhere I applied the TTO then Shea Butter and just let it set.
Now this is where the Grapefruit Seed Extract comes in... You need to take it orally. I had read that you should try applying the GSE right on the skin, but it wasn't really helping me. I think it just irritated it. I had read somewhere that GSE is a natural antibiotic, and that sometimes perioral dermatitis is caused by yeast on the skin and other possible bacterias. So since it wasn't working topically, I just started taking it orally. I would put about 15 drops into a glass of grapefruit juice and stir it and drink. The GSE is really bitter, so the grapefruit juice blends it well so you don't notice it. I drank it twice a day. Within a few days of doing this, it is almost gone.
Also try not to put make up on it. Just keep it moisturized with a light moisturizer if you need to go anywhere. Now please know, I don't think my case was severe, but it was pretty moderate and if I left it alone it would have gotten a lot worse. It would not go away when I tried anything else. I also tried yogurt on the skin, and it helped a little bit, but not really.
Another VERY IMPORTANT thing is DO NOT GO TANNING. I think that canceling my tanning membership also helped a LOT. I read somewhere that UV light actually makes dermatitis flare up, and I would rather be pale with nice skin than tan with dermatitis on my face. So anyway, don't wear make up, don't tan, and do the routine at night if you work during the day. You should see results within a couple of days. The Grapefruit Seed Extract, Tea Tree Oil, and Shea Butter aren't very expensive, and sure beat going to the doctor! So I hope this helps some people! Good luck with it!
Replied By Honeybee (Fresno, Ca, United States) on 01/18/2012
That is when I finally turned to Tea Tree Oil. I had read about it before but put off using it because I thought it would be too harsh for my skin. I finally decided to give it a shot and bought some Tea Tree Soap. I've been using it for two days and my skin is 90% clear! I'm also taking a multivitamin, eating tons of fruits and veggies, and drinking echinacea tea (I ran out of all my other herbal teas).
My skin is much too sensitive to try the ACV, but the TTO soap is mild enough for my skin. I've been using it about 4 times a day and my skin feels baby soft. For those with really sensitive skin I recommend trying it. It's working so well, I've even stopped using the zinc. I just wash, and pat dry.
Replied By Lucy (Perth, Australia) on 10/23/2012
The treatment I chose was to take multi vitamins, fish oil, zinc tablets, and probiotic tablets every day. I also continued to use my normal cleanser (neutrogena deep clean) morning and night. After cleansing I applied Tea Tree Oil to the rash with a damp cotton tip. I let it sit for a few minutes (tingled slightly but didn't burn)and then splashed my face with water and applied Organic Argan Oil (my normal moisturizer) as my face is super dry without it and I also read that Argan Oil has benefits for dermatitis etc. The first day of treatment the rash looked redder and angrier than ever but I preserved and am so glad I did! As after that the bumps just disappeared and the red faded and now the skin is healing. I am going to continue with this for some time to hopefully stop a repeat. I really hope this can help someone else!