Desensitizing products for allergic skin or what to do?
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free skin care · Wed May 26, 2010 10:33 pm

Hi,
I kind of have a stupid question, but it is skincare related.

First I'll start by saying for the past few months the skin on my arm (only one arm though),
has been extremely sensitive.
It started when I had some blood taken and the bandaids and everything they used after left a rash on my skin,
then after a week or two more of this the area in my upper arm looked red, chapped,tight and dry.
Only ice packs and cool water helped for a bit,but barely.

I think I am allergic or badly reactive to the glue and tape they use for bandaids and such items.

So far I tried Burn Jel (helpedd, but made arm super itchy),
Aveeno lotion-had to rinse that off.

Mario Badscu healing cream, felt nice, but seemed to make my skin more dry the next day (probly cuz of the Sulfur in it?).

I've gone to the doctor and hopefully I can see a derm sometime,but the wait here is 1+ year.

I finally remembered I had Aveeno w calamine and that seemed to help mostso far.

Also tried Weleda wound care (had to rinse off, did not really help..but Weleda wound care great for cuts and scrapes).

Finally today I received Weleda burn care and that seems to work for now..only used it 2x so hard to say.
I like that Weleda burn care has few ingredients.

I also know if I go and see a derm, I'll be told just to use Cortisone cream,
problem with that is I was told that before for irritation on my leg years ago..andit burt my skin.
So, then went back to same derm and...his solution..use stronger cortisone cream.
Did not work well for me,

Any suggestions on what I can try to lessen the irritation on my skin.
Ya, I know tonot use bandaids and now and bugging people if I need to use them to try and put something so the stickypartdoes not touch my skin much Rolling Eyes

That is helping a bit it seems.

Also, want to add I did not try all the products I mentioned at once, only one every few days.

If anyone has any ideas what to try,I could use some suggestion maybe!

I guess this post is kind of turning into a long winded rant...
just seems I'm throwing aound money trying to find something useful.

Thu May 27, 2010 5:10 am

Acid mantle is a ph balancing cream. It has been used for years by pharmacists as a base for mixing all sorts of creams prescribed by MD's.
35 yrs ago a pharmacist friend recommended it for a skin irritation that I had tried many other creams and ointments on. The acid mantle was the only thing that didn't cause additional irritation. It helped heal the irritation and I continued to use it for several years as a basic moisturizer.
You can find it at a local pharmacy, just make sure to ask the pharmacist - not a clerk.
Since a Rx is not necessary, you may even talk a pharmacist into selling you a small container that he can fill from his "supply mix". That is how I got my first "supply" of it. Wink

I recently found a small tube online for $10.00 U.S. at an express med site.

Product Description:
Fosters a favorble pH environment for healing skin. Relieves mild skin irritation.
Soothing moisturizing cream for releif of dry, irritated skin caused by soaps, detergents, chemicals and alkalis.

Manufacturer: BRADLEY/KENWOOD
Upc: N10337090452/U310337904521

Hope this helps.

I recommend this because, I have highly sensitive skin and have spent alot of $ testing products on myself over the years. And, I have had the same cortisone experience with Dr's. I also think that sometimes the Docs are also "testing" when they prescribe things - I think the skin is one of the hardest things to diagnose!

Judi

ps: if you do try this, please post and let me know if it helped.

free skin care · Thu May 27, 2010 5:29 am

Sounds like you need anti-inflammatory help?

Zinc oxide is non-irritating and calming for sensitive skins. Yep that's the active in physical sunscreens. You can try those diaper rash ointments. They are normally formulated with zinc, and being meant for babies' bottoms, would likely not contain anything too irritating.

Or plain aloe vera?

Personally, i find hydrosols helped lots with my eczema prone skin. My mainstays are the Immortelle/Helichrysum and the Yarrow.

Thu May 27, 2010 5:33 am

I also have this sort of reaction to tape/band aids. I have an aloe vera plant that has saved me for many years. I mix this with lavender oil. I take a small plate and put two drops of lavender oil on it then snip off an inch of the aloe plant. Open the aloe so that all of the juice is exposed and rub it onto the plate where the lavender is and then onto the reactive area.

Thu May 27, 2010 7:00 am

circus wrote:

Sounds like you need anti-inflammatory help?

Zinc oxide is non-irritating and calming for sensitive skins. Yep that's the active in physical sunscreens. You can try those diaper rash ointments. They are normally formulated with zinc, and being meant for babies' bottoms, would likely not contain anything too irritating.

Or plain aloe vera?

Personally, i find hydrosols helped lots with my eczema prone skin. My mainstays are the Immortelle/Helichrysum and the Yarrow.

Zinc oxide actually is very irritating for alot of people. I am one of them.
Aloe vera sounds like another good and inexpensive option.

free skin care · Thu May 27, 2010 7:26 am

Judi wrote:

circus wrote:

Sounds like you need anti-inflammatory help?

Zinc oxide is non-irritating and calming for sensitive skins. Yep that's the active in physical sunscreens. You can try those diaper rash ointments. They are normally formulated with zinc, and being meant for babies' bottoms, would likely not contain anything too irritating.

Or plain aloe vera?

Personally, i find hydrosols helped lots with my eczema prone skin. My mainstays are the Immortelle/Helichrysum and the Yarrow.

Zinc oxide actually is very irritating for alot of people. I am one of them.
Aloe vera sounds like another good and inexpensive option.

Zinc oxide in high concentration is drying and hence irritating. Also, the base matters too. As in whether it contains humectants and oils to help counter the possible drying effects.

free skin care · Thu May 27, 2010 10:48 am

circus wrote:

Sounds like you need anti-inflammatory help?

Zinc oxide is non-irritating and calming for sensitive skins. Yep that's the active in physical sunscreens. You can try those diaper rash ointments. They are normally formulated with zinc, and being meant for babies' bottoms, would likely not contain anything too irritating.

Or plain aloe vera?

Personally, i find hydrosols helped lots with my eczema prone skin. My mainstays are the Immortelle/Helichrysum and the Yarrow.

I actually have a organic Yarrow hydrosol I bought last week!

The Acid Mantle cream, is that the same thing as Glaxal base?
I know often pharmacists around mix stuff into Glaxal base...
I'll try lookingfor this item if I can.

I did try a somewhat "diaper rash"cream, it was the Aveeno anti itch with calamine and zinc.
Helped a bit.

I just got my tube of Weleda burn care gel and my skin no longer has that inflamed look!
I am def going to get more of that Weleda gel!

Thanks for the replies!

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