Have a little patch of itchy, red skin that’s been lingering? Body breakouts or bumps? These often innocuous skin conditions may not be life-threatening, but it doesn’t make them any less irritating.
How To Battle Bacne, Eczema, Rosacea, & Other Annoying Skin Conditions
Rebecca Kazin, MD, of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery and the Johns Hopkins Department of Dermatology weighs in on how to treat some of our most common, yet stubborn skin concerns:
· BACNE – This harmless, but annoying acne incarnation has to do with sweat and bacteria sitting on skin. I tell my patients to shower immediately after workouts, use a glycolic acid based wash and a fresh, clean towel only to dry off. SilkPeel for Body is also a great in-office treatment to help treat bacne and keep pores clean.
· ECZEMA – Skin is extra sensitive so avoid anything with fragrance and choose products that are hypo-allergenic. Ideally, you should use moisturizers in a tube or tub because they are not thinned out like lotions in a dispenser. I really like the Vanicream line and in general recommend Eucerin and Aveeno for patients with eczema. Aquaquor is also greathydration for eczema prone lips, hands and feet. Stay away from anything with hydroxy acid and retinol because it can dry out skin. You are not ready to exfoliate during the flare up and it can worsen irritation.
· ROSACEA – Triggers for rosacea include spicy foods, alcohol and caffeine. Avoid retinoids and glycolic acid and certainly benzoyl peroxide. Look for anti-redness formulas that contain soothing, anti-inflammatory ingredients like licorice root extract, vitamin E, tea tree oil. Stick with physical block sunscreens and stay away from chemical blocks. La-Roche Posay Anthelios 50 Mineral Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid is a great physicalblock sunscreen for breakout – or Rosacea-prone patients.
· KERATOSIS PILARIS – My favorite drugstore product to treat “chicken skin” is Amlactic or Lac-Hydrin. These are lactic acid based creams that get rid of dead cells that can be clogging the follicles that cause these little red bumps.
-RK, MD
12 comments
A good article with helpful tips. Really you can take advantage of them.
I have a friend who struggled with rosacea. I will give her this information
I have horribly dry skin and get eczema. I appreciate these tips!
I noticed my acne got worse after having most of my thyroid removed because it threw my hormones all out of normal. I had to get a prescription cream from my dermatologist for it. My nephew suffers from eczema really badly, I’ll have to share these suggestions with my sister for him.
I have applied Lac Hydrin for more than a week and it gave amazing results. Also, one of my friends suffer from eczema and this information will be useful for her.
Really helpful! I suffer with bacne and I hate it! It’s a right pain to get rid of, too. Thanks for the advice.
These are great tips. Thank you so much for this information. That is so helpful.
My 9-month-old has really bad eczema and it has been such a struggle! These are amazing tips for eczema. I have found that Cetaphil lotion works the best for my baby!
I have a close friend who struggles with eczema. I’ll have to share this with her!
April
That is a good post for me with many fabulous tips to prevent our body from those bacteria and skin diseases:) Thanks for helpful advices!
Very informative post! Thank you for the great tips. Now I know the cause and what to do if I ever got those skin conditions.
Thank you for these tips. They are very helpful. I Have Rosacea, some say that it isn’t itchy but it surely is. I know that spicy things trigger it but I’ve never thought of caffeine. Does this mean I have to say goodbye to coffee too? Anyways, anything that triggers this skin problem must be avoided