ShepCarlin Posted September 13, 2022 Share Posted September 13, 2022 I am 47 so I know I am going through all kinds of hormonal mess. I take the pill continuously so I don't know really where I am in the perimenopause world but I do know that I do have sleep disturbances, have had break through bleeding, mood swings, hot flashes and all that fun. Mid July my face started breaking out. I look like I'm 12 again, going through puberty. I've tried everything...changing make-up, wearing no makeup, being really good about washing my face. It is all for naught. I cannot clear up my skin. WHY. I'll take all the side effects of perimenopause but this. I grew up with terrible skin and it had finally settled down in my 30's and 40's and now I'm back where I started. Any tips? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted September 13, 2022 Share Posted September 13, 2022 Oh man. I struggled with acne/my skin as a teen, and skincare has become one of my obsessions as an adult. I would hate that too! I don’t really have any suggestions since skincare is so individual, plus yours sounds hormonal and idk what can help that topically…? If you’re looking for product recs, I’ll share what I use: CeraVe SA face wash is my fave wash. For toner, I use the spray from Eczema Honey or a hypochlorous acid spray if I’m breaking out. I’m a fiend for moisturizers/oils/balms. I use a few things from Eczema Honey (face cream, cbd oil), and the rose balm from Badger Balm. My ride-or-die is the PM moisturizer from CeraVe and the retinol. Mostly I mix and match because I just love that kind of stuff. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted September 13, 2022 Share Posted September 13, 2022 A way-out-there possibility: a dear friend of mine developed a brand-new allergy to chlorine. What she thought was a rash was actually a mild chemical burn. They had to change the water system in their home because of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted September 13, 2022 Share Posted September 13, 2022 Do you have oily skin or dry skin? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShepCarlin Posted September 13, 2022 Author Share Posted September 13, 2022 @Katy So oily! I keep waiting to grown out of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSmomof2 Posted September 13, 2022 Share Posted September 13, 2022 When I was younger and took the pill, I had to also use topical Clindamycin and Retin-A to keep my face clear. I tried taking the mini pill last year, at 49, and within a week, my face was breaking out again. I stopped taking them and have just been living with the crazy periods and hoping for menopause soon….. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances Posted September 13, 2022 Share Posted September 13, 2022 Have you tried diet changes? I now realize my fairly bad young adult acne was most likely due to lots of skim milk and probably too many refined grains and sugar. For other reasons, I long ago switched to whole grains and very little sugar and greatly reduced milk consumption. It made a huge difference in my acne. I once did a low carb diet for about a year and have never really had any acne since, even though I don’t eat low carb anymore, just healthy carbs in reasonable amounts, including small amounts of Fairlife milk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eos Posted September 13, 2022 Share Posted September 13, 2022 Do you have daughters in your house? I'm 7 years past menopause and when my girls are PMS-ing I break out too, which is sort of funny but also super annoying. Wheat and dairy foods seem to make it worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShepCarlin Posted September 13, 2022 Author Share Posted September 13, 2022 No daughters in the house. I've been on the pill continuously for 15 years so I don't think it's the pill making me break out. I think it's one of the things that helped clear up my skin years ago. For the most part I eat pretty well. Probably more sugar than I should but 90% of the time I eat non-processed food due to my food allergies. I do eat wheat as I bake bread about once a week. I mill my wheat at home. I do eat dairy but have never had issues with it. I drink a minimum of 48 oz of water a day. Trying to increase the water intake. My diet has not changed in years. My guess is that it's either hormonal or an ingredient has changed in the skin care stuff I use. I wash my face with a Cerave soap that has kaolin in it. It's been great until I couldn't find it this summer and had to use something else until it came back in stock. This was when my breakouts started. But that was two months ago, so I should be back on track. I just can't get my skin to clear up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted September 13, 2022 Share Posted September 13, 2022 Is there any chance you have rosacea? Is there redness on your nose and cheeks? I had a bad case of rosacea a few years ago and there were a lot of pimples as well. I got great help from a dematologist and things cleared up pretty quickly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShepCarlin Posted September 13, 2022 Author Share Posted September 13, 2022 11 minutes ago, wintermom said: Is there any chance you have rosacea? Is there redness on your nose and cheeks? I had a bad case of rosacea a few years ago and there were a lot of pimples as well. I got great help from a dematologist and things cleared up pretty quickly. Ehhh, my whole face has a pinkish tone to it. I don't think I have rosacea. My mom had a bad case of it years ago and it doesn't have the same appearance. I do turn red easily...alcohol, exercise, emotions. They all show up on my face. I have pimples everywhere right now, on my forehead, chin, cheeks, even a few on my neck. I feel like I did in high school as the breakouts are where they were in my teens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almondbutterandjelly Posted September 13, 2022 Share Posted September 13, 2022 Honestly, a trip to the dermatologist would probably fix it the quickest. That said, when I was a teen and had bad acne, and wasn't allowed to go to the dermatologist, I put Triple Antibiotic on my face 6 nights a week. That cleared thing up. Messed up a lot of pillow cases, but took care of my skin. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted September 13, 2022 Share Posted September 13, 2022 I second the recommendation for a dermatologist. What you’re describing isn’t uncommon at all. Mine prescribed Retin A, which is inexpensive in its generic form. If it’s used to treat acne insurance should cover it. Mine had to sign off that I was using it for acne, not wrinkles, and insurance covered it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanier.1765 Posted September 13, 2022 Share Posted September 13, 2022 I'm so sorry and I know how frustrating that is. While having acne as a teen wasn't fun, at least then it was part of the teen experience and not unexpected. When you're an adult, it feels so much more embarrassing. I hope you find a solution soon. Good news is that it does pass. That probably feels like a million years to you right now, though. 😞 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted September 13, 2022 Share Posted September 13, 2022 2 hours ago, wintermom said: Is there any chance you have rosacea? Is there redness on your nose and cheeks? I had a bad case of rosacea a few years ago and there were a lot of pimples as well. I got great help from a dematologist and things cleared up pretty quickly. I was going to mention this, too. I thought I had acne and it was rosacea. My dermatologist prescribed me some cream. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storygirl Posted September 13, 2022 Share Posted September 13, 2022 I don't have acne, but I have an overall red face. My normal skin tone is extremely pale. My dermatologist thinks it's rosacea. So even though you doubt it could be that, it really could be. It can look differently for different people, and some people think it has a genetic link, so if your mother had it, it's even more possible that you could have it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted September 13, 2022 Share Posted September 13, 2022 Sulfur soap clears up a lot of acne as well as rosacea. My kids had good luck with Differin gel, which is very expensive. Dd switched to nightly witch hazel and it works just as well without drying her out so much, but her acne wasn't bad to begin with. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShepCarlin Posted September 13, 2022 Author Share Posted September 13, 2022 Huh. I guess it could be rosacea. I have a dermatologist appt soon so we will see. I really thought it was just bad skin and was looking desperately for a quick fix. It is so embarrassing...I have grey hair and pimples. Oy. But rosacea would explain why all my tried and true ways of clearing up skin aren't working. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted September 13, 2022 Share Posted September 13, 2022 Sulfur soap 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShepCarlin Posted September 13, 2022 Author Share Posted September 13, 2022 @Amy in NH thank you! I remember years ago I used a cream that had sulfur in it that worked very well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShepCarlin Posted September 26, 2022 Author Share Posted September 26, 2022 Well, as usual the hive was right! Saw my dermatologist last week and she confirmed it IS rosacea. She prescribed a cream to apply and said the sulfur soap could help. I ordered the sulfur soap that @Amy in NH recommended and it is helping. Thank goodness for the sulfur soap as the cream my dr prescribed is over $300!!!! That is for the brand name, Soolanta. My insurance won't cover the generic. Out of pocket, the generic is over $100. Does anyone know of a reliable, reasonably priced over the counter cream that can help with the unsightly bumps that accompany rosacea? My internet research isn't finding any one big standout. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted September 26, 2022 Share Posted September 26, 2022 (edited) 41 minutes ago, ShepCarlin said: Well, as usual the hive was right! Saw my dermatologist last week and she confirmed it IS rosacea. She prescribed a cream to apply and said the sulfur soap could help. I ordered the sulfur soap that @Amy in NH recommended and it is helping. Thank goodness for the sulfur soap as the cream my dr prescribed is over $300!!!! That is for the brand name, Soolanta. My insurance won't cover the generic. Out of pocket, the generic is over $100. Does anyone know of a reliable, reasonably priced over the counter cream that can help with the unsightly bumps that accompany rosacea? My internet research isn't finding any one big standout. Did you check the price through GoodRx? You can also call the dermatologist and ask the to prescribe something less expensive. Most doctors have no idea how much the meds they are prescribing cost, and your doctor certainly doesn’t know your insurance won’t pay for the generic. They are usually very willing to work with patients regarding prescription costs. https://www.goodrx.com Edited September 26, 2022 by TechWife Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShepCarlin Posted September 26, 2022 Author Share Posted September 26, 2022 I did check GoodRx and it's more than $100. I haven't contacted the dermatologist office mainly because I've been so busy. Was hoping there was an over the counter remedy that cheaper and I don't have to deal with the hassle of calling dermatologist and then dealing with pharmacy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted September 27, 2022 Share Posted September 27, 2022 (edited) On 9/26/2022 at 9:03 AM, ShepCarlin said: Does anyone know of a reliable, reasonably priced over the counter cream that can help with the unsightly bumps that accompany rosacea? My internet research isn't finding any one big standout. Once my rosacea was under control, I stopped using the soap. If I had a little flare up I'd use Prosacea medicated rosacea gel, which I get at Walmart for less than $10. The bumps & redness do go away eventually with the soap/gel combination. I recently had a larger flare up that was quickly knocked back down by the soap. ETA: Prosacea gel has sulfur for the active ingredient, which is how I figured out to use sulfur soap. Edited September 27, 2022 by Amy in NH 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted September 27, 2022 Share Posted September 27, 2022 I just looked up Soolantra, and it is just Ivermectin! That does make sense, since Ivermectin is used to treat parasites like worms, and rosacea (and most acne) is caused by skin mites. I wonder if you can just rub some OTC Ivermectin paste (horse wormer) from Tractor Supply into your skin, or if you'd need to mix it with another base cream...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted September 27, 2022 Share Posted September 27, 2022 https://lesliebaumannmd.com/can-you-use-5-horse-paste-to-treat-rosacea/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grace Hopper Posted September 27, 2022 Share Posted September 27, 2022 On 9/26/2022 at 8:03 AM, ShepCarlin said: Well, as usual the hive was right! Saw my dermatologist last week and she confirmed it IS rosacea. She prescribed a cream to apply and said the sulfur soap could help. I ordered the sulfur soap that @Amy in NH recommended and it is helping. Thank goodness for the sulfur soap as the cream my dr prescribed is over $300!!!! That is for the brand name, Soolanta. My insurance won't cover the generic. Out of pocket, the generic is over $100. Does anyone know of a reliable, reasonably priced over the counter cream that can help with the unsightly bumps that accompany rosacea? My internet research isn't finding any one big standout. My previous derm prescribed soolantra and it is really good stuff! My insurance covered much of it - I paid $60 for a small toothpaste sized tube and it lasted a loooong time since you use it sparingly. I think part of the issue now may be that a key component is ivermectin, which was controversial and perhaps now higher priced or more tightly controlled thanks to covid treatment misinformation. My current concoction is compounded by a specialty pharmacy and while it works, it’s not as fast as the soolantra. IME, rosacea was a symptom of gut issues and resolved when I underwent some testing and as a result dropped gluten and dairy. I am not Celiac, but have a non-Celiac gluten intolerance. If I add too much wheat and dairy back into my diet (say more than once a week), my rosacea flares up. Anyway, I just say this to share that ime, the rosacea is a symptom, not a singular diagnosis. My physician (GYN who referred me for allergy and GI testing) said it was very common for her to see women develop new allergies to food and environmental factors as they go through menopause. The human body is marvelous but sometimes hard to figure out! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grace Hopper Posted September 27, 2022 Share Posted September 27, 2022 1 hour ago, Amy in NH said: I just looked up Soolantra, and it is just Ivermectin! That does make sense, since Ivermectin is used to treat parasites like worms, and rosacea (and most acne) is caused by skin mites. I wonder if you can just rub some OTC Ivermectin paste (horse wormer) from Tractor Supply into your skin, or if you'd need to mix it with another base cream...? I would not in a million years do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grace Hopper Posted September 27, 2022 Share Posted September 27, 2022 @ShepCarlinwhen I get home I will pm you a pic of the stuff I use now. Can I just say this? When mine was at its worst, my self-image was in the tank. I missed out on a lot until I was able to get it under control. Perhaps this is not an issue for you, but to me the clearing of the extensive breakout of my face (it was really, really bad) is something I’d have been willing to pay a good bit for. And change my diet for. Rosacea is weird, there are many different triggers that cause flare ups, and not everyone has the same triggers. Cleaning up my diet, reducing stress, avoiding overheating my face (like over a hot stove or open hot oven door) during a flare, and having the right topical treatment available are really important for me, personally, in managing my rosacea. I am willing to work on all of the above to avoid another round of doxycycline! But oral doxy is also pretty quick remedy when necessary. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted September 27, 2022 Share Posted September 27, 2022 Diet can have a huge effect on rosacea. My rosacea went away when I overhauled my diet several years ago, and has never come back. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShepCarlin Posted September 28, 2022 Author Share Posted September 28, 2022 Oh man, I hope I haven't developed more food allergies! I developed food allergies in my late 30's and it's been a true pain in the rear as some of them are life threatening. It was a really hot summer down here this year, so I'm wondering if the heat triggered it. I guess I could try eliminating wheat and then dairy to see if they are triggers. I have been stressed lately (but then again, I do stress easily) so that could be it also. Hard to narrow it down. I remember my dr mentioning Soolantra has ivermectin in it and I wondered if that is why it is crazy expensive. Would love a reason as to why insurance won't cover the generic. Today it looked pretty good. The weather is finally getting better and I am being really good about taking lukewarm showers and being extra gentle with my face. When I thought it was acne, I was putting salicylic acid on it 2-3 times a day! And I was using a glycolic acid toner. That was just irritating it more. Oy. I found the Prosacea online but the reviews vary so I wasn't sure. Will probably order some. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 What you eat affects your skin flora and fauna (including skin mites)... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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