Perioral Dermatitis

Perioral dermatitis.  Unfortunately, as skin therapists we see so much of this these days.  A painfully persistent form of skin inflammation that can look like dry and flaky, irritated skin – typically around the mouth.  It can be quite uncomfortable too, feeling tender, raw, burny and even a little stingy. 

So what are the causes of this skin condition? 

A big one is stress.  Like most inflammatory skin conditions stress is one of the main triggers

Internal issues such as poor gut health which can overload the system with bad bacteria and disrupt the balance of good and bad bacteria in the body

Hormonal changes.  In some cases, a change in hormones can trigger perioral dermatitis

Harsh ingredients in your skin care – fragrances for instance are a common trigger as well as ingredients used to foam skin care, hair products and toothpastes

Diet – especially undiagnosed food intolerances

Fungal infections – studies have shown that the rash that presents physically can be driven by a fungal infection

Steroid creams – usually prescribed to treat this condition end up worsening it by impairing the barrier and inducing inflammation

What can we do about it

SELF_ has incredible success in treating Perioral dermatitis in a holistic way.  We utilise a treatment called Alkaline wash which changes the PH of skin, swells, softens and dissolves dead skin cells revising the area. We also work internally in the following ways

-Essential fatty acids are just that – essential!  Our EFA (DMK EFA ultra) contains EFA3,6,7 and 9 which all play a critical role in skin health and vitality as. This supplement has more than 190 nutrients and bioactive substances – all entirely sourced from plant based ingredients including the superstar Mekabu seaweed extract- with Fucoidans which are anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anti-bacterial and rich in minerals and vitamins and amino acids. 

We always recommend a digestive tuneup with Regul8 which is important to balance your gut flora.  If we have an inflamed skin condition, we most probably have a gut issue.

Diet has been shown to have a huge effect on all skin conditions but in particular inflammatory skin conditions such as this or acne.  Dark leafy greens, less dairy and sugar and lots of water are always the place to start

You don’t need to figure all of this out yourself, this is what we are here for, trained and experienced in treating.  Book a consultation with one of our skin mentors and we will walk you through the process of getting on top of this once and for all