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What Causes Cosmetic Intolerance Syndrome?
Question: Hi,
I need another doctor's opinion. I suffer from acne and for about three weeks I was using a toner with 2% salycylic acid in it twice a day and a mandelic acid 10% serum once a day everynight with it.
Everything seemed fine until one night I got a little over zealous with my clarasonic brush and went to to town on my face. I really scrubbed my face.
Now it has been almost 7 weeks since the clarasonic and my face is still extremely sensitive. I was using just Aveeno Calming wash and Vanicream but stopped because of burning. For past couple weeks I was using just plain water to wash and La Roche Posay Toleraine moisturizer but still burns. No makeup or anything else. And when I say burns, I mean it burns when I wake up in morning during the day and night. Not just after I take a shower and wash my face. Sometimes the wind or sleeping on a pillow hurts. The burning sensation does come and go now where as before it was constant.
I went to the dermatologist and she gave me Locoid to apply twice a day for 5 days. I did and that seemed to help but burning sensation started right up couple days after stopping.
Do you think I over exfoliated? My skin didnt turn red or anything. It just started stinging and still getting the burning sensation almost 2 months later. Doesnt the skin have to be red and scabby and raw for it to be over exfoliated? There is nothing visible on my skin or any skin changes.
How long should it take for my skin and nerves to feel normal again? The lower parts of my face on the side of my chin burn the most.
Do you think it is from doing too much to my skin? Will it heal? Is it inflammation under the skin? Do I have Peripheral neuropathy?
Is this permanent? Could i have damaged my nerves?
How long until it heals?
Ibuphrophen, claritan, allegra, and Benadryl do not help.
Again, I appreciate your help. Shouldn't it have been healed by 2 months?
I need another doctor's opinion. I suffer from acne and for about three weeks I was using a toner with 2% salycylic acid in it twice a day and a mandelic acid 10% serum once a day everynight with it.
Everything seemed fine until one night I got a little over zealous with my clarasonic brush and went to to town on my face. I really scrubbed my face.
Now it has been almost 7 weeks since the clarasonic and my face is still extremely sensitive. I was using just Aveeno Calming wash and Vanicream but stopped because of burning. For past couple weeks I was using just plain water to wash and La Roche Posay Toleraine moisturizer but still burns. No makeup or anything else. And when I say burns, I mean it burns when I wake up in morning during the day and night. Not just after I take a shower and wash my face. Sometimes the wind or sleeping on a pillow hurts. The burning sensation does come and go now where as before it was constant.
I went to the dermatologist and she gave me Locoid to apply twice a day for 5 days. I did and that seemed to help but burning sensation started right up couple days after stopping.
Do you think I over exfoliated? My skin didnt turn red or anything. It just started stinging and still getting the burning sensation almost 2 months later. Doesnt the skin have to be red and scabby and raw for it to be over exfoliated? There is nothing visible on my skin or any skin changes.
How long should it take for my skin and nerves to feel normal again? The lower parts of my face on the side of my chin burn the most.
Do you think it is from doing too much to my skin? Will it heal? Is it inflammation under the skin? Do I have Peripheral neuropathy?
Is this permanent? Could i have damaged my nerves?
How long until it heals?
Ibuphrophen, claritan, allegra, and Benadryl do not help.
Again, I appreciate your help. Shouldn't it have been healed by 2 months?
Brief Answer:
Cosmetic Intolerance Syndrome!! Stop all topicals!
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to healthcaremagic
I am Dr. Kakkar. I have gone through your concern.
Surely, you have a sensitive skin.
What, I could gather from you is that for the past 2 weeks you are using just plain water to clean your face and La Roche Posay Toleraine moisturizer. Right? and you are still persisting with the burning sensation.
My guess is that you have what is called, Cosmetic Intolerance Syndrome!! It is a skin condition that results from a sensitivity due likely to a combination of factors, one being the over-application of topicals containing irritants, usually on a daily basis. Regular exfoliation using acids or manual means can disrupt or thin the skin barrier and allow for deeper penetration of these irritants, accelerating this process even more.
Stopping all topicals including cleansers, soaps, moisturizers, toners, sunscreens, makeup, etc. may be necessary until the skin recovers. It may take weeks or months before your skin returns to baseline, but then you can resume with topicals that are non-irritating, one at a time. But the key to preventing skin sensitivity in the first place is to never flood the skin with topicals on a daily basis and to avoid applying irritating ingredients on a regular basis.
Hope this helped.
regards
Cosmetic Intolerance Syndrome!! Stop all topicals!
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to healthcaremagic
I am Dr. Kakkar. I have gone through your concern.
Surely, you have a sensitive skin.
What, I could gather from you is that for the past 2 weeks you are using just plain water to clean your face and La Roche Posay Toleraine moisturizer. Right? and you are still persisting with the burning sensation.
My guess is that you have what is called, Cosmetic Intolerance Syndrome!! It is a skin condition that results from a sensitivity due likely to a combination of factors, one being the over-application of topicals containing irritants, usually on a daily basis. Regular exfoliation using acids or manual means can disrupt or thin the skin barrier and allow for deeper penetration of these irritants, accelerating this process even more.
Stopping all topicals including cleansers, soaps, moisturizers, toners, sunscreens, makeup, etc. may be necessary until the skin recovers. It may take weeks or months before your skin returns to baseline, but then you can resume with topicals that are non-irritating, one at a time. But the key to preventing skin sensitivity in the first place is to never flood the skin with topicals on a daily basis and to avoid applying irritating ingredients on a regular basis.
Hope this helped.
regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hi Doctor
Thank you for replying so quickly. Is this common? Do a lot of people make this mistake? Does this have anything to do with nerves/inflammation below the skin?
Also, is there any pain medication orally that will help it subside until it heals since I can't use anything on my face.
Thank you.
Thank you for replying so quickly. Is this common? Do a lot of people make this mistake? Does this have anything to do with nerves/inflammation below the skin?
Also, is there any pain medication orally that will help it subside until it heals since I can't use anything on my face.
Thank you.
Brief Answer:
Sensitive skin, Cosmetic intolerance syndrome
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
It is common but not often recognized. Yes, a lot of people unknowingly induce it. Yes, it has a neural basis. It is advisable to stop using all the cosmetics for a good duration of time to let the skin recover.
You could go through this link as well:
http://www.ijdvl.com/article.asp?issn=0378-6323;year=2013;volume=79;issue=1;spage=9;epage=16;aulast=Inamadar
hope this helped
regards
Sensitive skin, Cosmetic intolerance syndrome
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
It is common but not often recognized. Yes, a lot of people unknowingly induce it. Yes, it has a neural basis. It is advisable to stop using all the cosmetics for a good duration of time to let the skin recover.
You could go through this link as well:
http://www.ijdvl.com/article.asp?issn=0378-6323;year=2013;volume=79;issue=1;spage=9;epage=16;aulast=Inamadar
hope this helped
regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
That article helps a lot. Thank you. One more question, are there any nerve medicines that can help?
Thanks .
Thanks .
Brief Answer:
Sensitive skin
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
There are no studies available for any nerve medicines in case of sensitive skin.
However you could try and get a prescription from your general practitioner for Vitamin B12(Methylcobalamin) in a dose of 1500mcg once daily. Though there are no studies for it in cosmetic intolerance syndrome, but it does help with nerve related symptoms like burning and tingling in patients of diabetes.
regards
Sensitive skin
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
There are no studies available for any nerve medicines in case of sensitive skin.
However you could try and get a prescription from your general practitioner for Vitamin B12(Methylcobalamin) in a dose of 1500mcg once daily. Though there are no studies for it in cosmetic intolerance syndrome, but it does help with nerve related symptoms like burning and tingling in patients of diabetes.
regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hi Dr
One more question. Does this usually subside with time if you give your skin a break away from everything? I must say my face does feel better from almost 2 months ago when it first happened and now. Although on some days, the nerves/skin will start to burn at random times and I can feel it.
Again, thank you .
One more question. Does this usually subside with time if you give your skin a break away from everything? I must say my face does feel better from almost 2 months ago when it first happened and now. Although on some days, the nerves/skin will start to burn at random times and I can feel it.
Again, thank you .
Brief Answer:
Stop all topicals
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Yes, it does subside with time. Stopping all topical is what is needed for the skin to recover.
regards
Stop all topicals
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Yes, it does subside with time. Stopping all topical is what is needed for the skin to recover.
regards
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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