Bad reaction to facial

[Teaandchocolate2222]

I had a facial on Tuesday and my skin felt fine all that day and night. I woke up the next day to a bit of redness and itching on my face and neck. My therapist said to just drink lots of water. It was worse yesterday with more swelling, redness and itching. It felt like a bad sunburn with itching.

Today I've woken up and can barely open my eyes from the swelling. Everything is so red and sore. Wondering if I need a GP. I've taken an antihistamine but nothing is helping. Any ideas - am I overreacting to go to the doctor? What could they do to help?

Yes mainly dermalogica products but there was an algae mask she hasn't yet told me the details of. Thanks for all your suggestions. I've filled a clean sock with oats and put in a bowl of boiling water. Now that it's cooled I'm just running that over my face every now and then and it's giving a little relief.

Hi OP, sorry to hear you’ve had such a bad experience! I’m a facialist and yours should definitely not have been discouraging you from seeing a GP. They might not “understand” skin as much as someone who has trained in it but equally we are not doctors and shouldn’t be giving medical advice in response to allergic reactions!

I would really recommend HYPO21 skin spray if you can get hold of some (their website has a list of registered stockists). It’s completely natural and will repair your skin barrier, soothe the irritation and redness and take down the swelling.

You poor thing. Hope you improve soon.
Im very sensitive too and have to give each new product a week or even a
month to be sure.

@Teaandchocolate2222 yours sounds very similar to mine! Mine was also Dermalogica which I now avoid like the plague although I've not been brave enough to have another facial of any brand since.
Do not go back to your therapist - you don't want her slapping more products on.
No, I never worked out the cause. The trouble is that with my therapist being so unhelpful all I had was an enormous list, from several bottles. I identified a couple of things and bought the item on its own (eg grapeseed oil) but it wasn't those. I can say I think it was something that also went on the eye area as my eyes were affected.
I wouldn't suggest using it today but I think my saving grace was Cerave - I bought a few products, and all helped. Today is probably too soon but perhaps once the swelling is gone.
Thankfully my skin did recover - I looked almost normal after 2 weeks though my whole red crusty face peeled and flaked before that.
My lasting annoyance is the therapist's attitude to it. She was horribly unhelpful. When I contacted her I stressed that it wasn't anyone's fault but I'd had a reaction and she just refused to accept it could possibly be Dermalogica! Then got really huffy when I kept asking what she'd used and behaved like I was in the wrong.
I've attached a pic from the time - the next day when it was swelling and before the full redness and crustiness. I remember turning up at Boots pharmacy with scarves wrapped around me and huge sunglasses!

Oh, no help to you but I had a reaction to a dermalogica facial too, despite it supposedly being gentle. It didn't last too long and hasn't happened with other facials since. LRP are my best products!

I have eczema and very sensitive skin on my face. You do need to use something to moisturise it. Did the GP not suggest an emollient cream? I use Zerobase cream, but there are others. I would ask a pharmacist, especially if there are types of cream that you can't use. I would strongly suggest not putting anything else on it until it has completely healed up. If your skin is dry it will be fine not to wash your face for a couple of days and avoid anything scented for a while. Also bear in mind that just because something is natural does not mean that you can't be allergic to it.

I'm normally so careful with having facials but this therapist was raved about by my friends and I thought I was in safe hands. She is still referring to it as a response and not a reaction and that with repeated facials my skin will respond better. No thanks!!!

I have the Yuka app and one ingredient that keeps popping up for me is phenoxyethanol which is in lots of products and is actually banned in some countries. Seems to be in a lots of the makeup and skincare that I react to.

Kind of irrelevant if it’s ’completely natural’ - millions of people are allergic to natural things.

OP I’ve had the same before, never found anything to help other than cold compresses and time!

That sounds really terrible. If any beautician tried to wriggle out of this one and tell me to drink water then I'd be posting a photo of my sore face on her Facebook page.

I don't really want to get anything back from the therapist, I think she genuinely believes what she's saying and I'm not going to change her mind. My priority is getting my skin back to health which sadly looks like it will be a while. I wish I could use makeup to cover the redness it it looks like it'll be scarves and dark glasses for the foreseeable

Wondering if it would be worth paying to see a dermatologist in case they have any advice...

I would wait and see. You will probably find that after a couple of days of the steroids it goes back to normal. I paid to see a private dermatologist and I still had to wait a month for an appointment. I know it's miserable when it's your face, but try not to worry too much, it's very likely to sort itself out quickly.

GP as might need steroids! Also find the allergen .. ? Lanolin

I'd take a fexofenadine (antihistamine) because it's longer acting. And I'd do similar to the oats but with a handful of chamomile teabags. Get the bre icy cold and dip a flannel in that and lay it on your face for instant cooling.

If irs no better you'll have to go back to the docs. You poor thing.

Calmly wash your face with warm water only pat dry and head to the GP asp.

Op I'm sorry this has happened to you! Did she use any products with salicyclic acid? After a few bad reactions and eyes swelling up I've realised it was this causing my skin to react. After the initial reaction had gone down I'd use some Neil's yard baby balm on the bits of dry skin. And my sensitive skin is even more sensitive now. I only use the green Cerave cleanser and the blue Cerave moisturiser. It's the only thing that doesn't make my skin react now. Hope it goes down soon.

It’s made from hypoclorus acid (HOCl) which is part of the bodies natural internal defence. It’s not just “natural” as in something plant based, for example.

Oh I feel your pain, I went to a tropics party my friend arranged and was the demo person for the products, it was great evening wine, facial, fun etc.

Until I woke up the next morning and could barely see out of my eyes!

They were so puffed up it was terrifying, my skin was on fire and I took antihistamines for 3 days straight, drank loads and luckily it calmed down. The worse part was I'd ordered a load of product and the lady arranging it all is a great friend of mine so I told nobody about my reaction.

And then gave all the products away.

As someone who has had eczema all my life I'm exceptionally cautious about what's done to my face. Nevertheless I had a similar experience. I'm also allergic to ointments on my face. They suffocate my skin.

Personally I'd avoid smothering much if anything in my skin. I'd let it breathe and use aqueous or emulsifier to clean my skin with a soft flannel and lukewarm water. I'd also think about hydrocortisone if your skin tolerates it - otherwise nothing but the oral sterilises. Let the sling breathe and settle with fresh air and avoid make up.

I wouldn't put anything on it at all. Maybe a little hydrocortisone if needs be. I'd keep taking antihistamines.

After a few days to a week, then I'd be using Cicaplast baume every day. No make up or anything. You need to build up your skin barrier.

I don't think she's used anything untoward. Sounds like standard facial products, unfortunately you're just allergic to them.

How are you, op?

Some of the heat has gone which is a big relief, my whole face and neck is peeling though. When I wake up and also if I don't love my face for a while it's kind of frozen so I have to wash it just to get some movement back. I'm using little beauty pie capsules with ceramides afterwards and the healing balm she gave me. I would love to put nothing on it but I need to be able to love my face without it splitting.

I do have skin that reacts but never anything as violent as this. She said it was "responding" in the same way hers would to a six hour peel.... does anyone have experience of how long this peeling state will last? I have dinner plans on Friday 🙈

Another poster asked about salicylic acid. One of the products did contain this but I use products with this in no problem usually. I think I just have to stick to what I know doesn't bother my skin in future as tempting as a lovely facial is.

Sorry that's meant to read "move" not "love" 😂

You've had a major allergic reaction. I wouldn't be using anything at all that she's given you. She sounds irresponsible and incompetent and should be reported.

Seriously,why are you using anything she has given you?