Going through a living nightmare

[Ceriane]

Over the last 4 weeks I seem to have developed allergies to make up and skin care and I just don’t know what to do, I can’t seem to work out what I am reacting to or what I can use. I’m in a right state about this. I have worn makeup for 30 years and it’s never been a problem before.

I had this in the summer, extreme photosensitivity to the sun, skin allergies etc.
I’m 72, never, ever been allergic to anything in my life before.
I now have to be extremely careful what I use for laundry, washing up, in the bath etc.

I was in a similar place and kept putting off seeing the doctor as it is such a hassle to get an appointment. Finally went and was given a short course of steroid tablets. I felt them working within hours. It has reset my skin and I'm now reintroducing products tentatively.

Thank you. Maybe something like that might work for me.

After years of using retinoids, suddenly I looked like a Belisha Beacon. This was quickly followed by the plague look, as my skin all peeled. I have ditched them for the time being and will slowly reintroduce in the future.

Could it be possible you have something like Mast cell activation syndrome? This is where you develop a histamine intolerance to things you were previously ok with. I remember reading once how sometimes it can develop randomly, or after a time when hormones are fluctuating ie post natal hormones, perimenopause etc.

Sorry bit I opened this post thinking ‘a living nightmare’ must be cancer or another life limiting illness or condition. Not an allergy to skincare and make up.

honestly you probably need to stop absolutely everything for a few weeks to let your skin barrier heal while it is that reactive i would make sure your pillow is a total safe zone too. i started using the zipped pillow covers when my face flared up just to ensure i wasn't sleeping on any dust or old detergent residue. giving your skin those eight hours of total rest away from irritants really helps calm it down faster

Are you indoors with the heating on a lot more? Then out in the cold and back into the heat again? Different food and drinking more alcohol over Christmas?
Your skin might just be stressed out by the season.

I really hope it isn't something like mast cell activation syndrome as that sounds really serious....

I've got a GP appointment in a couple of days. I'm hoping giving my skin a break from it all helps it to heal, it could just be that the skin barrier has been affected and it could just be one or two things I'm reacting to that I can avoid.

I'm not saying I have cancer or anything as bad as that, but this is really quite stressful if I'm suddenly allergic to lots of things.

Happened to me. It’s was likely it was start of symptoms of peri menopause. I found myself suddenly overnight allergic to wool and something in skin care. I had to repair my skin barrier and basically start again from scratch with what I could and couldn’t use. I figured mine was rosacea. Usually there’s a trigger ingredient like silicone. I found hair products set it off the most and anything from Beauty Pie. I found The ordinary skin barrier repair serum good and use the azealic acid for the rosacea. and the only moisturiser I could use was Tropic soothing skin one - it was green. It’s a total pita. Once you get it under control you can start adding things in. I am much better now I am nearer full menopause.

Thank you. I am hoping they refer me to dermatology so that I can find out what I am reacting to. 😊

Had you had your nails done around the time this started?

No, it started after a reaction to a lipstick. I hadn’t worn lipstick for nearly 3 years as it irritated my lips, tried one again about 4 weeks ago, had a bad reaction and then in the weeks that followed I began reacting to face moisturiser and then to makeup.

Nasty. Some of us don’t feel dressed without skincare and cosmetics. Try to be more understanding.

I don’t feel dressed without make up either! I can definitely understand the OPs upset. It’s just far removed from what I thought a thread with that title would be about, which I stand by.

The reason I ask is that an acrylate allergy can trigger all sorts of skin reactions including on the face, but it's not obvious because it starts with the exposure to an area that doesn't necessarily react.

Removal of the gel polish / fake nails / nail products can often settle the other areas reacting very rapidly.

I'd also expect a GP to try to manage your skin before a dermatology referral is submitted - have a look at the referral guidance for your area. A referral could take years for an appointment as well, I wouldn't expect to be seen in most areas in 2026.... So it's worth considering your options.

@Slovenlyandblubbing but I bet you can wear makeup with no problem? Okay I don’t have cancer but I feel I have had my looks taken from me overnight!

@NeedForSpeedyGonzales thank you I will take your advice on board.

Hello OP - apologies in advance for the long message!

I had something similar happen to me about 11 years ago. It turned out to be a sudden reaction to methylisothiazolinone. MI is a synthetic preservative and it is in nearly every cosmetic product, as well as some paint. We can tolerate it for a long time and then suddenly develop a severe allergy to it.

I had used a sunscreen on holiday and my face became hot, dry, itchy and felt like it had been sandpapered. My skin puffed up, eyes were really swollen and the reaction took weeks to clear. I had no idea what it was, the products I used that day were existing products I had been using already.

Over the years since I have experienced several "attacks". I have to be very careful, looking at ingredient lists. I've had attacks from reacting whilst using paint (affecting breathing as well as causing face swelling etc) so I now outsource any paint jobs to professionals and try to avoid the rooms until dry and air them thoroughly.

I dropped the ball on checking a facemask in April this year and had an extreme reaction, the worst ever, with my face completely swollen and my eyes completely swollen shut (scary!). My doctor was so alarmed she actually yelped "oh my god" when she saw me. I had to take 6x steroid tablets for seven days. I was honestly unrecognisable and in a lot of discomfort.

I've been extra careful since, but sometimes I just don't know what I've used to cause a reaction and then put it down to using hand soap in a restaurant or similar. I try to use "natural" products as much as I can now.

I know how rotten it makes you feel.

@SingingSands so sorry that happened to you!

Have you found skin care/make up that you can use?

Sounds to me like it could be your immune system reacting to something. It could be. Could be to a change in diet or a virus if you're not usually allergy prone. It could be a bacterial thing too if you were using older make up. I would try antihistamines as a first off. If that doesn't work, then try hydrocortisone cream. Hopefully it will clear it up

I changed foundation and had a really bad reaction that kept flaring up for a while. It completely changed the texture of my skin and made it really sensitive to my usual skincare products. It turned out there was niacinamide in the foundation and some people - including me - are sensitive to it. The foundation also contained hyaluronic acid and some forums said the combo of the two can result in reactions for some people (I have no idea how true this is but thought it worth a mention).

The irritation from the lipstick three years ago was an indication of a sensitivity to its ingredients. Definitely see the doctor, but in the meantime check what THAT lipstick has in common with the lipstick to which you had a bad reaction.

For what it's worth, my daughter has well-controlled eczema, but occasionally something sets it off like a new lipstick. Her fingers began itching and breaking out from the gel nails she used every week. After it cleared, she tried acrylic, only to have it happen again. Now she can't wear nail polish (varnish) at all. A steroid cream helps, but if the reaction is severe enough she also gets a steroid injection.

Thank you all for your brilliant advice. I have a GP appt tomorrow. I may start to look for common ingredients in things I have reacted to. I’m also perimenopausal, have a virus, it’s winter time and I have been in the house a lot with the heating on so it could be a number of things making my skin sensitive. I just hope I can get my skin sorted out and then find products I can use if I can’t go back to my normal ones.

Hi @Ceriane To help my skin recover from a flare up I use La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5+ and then for everyday I use Willowberry day cream and UpCircle face oil and eye cream. The daily SPF I use is Beauty of Joseon. I don't wear much make up any more, but have some bits from the No.7 and Iconic ranges that I seem to"safe" with. It really is trial and error, I'm afraid.

Thank you.