Have made a very painful mistake :(

[AvonCallingBarksdale]

I am 41. Years ago, I used to use an oatmeal and honey face scrub made by Mill Creek - tracked it down again recently and started using it again. Resulting in baby smooth skin could be that it was effectively removing a layer of skin, but there you go . Anyway, I have now broken out in v, v painful eczema patches on my eyelids and under my eyes. As the skin is so thin there it's very sore . I have stupidly sensitive skin as it is, and I hate trying out new products only to have to give them away because my face reacts. My current "regime" is Clarins foaming facial wash for sensitive skin and Simple light day moisturizer. Trouble is the eczema is just not shifting, and I have dry patches on my cheeks now, so I look pretty shit. I used to use Clarins gentle day creme, which is lovely, but at £37 a tub, I just can't afford it at the moment. So, any recommendations on what I can use on a face that's been stripped of all moisture? TIA

This might not work for anyone else but is cheap to try at night: Vaseline. I had dry patches around my eyes for years every winter and it cleared it up. Amazing.

I get eczema on my face and I use oil of evening primrose which really helps to moisturise the dry patches. I used to be able to buy it in a little bottle but haven't been able to find it recently. Splitting open a capsule and using it works just as well though and is much cheaper

I have sensitive skin (react to lots of skincare products) and I swear by Law Roche Posay. I would get some Cicaplast Baum's B5 to call with the immediate problem and the Hydrene Legere or Riche for ongoing skin care. It had helped my skin no end, which incidentally only became problematic after using the oil cleansing method. Maybe it was a coincidence but my skin hasn't been the same after using it for a couple of months 4 years ago.

Are you exfoliating your eyelids

No!! Jeepers! Well, not intentionally Basically I put a hairband on to scrape my hair back and then applied the face scrub, some of which may have come into contact with the eyelid area. But, no, not scrubbing the lids hell for leather!!
These are great suggestions, thank you all. Lots of Aveeno recommendations - I need to make a list of everything and get myself down to Boots. Honestly I look a right bloody sight

Nivea, the old fashioned blue tub kind is about the only thing that works on my scaly patches

Posting a photo of it - it's not very clear but the white patches are the flaky eczema, and then lines under my eyes are red raw. Ow, ow, ow.

I would clean with aqueous cream only. Dammit you could moisturise with it too.

Another suggestion is rice bran oil from Akamuti. Lovely and gentle for cleaning and moisturising.

www.akamuti.co.uk/product/1964/rice-bran-japanese-beauty-oil-100ml

Ouch, that does look sore you poor thing.

I had something similar once and doc prescribed 0.5% hydrocortisone, it worked.

Honestly OP, you need steroid cream to clear that up first & then one of the creams mentioned above as a maintenance treatment. The eye are is v sensitive & I don't think you should mess around trying things out. Get yourself to a Pharmacist & if s/he isn't happy that an OTC cream is enough then s/he will send you to your GP. And Aveeno gets my vote too.....

I agree you should sort out the eczema.
But once you have look at this www.thetrubrand.com/
Has worked wonders for me.

The Eczema society do not recommend aqueous cream as it has a perfume in it that sets a lot of people off.

Stop using Clarins right now! I had exactly the same issue and I am very confident it was the Clarins. I even stopped using Clarins, it cleared up, started using again and it came back.
If you Clarins stuff is newish, email their Customer Service and they offer an exchange guarantee- I exchanged for body products/ make up.

i would use pure virgin coconut oil on it, because its naturally antibacterial and antifungal too.

I'd speak to the pharmacist at your local chemist. They can suggest good over the counter stuff for this type of thing.

I know Clarins is a 'good' brand but it's highly perfumed so avoid until this has died down. Most of teh other stuff suggested is perfumed too. You need to do less to let your skin recover not more.
Aqueous cream to wash with and what ever the the pharmacist suggest.

Incidentally scrub shouldn't be used anywhere near your eyes. Next time wear big glasses and only use the scrub up to the edge of the lenses!

Right, off to the pharmacist tomorrow. I could cry if it wasn't so effing sore! MNers are the best

Incidentally scrub shouldn't be used anywhere near your eyes

Rest assured there will be no facial scrubbing of any sort from now on! I'm done. I really do appreciate all the help, thanks everyone.

Aveeno Aveeno Aveeno

Also, I had face eczema and tried lots and lots of things but Aveeno cured it very quickly. A bottle is about £10 but lasts ages.

I get eczema around my eyes sometimes. I use aveeno as an every day moisturiser but that doesn't help an outbreak. The only thing that shifts it (and within a day or two) is a mild steroid. The dr can advise, or use hydrocortisone (over the counter) but be careful around the eyes!

Another sufferer here too. I have, more than once, introduced a new product just before a night out and ended up going out with blotches. Most memorably the first time i used hair removal cream on my lip and had a red top lip for weeks.

When my eyes are bad I use eye mist like this optrex one i find it helps break the sore dryness/ itching/ provoked dryness made worse by salty tears/ more itching etc cycle. I think tesco do a much cheaper own brand one that works as well and i guess other places do too.

I use Celestial moisturiser from lush or a vit e cream from boots/body shop. But when my skin is really bad I use steroid cream. I wouldn't recommend sudocrem, it can actually make it worse! I'd go to the doc and get some cream then when it's better start using moisturiser again

I think you need some hydrocortisone to clear up the eczema. People go on about skin thinning but an OTC weak one should be fine for a bit - ask the pharmacist. Just wash your face with warm water and moisurise with Aveeno/coconut oil/almond oil until it is completely clear. After it is better, to prevent it coming back I find Avene Extremely Gentle Cleaner to be good for sensitive skin. It is £8. Luckily there is a 3 for 2 on skincare in Boots atm.

Also re steroid cream be sure to wean your skin off it slowly. Use as often as recommended, then scale back to once a day, every other day, once a week. Otherwise you can get a rebound of eczema.

Another vote for aveeno. Started using it when doctor prescribed it for son's eczema, I swear by its hand cream throughout the winter!
My mother (also suffers from eczema) swears by emu oil based moisturiser though I don't like it.

Aveeno is the only thing that works on my eczema

If your eyelids are dry it means your having an allergic reaction to something you're using on your face. Cetaphil moisturiser is the safest thing to use but definetly change your cleansing routine. Cetaphil cleanser is great and really gentle too