Eczema around eyes - can anyone suggest any products I might be able to tolerate

[Flyingsouthwiththeswallows]

Without drip feeding, I have always had sensitive skin, but until a few years ago no real issues. No breakouts as a teenager, never any real need to cover up apart from sun protection, no greasiness etc.

Post menopausaly that all seems to have changed. My skin has become very dry, totally intolerant to make up and increasingly irritated by any of the normal skincare brands.

In the last few years, I have tried Clinique, Dermalogica, and even Chanel. To control irritation I have used Nivea, Aveeno and E45.

For the last nine months I have experienced increasingly bad Eczema around my eyes. This is now causing damage and swelling to the skin and resulting in irritation to the tear ducts on my eyes.

My GP has looked at it a few times and prescribed Hydrocortisone, but I am nervous about using that too much so close to my eyes. The Pharmacist told me last week that I shouldn’t be using it there at all.

Help. Can anyone suggest products that they have successfully used in similar circumstances?

I am going out to a special event with friends next week, and am so distressed at the look of my eyes and the fact that I won’t be able to wear any kind of make up, that I am close to cancelling. Any suggestions for moisurisers and make up products I could try would be very gratefully received.

I had the exact same problem about 4 winters ago and my hubby still calls it "the great moisturiser hunt" . My eyelids got so dry they actually cracked and my skin was so tight my eyes would barely close

I swear by a really basic cleanser. If I'm wearing makeup, I take it off first with a micellar water (la Roche posay is one of the few that don't irritate me)

Then a basic cream cleanser. I use cerave or la Roche posay (or Ren sensitive range if I'm feeling flush)

Then its all about moisture.

I like superdrug pure serum... Very hydrating and soothing but cheap.

I swear by Eucerin ultra sensitive soothing care moisturiser... A bit pricy for me but I just wait til Escentual do 1/3 off French skincare and bulk order. (i also use cerave but I don't like it quite as much but it's much cheaper cause the bottle is huge)

Then... My absolute holy grail/can never live without... Eucerin Aquaphor soothing balm.. Warmed up between my fingers and patted all over my whole face... Feels like vaseline but no comparison... Really seals in the moisture and never clogs my pores and I slather it all around my eyes.

I only use my hydrocortisone if I absolutely have to but usually find that's rarely now

Please try the aquaphor... I literally have a drawer full of 'backups' incase they ever discontinue it

Maybe ask for a dermatology referral?

Maybe ask for a dermatology referral? I hope it gets better soon. I've developed acne this year and it's been awful.

Ginfordinner Yes, that's the cream - for me, it has been an absolute miracle worker.

La Roche poussay do a "toleraine' range which is fantastic.
I had tried everything around my eyes but all caused sore, red, dry, itchy skin

I've used this for just over a year and it's very soothing around the eye area

Try taking a daily antihistamine as well OP, one of the non drowsy ones, I suffer with this around my eyes in spring (think it's tree pollen), I use the steroid cream and take the antihistamine and luckily haven't had a flare up for a few years.

If you are allergic to anything, trying to reduce that allergy will help control symptoms.

I had this for a year, but with no previous history, and had excema in eyebrows too, then in my ears! I had steroid cream from my Dr but when I stopped using it the problem came back within 24 hours.

I saw a private dermatologist who did allergy testing on my back. The only substance that reacted was nail varnish.

She gave me a different steroid for a couple of weeks and banned nail varnish and the problem resolved completely.

I'd been wearing nail varnish every day and it had made my fingers slightly itchy for the first hour or two after application, but I didn't connect the two things. I'd then been touching my face which started off the irritation.

DS gets this every winter and has done since a baby. I use bepanthen (sp?) You find it in the nappy cream aisle

I had exactly the same as @mosaic123 - allergic dermatitis caused by a chemical that's in some nail polishes. Spent years trying to avoid things that I was putting directly on to the eyes and it wasn't that at all.

I'd definitely push for a dermatology referral, I wish I had earlier.

Whoahere, snap! Such an uncomfortable thing and I found it embarrassing to look rough all the time with no make up. I spent a fortune on various creams and bought all new highly expensive make up before I saw the dermatologist.

@Mosaic123 same - lots of photos in sunglasses! Sorry to detail slightly but if yours is tosylamide formaldehyde resin then it's not in Chanel, Revlon, Mavala or some Nails Inc

Guillot do a fab tinted moisturiser. Salon only but you can try a sample for reaction.

Aveeno oil as well as cream. X

I had similar for a while and spent a fortune on "natural"/organic products and expensive make-up, trying to get it under control. What helped in the end was zeroderm cream (the really thick, white, ointment in the big white tub, I think similar to or the same as what @RiosCashmereJumper references above) It's about as un-natural/organic as you can get, but I haven't had a trace of eczema since using it 🤷🏼‍♀️ It's very greasy but I literally just dab a fingertip's worth around my eyes in the morning and at night.
I also switched to using bar soap instead of foaming face washes, shower gels etc, which seems to have cleared up the eczema on my body.
The steroid creams did work for me too, but like you I was wary of using them for any length of time around my eyes.
Things that made it worse (for me; YMMV) were: olive oil, coconut oil, Clinique make-up, any scented creams including "natural" type brands like Aveeno, and Bourgeois make-up.
Hope you find something that works, OP, it can really affect your self-confidence.

My dd suffers from this condition as well so thanks a lot for the thread - really helpful.

Please ask for a referral to dermatologist.

I had the same thing a couple of years ago - it was miserable. After 5 GP visits, hydrocortisone prescriptions and a warning to use it very sparingly, the derma advised that I needed to use it 'properly' twice a day for a couple of weeks. That basically cleared it up and I'm now back to being able to wear eye makeup daily.

As the derma said and PPs have said, under-dosing is more of a problem than overuse with steroid creams as GPs and pharmacists have to be so risk-averse. You'd have to use it for months and months to have the ill-effects.

Plus, far greater risk of damage from long term eczema than from using a steroid for a fortnight.

She advised me food allergies don't cause eczema, but environmental (cats, hayfever) did make me rub my eyes more as they were itchy, which made it worse.

When your skin is better you can start to try out some 'normal' mositurisers. I'm now using boots no. 7 protect + perfect eye cream without an issue.

I agree with PP that if you're really keen on eye make up for a special occasion this week then the tube mascaras (eg lancome red + white packaging) are better for not irritating. And vaseline or aqueous cream with cotton wool to remove. Cream eyeshadow might sit better than powder on your skin.
Good luck!

Moo goo - so soothing and they do make up too.

For anyone using this thread for suggestions I have tried to precis all the posts into one list of potential products.

Hopefully I have included all the named products. I have tried some e.g. Clinique which absolutely don’t work for me, but obviously everyone is different. I have marked any that I have personally had problems with as (DWFM) i.e. didn’t work for me

I will be researching the list to try and find something I can tolerate, but in the meantime am on Day 3 of the Hydrocortisone and my eyes are slightly better.

Once again thank you for all your help.

Oils
Pure evening primrose oil. Topically and internally.
Jojoba oil
Rose hip oil

Prescription?
Protopic cream
Elidel cream
Daktacort

Eczema Specific
CeraVe
La Roche Posay Lipikar
Diprobase
Cetraban

Creams
E45
Aveeno (DWFM)
Eucerin ultra sensitive soothing care moisturiser
Eucerin Aquaphor soothing balm
Simple (DWFM)
Zeroderm Cream
Child’s Farm baby moisturiser
Moo Goo
Beelief Botanicals Emoliex
Lucas pawpaw ointment.

Premium Brands
Clairol
Dermalogica barrier creams
Dermalogica ultracalming wash
Dr Haushka plain cleansers
Dr Haushka moisturiser
Antipodes Grace cleanser
La Roche Posay Tolériane
La Roche Micellar Water
Argan5 eye cream
Ren

Shampoo
OGX - SLS free

Make Up Suggestions
Bare Minerals Make Up
Urban Decay
Mac (DWFM)
Clinique (DWFM)
Lancombe eye makeup (DWFM)
Max factor mascara
Tube Mascara - Lancome
Maybelline Collosos

Vaseline as a treatment and Make Up remover

I have it above my left eye, on the eyelid and up to my eyebrow. After trying so many things, and spending several years looking like I’d been punched in the face, I went to the doctor. I now use hydrocortisone 0.5%, prescribed by the doctor. It’s the only thing that works. I don’t put it on every day, just when I feel the skin going thicker.

Which MooGoo cream do you use @MrsMisstery?

Thank you for the comprehensive list @Flyingsouthwiththeswallows. I have saved it onto my desktop.

I had a weird rough dry patch under my eye for a couple of years after having my first child. It cleared up after I started using The Green People cell enrich facial oil and their line eraser serum. I’m not sure which one did it but it cleared up in a couple of days of starting to use them.

About three years ago I developed eczema around my eyes, and in the course of Googling to try to sort it out, saw the blog I've linked to below which suggested the Manuka Honey Cream at Holland and Barrett. I bought it, and a few days later my eyes were back to normal. I still use the cream, as an eye make up remover.

www.luxlife-blog.com/2012/11/my-struggle-with-eye-eczema.html

prescribed Hydrocortisone, but I am nervous about using that too much so close to my eyes. The Pharmacist told me last week that I shouldn’t be using it there at all

I know others have said this, but cortisone will really clear this up and if you use it correctly, won't hurt your eyes.

You need it.

I had bad eczema from birth until my 20s. I used cortisone cream practically everyday of my life until I was about 23. My eyes are fine, and my skin is very very UNwrinkled (I'm 60 but look 40). I put that doen to having fine skin, helped by hydrocortisone cream!

But honestly, I used to have weeping eyelids and scruffy skin all over my face. It went into my hair, behind my knees, all down my arms from wrist to elbow. Awful.

Cortisone cream was the only thing that touched it. And I think that all the tosh about steroidal cream comes from people who don't suffer bad or chronic eczema. If you need cortisone cream, you need it. And thank modern medicine for steroids (my lungs have been saved by inhalable steroids).

And you're right to give up make up - I can't wear sunscreen (even Clinique) except for thick children's stick-style ones. I can't wear foundation, and have to use a hypoallergenic mascara - very sparingly (I use the Boots one). But give p the make up - your skin will thank you.

I believe La Roche Posay has a special skincare line for those with extremely sensitive skin. Its called Toleriane. Also my dermatologist recommended me products from Swiss brand Louis Widmer, I think they also have products for very sensitive skin.

I have a small patch of problem skin on The crease of one eyelid which sometimes flares up and cracks. I have found that at the first sign of an itch washing with soap and water and, somewhat counterintuitively, avoiding moisturiser can stop it developing. If it does flare up hydrocortisone fixes it rapidly. I now never use eye cream or other moisturiser on my eyelids, that always leads to a flare up.