Allergic reaction on eyelids

[BB8sm8]

I’ve been using The Ordinary salacylic acid and niacinamide for about a year & they completely cleared up my hormonal acne but also seemed to eventually make my skin sensitive. Back in August, I reacted a Body Shop SPF around my eyes & tried every cream going to soothe it. Now it even hurts when water contacts the skin, the inflamed area has spread to both eyelids & underneath. The GP said antihistamines for 6 weeks & a hydrocortisone cream for just a week as it was on my eyelids. The cream started to clear it up but as soon as I stopped using it, it came back just as bad. I’m currently trying E45 cream which seems ok-ish but my eyes are still swollen, watering and itchy. I will go back to the GP this week but in the meantime has anyone had anything similar? Any experience of this? I’ve never had an eczema type condition in my life & this is just horrible.

I had this a long time ago when I used Simple eye makeup up remover.

A friend of mine had a similar reaction with very swollen eyelids from The Ordinary salycylic acid. I wouldn't like to share her account details, but she posted on Instagram about it. I don't think you're the only one!

I also use salycylic acid (from other brands) for acne and it makes you wonder if something is off in their formulation?

Sounds silly but do you wear dark nail varnish? I have flare ups on my eyelids (just swollen, itchy, flaky lids) when I wear dark polish on my toes for more than a few days. Luckily hydrocortisone cures it. Hope the gp can give you something else to help as I know how sore it can be.

Happened to my mum with the no7 serum was fine then wasn’t and her eyelids were swollen etc most uncomfortable not sure if it’s a change in ingredient or sensitivity over time

Oh my word I have just had at least 2 months of an awful allergic reaction to The Ordinary retinol . I didn't use it anywhere near my eyes but the reaction has been really severe on my eye lids and under my eyes. It got to the point where even water hurt to wash with and people kept saying what's wrong with your eyes?!?
I don't know if it's the sort of thing that would of gone on its own but I was putting a small amount of moisturiser on every few hours. I even put cod liver oil directly on it from a capsule as I figured that was completely natural.

So I feel your pain. My eye lids are still flaky but nothing like how they have been.

Oh my goodness the original Simple eye makeup remover stung the hell out of my eyes, proper wash it off straight away job, yet the dual formula one seems ok for me. I’ve just been googling it & last year a girl got a chemical burn from it 😬 The GP said my skin is now in defence mode so anything now going on my face is treated as an attack on the skin barrier. My nose is also running which again makes me think it’s an allergy, obviously developed over time because it was great for nearly a year 😭to be honest now I’d give anything for the normal acne back instead of this, even the tears from when my eyes start running stings. Should I stop putting anything on my face at all? I wash with cerave in the morning, Simple oil cleanser at night (which doesn’t sting) and this E45 barrier cream which says it’s suitable for newborns yet still stings...but after about 2 weeks use my eyes do seem slightly better...but still swollen, red, itchy and weeping.

I used to use Lush ultrabland. Now I just use micellar water. (No idea how to spell that)

Oh my goodness yes! I’ve been getting ‘wow you look tired!’ What’s wrong your eyes?!’ So rude 🤣

Hadn’t even thought about what’s on my hands, I do wear nail varnish so I’ll look into that.

A friend suggested Lush Dream Cream but I’m hesitant cos their products tend to be highly fragrant, which I’ve read can spark an allergic reaction 😬

I had a terrible reaction to The Ordinary Salicylic. I had hyrdrocortisone cream from the GP and a simple barrier cream on prescription. I think I’d avoid anything else for a while until your skin calms down. If it doesn’t get better in a few days I’d maybe go back to the GP. Hope it’s better soon!

Also maybe something like Sudocrem or Vaseline might be worth a try?

Try Lansinoh nipple balm (the one in the purple tube) it helps heal any soreness and allergic reactions. You’ll notice a difference after one day.

I'd recommend la Roche posay CICA plast. Use it at night when you're going to bed. Its the only thing that doesn't 'sting' when my face/ eyes are sore broken and burning. It's got some great reviews

www.boots.com/beauty/skincare/body-skincare/body-moisturiser/la-roche-posay-cicaplast-baume-b5-soothing-repairing-balm-40ml-10189518

My sympathies, OP! I got an eczema from a mascara, it was horrible. Hope it goes away. Be careful now with anything that might irritate your skin.

I reacted to mascara/makeup; my eyelids became swollen, red and flaky/crusty. Super attractive. I stopped wearing any makeup around the eyes and it gradually healed but it took quite a while. I used a tiny dab of hydrocortisone cream for a week or so to calm it down and also tried aloe eye cream. Not sure the latter did much though.

I still avoid mascara and eye shadow but I can get away with a little foundation around the eye area now.

I second the pp who recommended cicaplast, it’s great, although I wouldn’t put it on my actual eye area.

I use La Roche micellar gel cleanser, it’s very gentle. Might be worth a try - the Toleraine one.

*La Roche Posay

Go and see your optician. Mine recommend the 'blepha' range (blephasol / blephaclean) for blepharitis (swelling of the eyelid), but I'd want them to check it in case there's inflammation inside the eye itself which requires treatment by a specialist. (They may also recommend other treatments for more severe blepharitis)

I'm no expert but do suffer as well. I use aqueous cream daily to wash and moisturise my face and emulsifying ointment on my face going to bed a few nights a week ( inc my eyes and especially when they are sore). I keep some oats ground down in a container and I mix these with the aqueous cream as a super gentle exfoliant as well.

Try to push for a dermatology referral to get allergy tested if it carries on. I used to have the same, it was horrible! Mine was from a chemical in some nail polishes but the main place I reacted was my eyelids so I thought I couldn't use anything on my face for ages. Other than that stick with the hydrocortisone, nothing else worked for me as they weren't tackling the actual problem just upsetting my skin more.

Im allergic to a lot of things that I use on my eyes. Not one thing in particular- I never know what will cause a reaction. The one constant that doesn't is the very gentle Clinique eye removal cream in a tube for sensitive eyes.

I’ve suffered with this too, it’s horrible. Mine was an allergic reaction to my waterproof mascara, which I’d used for years without issue. I think once the delicate skin barrier is damaged you’ll always need to be careful. Maybe just take all active ingredients out of your routine for a few weeks, and focus on moisturising and repairing. Then reintroduce active ingredients but steer well clear of your eyes.
I remember lots of people saying on here that micellar water had caused eczema type reaction around their eyes, so be careful with that and any harsh cleanser. Remove anything foamy containing SLS from your routine completely. And try not to rub them at all, harder said than done I know!

I had similar problems with dermatitis on my eyelids, tried all sorts of doctor prescribed or recommended moisturisers, but they were ineffective and the pain when they leaked into my eyes was horrendous. It finally cleared up with something called simple eye ointment (not the brand Simple) and mild steroid cream.
Then the ointment became unavailable, but the pharmacist recommended plain Vaseline, thinly applied - worked a treat and my eyelids have been clear for years. Good luck op, it is miserable when it's your eyes.

I had this for ages and could never get to the reason. Dr prescribed fexofenafine which worked. It went away but i never did find out the cause.

Try a simple mixture of rose hip oil and jojoba oil. Add nothing else. I often take terrible reactions to make up when I try something new (I get so fes up using the same brand) and I've found this hope made recipe soothes and calms my skin. The redness and flaking goes down much quicker than any shop bought cream, or has nothing nasty whatsoever and actually you can continue to use it as a serum and it will keep all your skin nice and soft. It wont prevent this flaring p again but has been the beat I've found for facial allergic reactions to tiooxsl applications. I use it on my eyelids too as it is simply those 2 oils. And a small amount goes a long way.