Happy Friday!
Thanks so much for your comments, feedback, emails, and recommendations on last week’s post regarding contact dermatitis on eyelids.
As the dermatologist said, “It’s detective work.” So many factors could be involved. There are so many things to consider about our habits, products and the things we consume when trying to pinpoint the source of a reaction like this.
Just in case anyone else is dealing with this issue, I’ll share some more about what I’ve been told to do/not do by the allergist and dermatologist, and what I’ve noted for myself.
The allergist recommends Dove soap, Vaseline and All Free and Clear laundry detergent. He does not want me to use any other products on my face/skin. I was prescribed Allegra twice daily and was told I could take it four times per day if needed. At one point he also added Pepcid twice daily as it can act as an antihistamine. The meds are mostly to control the redness and itching during a flare up.
Vaseline is the most disgusting “moisturizer” I’ve ever used and I cannot show up to work “bare faced” with no makeup. I cut my products down to concealer, brows, and mascara for a while. (and some days still used eyeliner.) All of them are free of my known allergens.
As far as a moisturizer, I don’t know yet if I have that nailed down, but the Vanicream is working for now. I was previously using Supergoop for daytime so I would have some SPF protection. At this point I can’t even remember what I was using at night time but I have used a variety of eye creams over the years and typically used an undereye cream and a heavier moisturizer at night.
The dermatologist says to use moisturizer only when needed. I have dry skin so I feel like I need it daily but I’m sure as a society we use too many products. I have managed to leave off moisturizer at night for a while. I’m trying to reintroduce the Supergoop to see if it was problematic or not because there are several days when I really need sunscreen. I’m suspicious that it contributes to the problem despite getting a clean rating because it has fragrance in it. The label says free of synthetic fragrance but the Skin Safe site says it has fragrance.
Oddly enough, most of the products I used before testing were free of the allergens they identified and most of them were not being applied directly to my eyelids or anywhere near them.
My beloved Urban Decay eyeshadow palette passed the test on the label as far as allergens, but I could still tell that it caused a flare up because it had some metallic shades in it. I’m allergic to nickel, chrome, gold thiosulfate and cobalt. They are common in eyeshadows, especially metallic, shimmer shadows so beware regardless of what the label says. The allergist recommends I just steer clear of them, as well as any bronzers.
If any eye product -shadow or moisturizer/ cream says it “brightens” it’s a red flag for me. I switched to a cream blush so I would not transfer any powder from a powder blush to my eye area. Blushes sometimes have “glow” and brighten ingredients so I’m wary of them too.
At one point the allergist said to stop using Dove to wash my face and wash with cloth and water only. Now the dermatologist says to just use my hands- no washcloth because residue from laundry detergent could be transferred from the cloth to my face.
WHAT? No soap? No cloth? Just hands and water? Why bother to wash my face? Just kidding, I still do, but this is a great example of how exasperating this can be.
I realized after the trip to the dermatologist that we forgot to replace the hand soap in our home with one free of MCI. So… when I’m getting ready in the morning I apply a product- hair, body, whatever, and wash my hands in between applications. It’s possible I’ve been transferring that allergen to my face and eyelids! Duh! I’m now using the Vanicream soap she recommended.
I’ve also cleaned my makeup brushes with the hand soap from time to time, so it’s possible I’ve contaminated them as well. SO. MANY. THINGS. To think about.
I’m replacing all brushes and older products and moving on.
A word of caution-just because something is labeled “clean” “organic” or “Natural” or has “botanical or fruit” extracts doesn’t mean it’s safe. I have a suspicion that some of my shampoo and eye creams with “botanical extracts” are problematic for me as some people can be sensitive or allergic to those items.
Changes
I have been sharing What I Wore Lately as a regular feature on the blog for at least three years, sometimes weekly and sometimes bi-weekly. The time has come for me to change things up a bit. I will no longer be sharing this as a blog post.
Shop the looks here
I’ve been digging deep into my analytics and considering what works and what doesn’t in terms of blog traffic and revenue. I don’t mean to bore you with details you don’t care about, but I think it’s important to be transparent.
Many bloggers do this as a source of income. I have a full time job but also appreciate the income I receive from ads and affiliate sales. It helps pay for this hobby- hosting fees and other things that make having a blog feasible and easier to maintain.
Having a successful blog is a balancing act between meeting the needs and interests of readers and meeting the needs of Google. Google traffic brings more readers (and in most cases more revenue.)
While these What I Wore Lately posts are fun to share, and many seem to enjoy them, they do nothing for my traffic and revenue. Sure people read them the first few days they are posted but then they fall flat unless they pick up traffic from Pinterest.
Shop the looks here
Most readers don’t shop the affiliate links in these posts. (Most of my work wear is from older purchases and I can’t provide exact links to the pieces.) These posts are hard to optimize for SEO and Google. They also tend to take a good bit of time for me to put together.
I have a limited amount of time to spend, so I need to spend it where it will bring the most return for me and for you as readers. Going forward, I will only share “What I Wore Lately” in my weekly newsletter. It may be the main feature of the newsletter some weeks, or it may be a subsection with other tips and information shared. If you want to keep up with “What I Wore Lately” please subscribe to my weekly newsletter. (And make sure you check your junk folder if you don’t see the first email. They go out on Tuesdays. The daily email is an RSS feed of each post as it’s posted so you can sign up for that too if you want to know when a new post is live.)
I may from time to time share a random outfit, especially on Friday, but I plan to use these outfits in more meaningful, helpful posts than just merely “What I Wore.”
Just a reminder- you can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. And don’t just follow- like, comment, share. This is how you get the things you want to see to show up in your feed and it helps out your favorite bloggers and influencers.
I know it’s easy to get into a habit of just reading and scrolling- I’m so guilty of that- but those likes and comments are critical to you and the blogger/influencers. It’s how the algorithms know what you like so you can see more from that person and similar accounts on social media accounts, and how I and other bloggers/influencers know what resonates with you so we can provide you with the best information and content.
Wins for the week
I completed six weeks of the Faster Way to Fat Loss VIP challenge last week and dropped four pounds and 4 inches overall. It’s so good to be back on track with nutrition. It really is mostly about nutrition. I never stopped working out but my macros and nutrition got off balance the last quarter of last year and I saw some weight gain. Slowly but surely I’m getting back to where I need to be.
If you want to learn about intermitten fasting and macro cycling, combined with the workouts that give the most bang for your buck on a particular macro day, join the next round of Faster Way to Fat Loss– February 28, 2022.
As of the writing of this post, I have a reel that has over 23K views. I know, small fish in a big pond, but this is the most views any reel I’ve made has gotten. These things are so hard to figure out.
Fun Finds
Kellyann at This Blonde’s Shopping Bag is always rocking a pair of cap toe shoes. I love a pair of cap toe shoes and have a pair of flats but haven’t worn them in a while. I went in search of a pair with a bit of heel and came up with all of these fun pairs. Snakeskin cap toe? Yes!
Linking up here:
