Written by Kate Tietje
Trying to puzzle out how to heal my skin has not been an easy journey.
First, it was acne, which I addressed successfully with a lavender green clay mask and acne salve. But then it was rosacea, and then it was perioral dermatitis (that one I hadn’t even heard of, but after talking to several friends who struggled with skin issues and doing some reading, I knew that was what was there).
Perioral dermatitis is interesting. No one seems to know for sure what causes it. It leads to redness and small bumps around the nose and mouth. It’s easily inflamed, so all the things that help acne can make this worse. It’s related to bacterial or fungal infections. It can be caused in part by taking hormonal birth control, using fluoridated toothpaste, skincare products with petroleum in them, sunscreen use, and more.
In my case, it’s a fungal reaction to the mold in my old house. I haven’t gone in since before I was pregnant, but I finally traced outbreaks to when my husband was going in. It also flares if I eat any sort of sugar or other food toxins.
So, while I’m addressing this internally with probiotics and a careful diet, I want to give my skin a chance to detox, too. But I have to be super careful because of the inflammation issue. That’s why I created this mask.
This simple mask contains only food ingredients. These ingredients are known for reducing inflammation and fighting bacteria and fungus. That’s why it’s awesome!
Inflammation-Soothing Mask
This mask contains only three simple ingredients:
- Oatmeal — known to soothe dry, itchy, or problem skin and rashes
- Turmeric — anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal
- Honey — anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and good for the skin
It’s so easy to make, too!
You will need:
- 1/2 cup oatmeal, ground into coarse flour
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- 2 tbsp. raw honey
Directions:
Step 1: Mix all the ingredients together to form a paste.
Apply this paste to clean, wet skin and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Wipe it off gently with warm water. I will probably follow up with a couple of drops of raspberry seed oil, which is excellent for the skin.
This should help the problem skin over time — repeat once or twice a week as needed.
I suddenly have skin redness, and it itches really bad leading to a small bump. I always dab some aloe vera gel whenever this happens and get instant relief. But the little stain remains for a few days. Till now I don’t know why this happens, its so sudden and almost feels like a mosquito bite, but isn’t.