Since being diagnosed with MCAS, I’ve cut out all of the aluminum, sulfates, and parabens found in my shampoos, conditioners, body washes, creams, lotions, deodorants, and other beauty related products. I’ve never used a ton of skincare products unless directed by a dermatologist, so there was never a really big change there. There was one time, however, when I reverted back to one of my old ways, which I now know, is an absolute no-no for MCAS. I was in the middle of a MCAS flare up from food I’d ingested, getting red bumps, a rash and not acne, all over my cheeks, forehead, and neck. I’m lucky because I haven’t had acne since going on Accutane when I was 14, so any type of flare like this really messes with my confidence, and self-perception in general. In an effort to reduce the rash on my face, I decided to use Retin-A, which has helped me with minor acne in the past. This was my mistake, a big one at that. I woke up the next day after putting some on the night before, and my face was 10 times worse. I was so mad at myself because I couldn’t believe I had ever thought using the Retin-A was a good idea: putting chemicals on your face when you have a severe reaction, a rash in particular, to any chemical contact? Yah, I know right. Well, I guess everything is a learning experience. Now I know. Since I started taking the Methylprednisolone, I’ve definitely had and increase in the amount of acne on my face. One of its side effects is increased acne, so I was expecting this, and about 3 weeks after I started taking the steroid, I started to notice the slightly larger red bumps (not quite zits, but different from the MCAS bumps) on my cheeks and forehead. In the photos I took this morning and included below, some of the red bumps and a bit of resulting scarring is visible. However, this is when my skin is doing better, and my MCAS isn't flaring as much. Normally my acne is more prevalent. Right now, I do wear some makeup during the day, and have become an expert of sorts at covering evidence of MCAS, and my poor skin in general. At night, I like to use the Neutrogena Makeup Remover wipes to get off as much of the makeup as possible. Then, I follow up with the Trader Joe’s Facial Cleansing Oil. Out of everything I use, I would say that this has helped my acne the most. What I love about this product, and a lot of Trader Joe’s skincare products, is that it is unscented, they don’t add in extra ingredients, and it is naturally sourced: perfect for someone with MCAS. After I use the TJ’s Facial Cleansing Oil, I use Thayer’s Alcohol Free Toner in Unscented on an exfoliating cotton round. I finally finish off with Aquaphor on my lips and my eyebrows (a little trick of mine for fuller brows). Since I’ve been doing my skincare routine consistently, after about a week or two, I noticed a large improvement in my acne. With that said, this is what works for me, and every person with MCAS is different. So, my advice to everyone would be try one product at a time, use products that are as natural and organic as possible, the less ingredients the better, go unscented, and try to be patient.
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Ivy/POTS//EDS//MCAS//SIBO/
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December 2018
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