I have ocular rosacea and I'm supposed to was my eye lids multiple times during the day with diluted baby shampoo... It helps a little with the constant burning. However, every time I wash my face I turn extremely bright red. My skin also immediately feels very taught and dry and flakes. Putting any Lotion on to relieve the dryness triggers my eyes to burn again. (Also when I talk, eat and smile the skin around my mouth be comes bright red.)

The only products I use are cetaphil lotions and cleansers as well as diluted baby shampoo. I cannot cover up my redness because any makeup extremely irritates my skin. I feel like my skin is bipolar... If I do nothing my eyes burn and are blood shot, and my face is glossy with oil. If I wash it it becomes taught, dry and flaky and I can see oil seeping from my pores.

I feel like I'm allergic to everything. I never go out anymore because I feel so embarrassed by the intense redness and blood-shot eyes. People have asked if I'm drunk, stoned, exhausted, upset. I've been approached by strangers who wanted to know if I was ok because the redness makes me look live Ive been crying all day.

I'll be going to the doctor in a few weeks and wanted to know If anyone had similar symptoms... And if anyone found anything that works for them...

I also struggle constantly with seborrheic dermatitis.

Hi Ananii

Sorry to hear you're suffering with your eyes. I have been through the same and it is not pleasant to say the least.

I would suggest you try using bicarbonate of soda in hot water with a clean cotton bud to clean your eyelids, I found this much more effective than baby shampoo and a lot less irritating to lids. There is also a product called Lidcare that we get in the UK that can really help clean your eyes too, but bicarb is probably better.

As for covering your redness up, have you tried a tinted moisturiser with an SPF? These are a lot milder and less irritating than makeup products and is probably worth giving a go. I use no.7 tinted moisturiser from Boots with an spf of 15 and it works perfectly.

I also found that a course of doxycycline really helped overcome the symptoms and help get the condition back under control, although I have been taking it 3 years now and it is starting to lose its effectiveness, but for a long time has kept me much more confident and happy.

I hope this helped you a bit, keep your chin up and remember there is lots of things you can try to help control your symptoms.

There is also a product called OCuSoft PLUS eyelid scrub. They come in pads that loosen the crusts, flakes, or swelling on the lid margins. They also come in regular but I find they burn. The plus does not burn. For years my eyes were sensitive to everything, but using these I am much less senitive to makeup and things. Although I still cannot get any sort of creams anywhere near my eyes. I also cannot use any creams that have any fragrances on my face. I can use Oil of olay regenerist syrum fragrance free. One of the few fragrance free's that actually work and being a syrum it absorbs really fast. I also have rosacea and it doesn't seem to make me any redder. As far as the ocular goes keep up some regimine from now on because it can get bad. I woke up one morning with a strip along the lid at least 1/4 inch thick, a sty on the outside and a sty way under the lid that had to be removed by a surgeon. Not to be gross but no matter how clean we humans think we are it is a fact that there are smaLL parasites on our eyelashes and skin. Yes all of us!!!! Some of us through leaving traces of makeup on can develop real problems. Hey I never heard of eye hygiene before it happened to me. Before I used the wipes I never reallized that there where traces of mascara still on my lashes even after I just took a shower and scrubbed them with face wash. They are now linking roscea with either mites or anerobic bacteria. Metronidazole or metro gel seems to help me somewhat. I also use PanOxyl and Alpha hydrox toner astringent to make sure all makeup is off when i'm clear enough to wear it, and I wash with clean and clear acne wash salicylic acid which is the only wash that won't flair up my eyes, but it does not remove makeup. I use the OCusoft and Alpha hydrox toner to make sure every trace is off. Hope your situation gets better. I sympathize!!!

I'll defiantly try the soda. I however have found that SPF products feel like they are burning my face. I'm going to my doctors Friday to get on birth control in hopes that it will help. I'm also going to ask for doxycycline since my insurance denied me Metrogel...