Soooo...about a year ago I stopped using Dan's BP because I developed contact dermatitis from an unknown source and my eyelid scabbed over. I was suspicious of the Dan's BP but not sure that it was the cause, but I stopped using it just in case. I had used other BP's in the meantime, but none of them seemed to work as well as Dan's and my skin has been such a mess this last semester so about a month ago I started using Dan's again and this past week I've developed contact dermatitis again. Luckily it's not so bad that my eyelid scabbed over this time, but my eyelids/general eye area are pink and swollen (I'm VERY careful not to get the BP near my eyes), and my face has also been raw feeling, very flushed. Keep in mind that I'm not just speculating, I had this diagnosed as contact dermatitis by my Dr. the last time it happened but we never actually determined the cause. So I'm suspicious of the BP because this happened last year and now it's happened again after me beginning to use it again. Also the last few days that I used it there was a stinging sensation in my eyes, kind of similar to when you cut an onion. I did however also start a new moisturizer this week (I needed something heavier to deal with the dryness caused by BP), but it's difficult for me to imagine it is causing this. It's Cerave which is supposed to be a very gentle brand. I guess anything's possible though.
Anyways, my question is has anyone else experienced an allergic or irritant reaction not to BP, but to some other ingredient in the BP? I did do some research on the preservatives used in it and several of them are potentially irritating.
This is very frustrating. I am pretty much just going to have to let my face calm down for a while and only use a moisturizer and cleanser that I know for sure have never given me problems until my face is no longer irritated. I've ordered some Paula's Choice BP and so I might try that once my skin calms down, but I also have a Dr's apt in two weeks so it may just be time to go back to the drawing board.
Acne sucks. The end.
I haven't experienced any major irritation like this from BP before.. I would definitely just be gentle and use soap and water like you said to avoid irritation. Are there any allergens that you could be potentially be exposing yourself too in your living conditions? animals? crazy plant substances? do you wear glasses or anything?
I would definitely wait for a doctor's okay before trying anything else. Also, whenever I have an irritated spot, or scab, I use aquaphor and neosporin. Aquaphor doesn't clog pores.
good luck!!
Hey there... Recently I developed an allergic reaction to BP... I never really had any issues using BP before, but for some reason my skin just started flipping out on me and I got a bad reaction to BP... I only used Dan's BP so I'm not sure if it's some ingredient in his BP in particular or just BP in general... Perhaps my skin was just tired of all the harsh chemicals I've been putting on my face... I'm not exactly sure... For now, I've just decided to spot treat with AHA and take it from there...
when i first started using the regimen, my right eyelid got swollen.. i also noticed my eye area was super dry and a bit scaley.. my other eye was fine though..
i kinda go back and forth with the regimen because it really dries out my skin and im extremely unpatient to wait for my skin to get used to it..
i have days where i use alot of the BP and other days where i just barely use it.. but i have noticed that when i have tried going to the full recommended amount.. my eyelid gets swollen again!!! i have it right now and its so frustrating.. i look all werid and its embarrassing 
i havent gone to the doctor.. last time i think my eyelid took like a whole month to go back to its normal size (i was so happy when it did) and im guessing this time it will take just as long to heal =\
my eye doesnt itch or is pink or anything.. its just swollen like if i had been crying way too much on one eye only lol
im thinking that since i sleep all crazy.. (on my stomach, my back, my side) maybe as i move around i leave BP on my pillow and then somehow it ends up in my eye and irritates it? i do tend to sleep on my right side more =( *sigh* what did the eye doctor give you for it? and was it expensive? and how long did it take for it to go away?
Hey there ismellgoodxD! I know this is ancient now (I never get notifications for some reason even though I've set acne.org to notify me about replies and stuff...anyways) and I hope your eye is doing better. I finally bit the bullet and went to a dermatologist this summer and she told me that she uses bp commonly as part of her treatments for patients but that people can over time develop a sensitivity to bp sometimes. IE you don't actually have to be allergic to it to have a reaction to it and she suggested that this could possibly be the cause of my eye situation.
So, long story short she suggested that we either use it sparingly or stay away from it all together (which is what I'm doing now). Anyways, my suggestion if you're still struggling to get your acne under control and having the irritation issues would be to go in and see a specialist. A good derm has so many tools in their tool belt that if the first thing they try doesn't work they will be able to find something that does.
Yes please stay away from it if your getting contact dermatitis! I didn't I ignored it since contact dermatitis goes away with meds... And I got perioral dermatitis. Which Means I can NEVER use sulfur again, and I gotta be careful on any product I use. Therefore I can't use topical acne treatments anymore why I'm on accutane now.
So if your body's telling you no, listen!
Perioral dermatitis can be pretty bad and it can happen from either continued use of allergens or steroid creams which are also used for contact dermatitis
Try tea tree oil or something less harsh
Yes I can! Because I officially think this is helping yay...
minocycline 200 mg a day (I take 100 mg morning and night)
Morning:
wash face with Rx sulfur soap (my derm also specifies to be gentle, not to use a buff puff or washcloth when washing)
clindamycin topical solution 1.00%
Finacea (azelaic acid gel 15%)
Night:
wash with sulfur soap again
clindamycin topical solution 1.00%
retin a/tretinoin gel 0.025%
Last month my face was better and this month it's almost 100% clear, only one (small) active right now that popped up due to hormonal fluctuation and for me that's very unusual.
My #1 advice would be to go to the derm though (make sure it's a good one though). I wasted so much time and energy on other methods that just didn't cut it. Keep in mind though that my first appointment was in July and I'm just now really feeling like we're really starting to clear my skin up so don't expect an overnight fix. Good luck and keep us posted.
@Jekester, if you're worried you have contact dermatitis go to the Dr. as contact dermatitis can range in severity and how it looks and no one here is qualified to accurately diagnose it. When it's severe (like mine) your skin will blister up and scab over. I'd say if you're just a little irritation like a little pink or something that's not really anything to go to the Dr. for but only you can decide. Like I said mine was very painful.
No not everyone will develop contact dermatitis from the regimen. Some people will develop a sensitivity to BP and others won't just like you can get contact dermatitis from about a bigillion other substances (many detergents in dish soap or hand soap for example) but many of us don't. It's not permanent. The treatment is complete avoidance of the substance that caused it. It will clear up on its own with avoidance of the causative substance. I don't know about permanent damage, but you have to permanently avoid contact with the substance to avoid another flareup once you develop a sensitivity from it so I guess probably some permanent damage has been done to your system in some way. I didn't have any permanent cosmetic damage if that's what you're asking. No scarring or anything.
Thank you, Amygims, for your detailed response. I did see a dermatologist and she prescribed my Dapsone and Atrelin. Atrelin is a retinoid and it broke me out like crazy with the purging, and Dapsone wasn't calming down or preventing breakouts. It stressed me out to look in the mirror.
Instead, I've been trying a new skincare called Evologie that helps fight acne with azelaic acid, salicylic acid, and tea tree oil. I'm been using for a week and it helps get rid of a lot of the forehead acne from using Atrelin. I still have more acne I'm still trying to battle (there are still occasional breakouts that occur - purging?) and am hoping for continued improvement. The products don't irritate my face like BP did and there's no need to build up to full dose/usage.
If you all haven't found anything to control your acne yet, I think Evologie is worth giving a try. Its over the counter (no prescription needed) and can be ordered online.