This is just a post to warn people of the possible dangers and damage that can be done by using strong, chemical loaded products on your skin (especially more delicate areas like the face). I suffer from severe Body Dysmorphic Disorder which started from a very young age. From the age of 10, I was using very strong face washes, gels, and moisturisers to try and get rid of the few hormonal spots I had. Every day for 6 years, I piled on every alcohol, perfume, paraben, dye, harsh chemical filled 'skincare' product that I could get my naive hands on. Every year my skin was getting worse. More breakouts, more irritation and dryness. But as a child, what did I know ? I was young, desperate and dumb and I thought the products I was using were safe. Little did I know that they really weren't safe. Infact they've left my skin looking so damaged that I need antidepressants to cope with my appearance. I've caused myself to have an eczema like rash across my entire cheeks which is always itching, weeping and looks bright red. I stopped using chemical products when I was 16. That was nearly 7 years ago. So it's obvious that the damage done to my skin is PERMANENT. Not only that, but it's hypersensitive too. Just getting on with the day is almost impossible. My facial skin has become extremely allergic to almost everything. Even water. I have to spend 25 a week just on bottled water to wash my face with. It's too sore to touch or to lie on when I go to bed.
I guess all I mean to say is please be careful using chemical products ! They've destroyed my skin and life. Don't let them destroy yours too.
I'm trying to think of things i can say to help...
But i'm not even sure where to begin. First off, that sucks. Really bad. And i agree, stay away from chemicals everyone.
Secondly, how sure are you that it's permanent? Also, you use bottled water to wash with? Lot's of times that is simply tap water in a bottle. Wal mart and various other stores sell distilled water, which would be an even better option for you
Also, i'm familiar with quite a few natural eczema/irritated skin treatments, and if you're interested i'd love to share anything i have to offer. Might be things you are already aware of, but might not.
Thirdly, what do you eat?
I call bullocks. You were naive then, you are still naive. You arent going to cause any "permament" damage from using otc products. It sounds like you have dermatitis. Or a mild case of exzema. Go to a derm ad get a prescription for elidel. It will heal the weeping rash. Reasses from theyre. Leave the melodrama. Its sore because of the rash. Ive had it too. Stop saying your life is over and start thinking more.
And this my friend is why i have with held about using ANY type of product for years now! i have heard too many horror stories and there is no way i'm taking that gamble, instead i'm clinging on to the hope that it will eventually all or most of it go away natuerely, for me my acne only started to heal a little over a year ago so i still want to give it a chance to fix itself. i figure if it takes YEARS for this shit to be on my face it has to take awhile to go away on it's on. but the scars have me fucked up mentally, in yellow lighting it doesn't look that bad but in sunlight you can clearly see many large pores on my cheeks and numerous dark marks. i'm not satisfied with the way it look's not yet.. that's too bad about what happened to you, but you have helped me to further confirm my suspicion about the dangers of skin care product's thank you.
The occassional product is fine. But I agree that you shouldn't go overboard. Right now I use natural soap and moisturiser, unnatural sunscreen, AHA and BP. There was a time when everything in my routine was laden with 'treatments' and harsh chemicals and my acne got worse, my self esteem got worse and my skin became damaged. Really though, it shouldn't be irrovercable.
It's not the chemicals, it's the fact that in this case, they were abused.
I'm going through the total opposite thing. Using chemicals again after years of being obsessed with doing everything "naturally" completely destroyed my face. Seriously, I can understand why the OP would reject them now, but they are a saving grace when you really need them.
I'm trying to think of things i can say to help...
But i'm not even sure where to begin. First off, that sucks. Really bad. And i agree, stay away from chemicals everyone.
Secondly, how sure are you that it's permanent? Also, you use bottled water to wash with? Lot's of times that is simply tap water in a bottle. Wal mart and various other stores sell distilled water, which would be an even better option for you
Also, i'm familiar with quite a few natural eczema/irritated skin treatments, and if you're interested i'd love to share anything i have to offer. Might be things you are already aware of, but might not.
Thirdly, what do you eat?
Hi 
Well I still have this hope that one day it will start to heal, but given that 7 years have gone by and it's still the same, it's hard to see it being any different. A really good Dermatologist that was kind enough to do a home-visit for me and was able to actually put a name to the condition that I have. It's a rare form of dermatitis which comes from the deep layers of skin becoming burnt (a chemical burn in my case). Not just surface damage. This is deep in the skin. He's confirmed to me that it is permanent ;( Which really isn't what I wanted to hear. But I had to know the truth so that I can work at learning to accept it. All I can do now is go gentle with it and hope that one day, it does improve.
I would use distilled water but they don't sell it in stores over here in the UK. They sell it online but it's really expensive. I'll have to stick to the bottled water I'm using for now. (I'm pretty sure it's the good stuff. My skin stings like crazy from the chlorine etc in tap water, but with this water I'm using there's no stinging).
I *think* I have a good diet. Plenty of veg, fruit, water, fruit juice. No dairy, very little bread, no sugar, no chocolates etc.
I call bullocks. You were naive then, you are still naive. You arent going to cause any "permament" damage from using otc products. It sounds like you have dermatitis. Or a mild case of exzema. Go to a derm ad get a prescription for elidel. It will heal the weeping rash. Reasses from theyre. Leave the melodrama. Its sore because of the rash. Ive had it too. Stop saying your life is over and start thinking more.
Lol ok sure. Think what you want. I'm not sitting here making up a load of Mickey Mouse bullsh*t. The skin condition I've given myself DOES exist and it DOES have a medical name. It's right there in the Dermatology books. This isn't just a 'rash'. I've had it 7 years and it's never gone off. You don't have it, so you can't possibly know what it's like. There's no need to be so rude. I'm only trying to make people aware so they don't end up doing the same thing.
Wow Coppedsynergy999, for knowing very little about what this person has gone through, or the severity of her skin condition, you seem quite confident of both.
And...you're telling her to use more chemicals? Hmm...
Not to mention quite rudely at that
This is just a post to warn people of the possible dangers and damage that can be done by using strong, chemical loaded products on your skin (especially more delicate areas like the face). I suffer from severe Body Dysmorphic Disorder which started from a very young age. From the age of 10, I was using very strong face washes, gels, and moisturisers to try and get rid of the few hormonal spots I had. Every day for 6 years, I piled on every alcohol, perfume, paraben, dye, harsh chemical filled 'skincare' product that I could get my naive hands on. Every year my skin was getting worse. More breakouts, more irritation and dryness. But as a child, what did I know ? I was young, desperate and dumb and I thought the products I was using were safe. Little did I know that they really weren't safe. Infact they've left my skin looking so damaged that I need antidepressants to cope with my appearance. I've caused myself to have an eczema like rash across my entire cheeks which is always itching, weeping and looks bright red. I stopped using chemical products when I was 16. That was nearly 7 years ago. So it's obvious that the damage done to my skin is PERMANENT. Not only that, but it's hypersensitive too. Just getting on with the day is almost impossible. My facial skin has become extremely allergic to almost everything. Even water. I have to spend 25 a week just on bottled water to wash my face with. It's too sore to touch or to lie on when I go to bed.
I guess all I mean to say is please be careful using chemical products ! They've destroyed my skin and life. Don't let them destroy yours too.
First off lets be real here. You say you have BDD. So from that standpoint im clearly dealing with someone who is lacking in proper judgement. Or maybe you made some mistakes like a normal person and you possibly DONT have bdd. Second, if you want help, try listing the proper name of condition that you suffer from so the people on this website are not mindlessly spinning our wheels to try and help you. Ending your post with "ive destroyed my life" is complete nonsense. If you want to view your life as destroyed thats your choice. Thats what I cannot respect. If you want to wake up tommorow and be grateful with the life youve been given thats a choice too. "I think therefore I am". Ill be frank, life is hard girl. Thats something you are going to have to realize. You didnt find yourself in this position because you fucked up. You found yourself in this position because your are a biological organism that is in a rate of constant decay from the moment your born. We are biologically fragile. Stop bieng so hard on yourself. Start seeking out a proffesional to help you with your problem. Im also 100% postitive that you will be happy again. But you have to stop asking for unhappiness by talking like you are wasting away in a concentration camp because girl, you are not. Lastly, you have no proof that you werent predisposed to this condition at birth. So stop playing the guilt game with yourself. I will recommend elidel for the rash.
Hello LacyDecay!
I too suffer with Body Dysmorphic Disorder
after a bout of abuse during my childhood,
so I totally get where you're coming from.
I started to obsess over my appearance at the age of 13,
smothering my face with cosmetics and treatments I didn't need,
further injuring my relatively flawless face.
I couldn't look at myself in the mirror or look anyone in the eye
or even reach out for help, cause I was in such denial.
It wasn't until three years ago that I recognized this about myself
and began to seek answers for my disease.
But not before I had ravaged my skin with scars
and triggered rosacea (semi-permanant redness).
The thing about chemical and natural irritant abuse is that they
sensitize your skin after prolonged usage so that you can no longer
even use gentle products without pain or breakouts,
thus depressing the hell out of someone with now evident injury.
I feel for you and to tell someone with this disorder to just buck up and deal with it
is as ridiculous as telling an anorexic to put some meat on their bones.
BDD is the sister of OCD and there are treatments for it,
but I've found that counseling can be very effective;
just knowing that somebody knows your pain can drive you forward.
I hope you can find help for the damage done!
~Bone't
Hello LacyDecay!
I too suffer with Body Dysmorphic Disorder
after a bout of abuse during my childhood,
so I totally get where you're coming from.
I started to obsess over my appearance at the age of 13,
smothering my face with cosmetics and treatments I didn't need,
further injuring my relatively flawless face.
I couldn't look at myself in the mirror or look anyone in the eye
or even reach out for help, cause I was in such denial.
It wasn't until three years ago that I recognized this about myself
and began to seek answers for my disease.
But not before I had ravaged my skin with scars
and triggered rosacea (semi-permanant redness).
The thing about chemical and natural irritant abuse is that they
sensitize your skin after prolonged usage so that you can no longer
even use gentle products without pain or breakouts,
thus depressing the hell out of someone with now evident injury.
I feel for you and to tell someone with this disorder to just buck up and deal with it
is as ridiculous as telling an anorexic to put some meat on their bones.
BDD is the sister of OCD and there are treatments for it,
but I've found that counseling can be very effective;
just knowing that somebody knows your pain can drive you forward.
I hope you can find help for the damage done!
~Bone't
Hi veiled.
Glad someone here understands my pain ! 
My BDD started the same way yours did. From childhood abuse. It's not normal for a small child to hate the way they look. It gets so annoying when people tell me to 'just grow up' when they know nothing about WHY I'm like this. My father spent 8 years in prison for the abuse that he did. I was beaten so bad that I had to kept off school all the time because of my bruises , I was raped at the age of 5 and so much other stuff that I won't go into. It is more than just what's on the surface. But the surface damage certainly hasn't helped ! If that got better then I think I could work on bettering my life but that's not an option given that my skin issue is permanent. That only leaves me with the option to do things the other way round and get mental help first, maybe that will help me see my skin in a different way and help me learn to accept it as it is.
I'm so glad you've found something that has helped you 
That gives me hope too.