For the past week, I’ve been having problems with my skin. I had a lot of reddish, dry bumps on my chin, which was spreading to the right cheek. They certainly were not pimples. Initially I thought I was having shingles, as I was feeling under the weather during that time (when I had chicken pox in 2003, I was given steroids as meds, but the doctor said in taking those, I would be highly susceptible to contracting shingles). The husband checked the bumps, and ruled out shingles. He thought it could be facial warts (eeeuuuww).
The red bumps were itchy and dry and was spreading to the cheek. To relieve the itchiness and in hopes to get rid of the red bumps, I tried a tea tree ointment. In 5 days, the bumps were gone. The area is still dry with flaky skin, but at least the bumps were going away. I’m now keeping the dry area sufficiently moisturised, and I reckon the flaky bits should go away in a bit.
So when things go wrong with you skin,
1. Stop using makeup. If you need light coverage, use a light, tinted moisturiser. If you really, really have to use makeup, use mineral makeup, but sparingly. But I’d still recommend you not to until your skin clears up.
2. Keep your skincare routine as simple as possible. Stop using serums and/or your night cream for a while. Keep it as light and simple as possible. It’s also good to not use toner on the affected areas, as certain toners can be drying to the skin, especially alcohol-based toner.
3. Use a very gentle cleanser on your face, nothing dry or moisture-stripping. I highly recommend Cetaphil. It cleanses your skin very gently.
4. If you’re having a flare-up of pimples, do give tea-tree oil a go. I don’t recommend using pure tea tree oil unless it’s directed by your dermatologist. You wouldn’t want something so strong on your skin, at least, not on your face. Try an ointment or gel instead. It’s less concentrated, but still does the job.
5. Keep your hands as clean as possible. Do keep a bottle of hand sanitiser on your dresser. I normally use this before I apply makeup. Bear in mind though, if you’re one to use a lot of hand sanitisers, remember to use hand cream as well. Hand sanitisers contain alcohol and can be very drying to the skin.
Right now, I’m looking for a good Vitamin E cream to apply on the area because the bumps and flaky skin were giving my skin slight blemishes and discolouration. Any suggestions? 
Thirty-something. Gemini. Happily married. Loves shopping. Has an unhealthy adoration for bags and chocolate. Uses sunscreen religiously. Hates baked beans with a vengeance. Thinks that the weekdays should be a weekend long, vice versa. Optimistic. Narcissistic. Not the average Jane.
If you have any questions or wish to contact me about anything, please feel free to email me at tine [at] beautyholicsanonymous [dot] com or click on 
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
very great post, tine!
i like cetaphil too, i can’t believe how gentle it is. and i have that Purell hand sanitiser as well, sometimes i like putting it on my clean hands just because it smells and feels good
Hi Girl!!! I would suggest just to do the usual cleansing then just a light moisturizer, and that’s it, I do suggest NOT to do anything
coz I’ve done lots of stuffs and it just worsen the case
aw….hope u get well soon! i know exactly how is it like when skin is going against your wish. too bad i don’t have any xperience with vit-E cream, if not i could recommend u something. i can only pray for your speedy recovery
Thanks for the great post, Tine.
I hope you’ll fully recover soon. I’ve heard good things about Cetaphil and now from you! I can’t wait to try it. I’m still in a testing period for Clarins’ cleanser.
I’d suggest Elizabeth Arden’s 8 Hour Protect Cream. And excellent product for relieving dry skin and sensitive areas. I have eczema on my lips and I use that to control it.
Good luck!
aww, sorry to hear about your face
she bought it from one of those discount chemists; not sure about melbourne, but they’re everywhere in sydney lol.
i recently (okay not so recent; time flies so fast!!!) had a bad fall in a bicycle accident and my mum bought me this vit. E cream, and i’m not sure its because of that or my fall wasnt very bad that i didnt leave any marks for scars. but give it a try and hopefully it’ll work
ahh its called Macro skin essentials, Natural Vitamin E Cream (with vitamin A and Avocado Oil)
http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/345/fallxd9.jpg
and this was my fall lol
hope i helped
Helly: Ouch! that looks painful! I’m glad you recovered well
Cheeeezie:
A dermatologist recommended Cetaphil to me when I was much younger when I had bad excema on my back. Great stuff. As for the hand sanitiser, I picked that habit up only very recently. Still, it’s good to keep your hands clean before doing the face.
Askmewhats:
True also. Best not to aggravate anything lest it makes it worse.
Prettybeautiful:
Aww thanks babes. Good enough
Connie:
Should give it a go. It’s light and gentle enough to not make any changes to your skin
Helly:
Hope it heals properly and soon.
OMG! My silly lil’ rash is NOTHING compared to your fall
And thanks for the recommendation. I’ll go check it out
Second the Macro Vitamin E cream. You can find it in almost every pharmacy in Aus.
If you don’t have oily skin which is prone to breakouts, Bio Oil works wonders.
You’re doing a good job by keeping the area moisturised, tea tree oil/ointment can be really drying on the skin.
Good luck, gal. (You prolly won’t need it since you have a personal doctor standing by 24/7. Haha!)
do they sell purell hand sanitiser in singapore???
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