I know this sounds more like a LifeTime movie than a blog post (and maybe it should be), but it's a true story. It happened to me just yesterday and it's still real fresh, as in the wounds are literally still healing and gooey with Aquaphor ointment.
Let me start out by asking a few simple questions. and no this is not a riddle.
A dentist wouldn't pull a tooth without novocaine,
and an ER doc wouldn't stitch someone up without a shot of lidocaine,
so why in the heck would a Dermatologist torture me by stabbing a hot electric needle into my face time after time, without anything to numb the pain?! That is a great question.
*Amazon links are included in this post - Disclosure: as an Amazon associate I receive a small commission on products purchased through our links.
My Torturous Sebaceous Hyperplasia Removal
The more I think about my horrific experience at the Dermatologist yesterday (lets be honest, the torture continues in my brain as I revisit the horrifying experience multiple times a day), the more angry I get.
There are so many ways it could have been done so much better, and to think it was all just over a little removal of sebaceous hyperplasia (bumps on my face caused by plugged, dysfunctional pores).
If you have bumps on your face with a little indentation in the middle, you too might have sebaceous hyperplasia that is generally worse on those with oily skin and gets worse with age (add it to the list).
Their appearance can sometimes be minimized with skincare products (see my favorite products below) but to make them "go away" you have to have a dermatologist remove them. If you decide to go that route like I did, just make sure you listen to this podcast so your experience is nothing like mine was.
→ Listen Here for all the grizzly details of how I was indeed tortured by my dermatologist
Sebaceous Hyperplasia Helpful Products
*Amazon links included - Disclosure: as an Amazon associate I receive a small commission on products purchased through our links.
I apply this serum every other night just to my nose and sometimes to my forehead where I get sebaceous hyperplasia. Because I have sensitive skin I have to be careful I don't get it on other parts of my face (like my cheeks) but it works great to help the bumps on my face appear a bit smaller and more smooth.
This is what I've been applying to my post-treatment sebaceous hyperplasia areas to help healing. The ointment seals the areas well and keeps them protected for better healing.
These are the best and only washcloths I use on my face. The soft flannel is perfect for gentle post-treatment cleansing (when scabs are sturdy - use gently) and great for gentle exfoliation of existing sebaceous hyperplasia areas.
I was diagnosed with rosacea about 14 years ago and I know how tough it can be to find a good skin care routine that supports the unique needs of rosacea and sensitive skin. Some skin care products that claim to be made for sensitive skin or rosacea, can still end up being too harsh and irritating.
Navigating through skin care product trial and error can not only cause emotional stress but stress to the skin as well, and nobody wants that.
The Best Skin Care Routine for my Rosacea Sensitive Skin
Since launching Fairface Washcloths 13+ years ago, I've received hundreds of messages from customers asking what skin care routine I follow for my rosacea prone sensitive skin.
Once I found my rosacea - sensitive skin "dream team" skin care routine, I've never looked back.
In an effort to help all who are struggling to find a good skin care routine for their rosacea and/or sensitive skin, I decided to publish, My Dream Team Skincare Routine for Rosacea & Sensitive Skin, a convenient digital skin care routine guide, complete with step-by-step instructions on:
-what rosacea treatment I'm using,
-the skin care products I use and love
-& how and when I use them
And although each person's skin is different, it's a great place to start and I hope it can help you too!
My Favorite Rosacea - Sensitive Skin Care Routine Products
Although my digital skin care guide has a lot more details and products, here are 3 of my favorite skin care products for my rosacea-prone sensitive skin that I use in my skin care routine:
*Disclaimer: For Amazon links, as an Amazon Affiliate I earn a small commission on purchases through our links.
Fairface Soft Flannel Washcloths are the ONLY washcloths I will ever use on my sensitive face (that's why I created them in the first place)! They are soft and gentle and glide against my skin without tugging or pulling. Traditional washcloths and even baby washcloths are much too harsh on my skin but the soft flannel of Fairface leaves my skin looking and feeling clean and calm. I couldn't live without these!
Several years ago my dermatologist recommended I try Vanicream Gentle Cleanser and I will never use any other cleanser on my face. The formulation is creamy and gentle to my skin, doesn't have harsh ingredients, and clears away my make-up and sunscreen without feeling the least bit dry or tight.
My skin feels soothed and moisturized with CeraVe Moisturizing Cream. The ceramides keep my skin barrier strengthened and hyaluronic acid helps with hydration. Although it is a little on the thicker side, it never feels heavy or greasy on my skin. I love slathering it on my face every night and morning, and it goes well under SPF.
+ Other Rosacea Digital Guides
I have facial Rosacea, and also deal with dry eyes due to Ocular Rosacea. My Ophthalmologist has given me lots of great tips to soothe my dry eyes, so I wanted to share them with you if you are also suffering from Ocular Rosacea.
Soothing Tips and Remedies for Ocular Rosacea - Instant Digital Download
Our Soothing Tips and Remedies for Ocular Rosacea Digital Eye Care Guide, offers advice and remedies recommended to me by my licensed Ophthalmologist that have really helped reduce my dry eye symptoms and I hope they can help you too!
But Rosacea and Sensitive Skin are so much more than just a great skin care routine - it is also about the choices I make every day that keep my skin clearer and more calm.
I wanted to share everything I have learned over the years that has helped my skin so much, so I created a new Lifestyle Guide for Rosacea and Sensitive Skin. It includes all the habits that have made such a difference to my skin. It's everything I wish I had known a long time ago that really helps keep my rosacea and sensitive skin clear and calm.
Clearer Skin: Lifestyle Habits my Skin Can't Live Without for Rosacea and Sensitive Skin - Instant Digital Download
In this Clear Skin Guide, I share with you all the best lifestyle habits that have made the biggest impact on my sensitive, rosacea-prone skin, to help you keep your sensitive skin and rosacea clearer and more calm too.
It's been quite busy around here! Summer came and went in a blink and all at once it was time to head back to school! Time. Moves. Fast!
I've been working like a dog sewing and growing my Fairface Washcloths™ brand. I have EXCITING and I do mean exciting, like I-can-hardly-keep-myself-contained-and-almost-blurt-it-out-at-any-given-time exciting about new Fairface products just on the horizon! Trust me, you'll love them like I do! I'm hoping to launch them by the end of October, if not sooner. Will I be able to hold out?!
For now, I'm happy to share (although this isn't THE big announcement) that I've opened another shop, exclusively for Fairface Washcloths™ products! Yay!
And to celebrate this virtual ribbon cutting, I'm offering a week-long promotion for 15% off any Fairface Washcloths™ product order.
Use code: FFWC14 at checkout through the new Fairface Washcloths shop; good thru 9/20/14.
These really are the best washcloths I've ever used for my Rosacea-prone skin. They soothe and calm my face like no other cloth can. My sensitive face just can't tolerate harsh textures and the smoothness of the soft flannel does wonders.
Fairface Washcloths™ allows my skin to feel clean and clear, without getting all red and irritated like it does with regular washcloths. If you have sensitive skin, or know someone who does? You need to try them. I've had so many people tell me how much they've helped improve their sensitive skin! They are my gift to the world! And I hope they'll be a gift for you as well.
>>>Be sure to follow us on our new FairfaceWashcloths Facebook Page for future promotions, skin care tips and new product announcements! (because you know they're coming!!)
Well, that's it for now. So many things left unsaid. So many tutorials part-way done. So many projects swirling around in my head. See? Not much has changed but the calendar. Hope to be back soon sharing some fun tutorials! ♥
Did you know something as simple as changing your pillow case more often can actually prevent break-outs and help maintain clearer skin?
Think of all the things that are on your pillow case throughout the night. Every night. Lotion residue or other skin care products, breath, saliva, skin oils, hair oils, sloughed off skin, hair dander, pet dander (if you let pets sleep with you. I cringe), dust mites and other allergens. Need I go on?
If you re-use the same pillow case over and over again, it stands to reason that some, if not all of these irritants, will effect your skin in one way or another by irritating your face and clogging your pores.
Flip your Pillow Case for Clearer Skin
If you don't have 7 pillow cases on hand for a fresh one every night of the week, this simple trick helps minimize the number of pillow cases used while maintaining cleaner skin.
Clear Skin Pillow Case Schedule
Night 1: Use a fresh, clean pillow case Night 2: Flip pillow over to use the clean pillow case side Night 3: Use a fresh, clean pillow case Night 4: Flip pillow over to use the clean pillow case side Night 5: Use a fresh, clean pillow case Night 6: Flip pillow over to use the clean pillow case side
*Launder and re-start the schedule
This is the pillow case schedule I now live by! I tried it a few years ago and quickly noticed how much fewer break-outs I had and how much better my skin looked. Even while *traveling, I bring a few extra pillow cases so I never have to worry about keeping my skin clear.
(*laundry services at hotels use bleach and other harsh chemicals to wash bed linens. I always bring my own pillow and pillow cases to keep my sensitive skin safe from redness and irritation brought on by these harsh detergents)
A few last quick tips
I'll share a tutorial with you on how to make your own quick pillow cases out of an existing sheet if you need to make your own instead of invest in a few.
For sensitive skin, like mine, it's not only important to use soft fabric pillow cases, it also helps to wash them in hypoallergenic detergent and dry them without any fabric softeners or opt to use hypoallergenic fabric softeners to prevent skin irritation.
Don't forget to change and launder your sheets regularly too, to prevent those same bedroom allergens and irritants in your sheets from affecting your clear skin!
Wishing you many days ahead of happy, clear skin!
This Clear Skin Tip brought to you by: Fairface Washcloths
When I created Fairface Washcloths™, the softest washcloths for Rosacea and sensitive skin, I had no idea how many people I would be able to help. I thought I was alone in my world of high-maintenance sensitive skin, but I was wrong.
Since developing Fairface Washcloths™, I have heard from many people across the globe who suffer from sensitive skin conditions, like Rosacea, Eczema, Dermatitis, and painful Acne. But what I didn't know, was that Fairface Washcloths™ have also been able to bring calming relief to even more than the traditional definition of what sensitive skin is, which includes people going through dermatology or chemo treatments, pregnancy skin changes, painful facial neuralgia, mens sensitive face shaving, burned skin, healing skin, and more.
{New} Fairface Washcloths™ ~ Delicate
There are a lot of people out there with sensitive skin who need pampering, and with that in mind, this year I've decided to expand my Fairface Washcloths™ line to offer an even softer option. Fairface Washcloths™ ~ Delicate.
Fairface Washcloths™ ~ Delicate comes with 2 sides of plush, soft flannel for an even softer, more soothing option for cleansing sensitive skin.
*No irritating textures, just smooth softness for optimal comfort and gentle cleansing
*Comes in convenient sets of 2
*Size: XL (~ 9"x9") for optimal coverage
*Pre-washed in hypoallergenic, perfume & dye free detergent.
Of course, the Original Fairface Washcloths™, a.k.a. the best all-in-one washcloth for sensitive skin, with a super soft flannel side + an absorbent terry cloth side are still available!
I have truly been amazed at the outpouring of positive feedback I have received from the many happy customers who have found soothing relief from using Fairface Washcloths™ for their sensitive skin. When I first created them a few years ago, I never imagined how many people I could help!
Sensitive skin comes in all ages, shapes and sizes. Some have reached out to me during chemotherapy treatments looking for a soothing cloth to calm tender skin; some have come searching for a soothing facecloth that won't hurt or irritate their sensitive faces when washing, others have come searching for relief from unstable skin due to health problems, sensitive skin conditions such as Rosacea, Dermatitis, Eczema, and Acne, and changing skin due to pregnancy, aging, shaving, and more.
It is my mission to help everyone with sensitive skin find soothing, gentle relief with Fairface Washcloths™, the softest, most gentle way to care for sensitive skin.
Fairface Washcloths™ ~ the softest washcloths for sensitive skin, made specifically for those with Rosacea, Ezcema, Dermatitis, Acne, and all other sensitive skin conditions.
PLUS, by liking Fairface Washcloths™ on Facebook, you will be eligible for promotions, product announcements and tips for helping to keep sensitive skin healthy and glowing!
Thank you for your support and helping many more with sensitive skin find soothing relief!
If you have sensitive skin like I do, regular washcloths can feel too harsh. Even washing with them as gently as I can, my face always ends up more red and irritated than it started. Ugh.
So what's my solution? A few years ago I started making my own soft washcloths out of the softest materials I could find. And you know what? It's made all the difference in the world! My face has never felt or looked better. No more redness and irritation. Move over scratchy old washcloths, now there's something much, much softer!
And since they changed my life in such a profound way, I couldn't keep the secret all to myself. I now make them for the world to enjoy!
Attention all sensitive skin: don't be afraid to wash your face anymore!
With the softest combination of face-friendly cloths, Fairface Washcloths™ provides you with the softest, most gentle facecloth, for a gentle cleansing, free from additional redness and irritation. Trust me, you'll wish you'd found them years ago!
The {Original Fairface Washcloths'™} flannel side is amazingly soft and the terry cloth side is gentle, with just enough scrub. There is also a new option {Fairface Washcloths™ ~ Delicate} that is even softer(!), gentle enough for even the most fragile, delicate skin.
Fairface Washcloths™ ~ Delicate comes with 2 sides of plush, soft flannel for an even softer, more soothing option for cleansing sensitive skin.
