AMPERNA®

Perioral dermatitis is a pretty common facial skin irritation. That doesn’t make it any easier to take when you wake up one morning to see spots or dry flaky skin around the corners of your mouth.

It’s most likely to show up in women aged between 15-45, affecting the skin around the mouth. In some cases it can extend upwards or outwards around the nose or onto the cheeks, and less commonly around the eyes or forehead.

In mild cases, it consists of patches of slightly bumpy, red or irritated looking skin, often with some mild flaking of the skin around the mouth, chin, and nose. Many cases develop soon after using a topical steroid on the face for another condition, such as mild eczema.

In more severe cases, the skin becomes very inflamed and angry looking in the affected areas, with flakes or scabs that can bleed or become infected.

PD can be mistaken or misdiagnosed as rosacea, acne or contact dermatitis. Another common condition that people often self diagnose incorrectly as Perioral Dermatitis is Angular Cheilitis.

It’s super important to get the right diagnosis, as acne and rosacea require very different treatments to PD. If you use treatments for acne that are not safe for use on PD, you may just end up making the symptoms worse.

'Acne is the result of dead skin and excess oil clogging pores.' Explains skincare specialist Michelle Skelly. ‘Dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin caused by contact with allergens, irritants, or other triggers.’

Much like acne, perioral dermatitis causes small red papules or pustules on the face, however in the case of PD, the breakout is usually focussed around the mouth or nose area. A mild burning or itching sensation often accompanies the spots.

Find out more about the differences between acne and dermatitis in Michelle Skelly's article.

Like many skin conditions, the exact cause of PD is unclear and different people may have different triggers.

Known triggers can include:

- Make-up
- Toothpaste with fluoride
- Hormonal changes (many women find that they start to suffer from perioral dermatitis while using a birth control pill or after falling pregnant)
- UV light
- Stress
- Topical steroids

There is a known link between using topical steroids such as creams and gels, and developing PD.

Unfortunately, people suffering from other skin conditions such as eczema may be prescribed a topical steroid to help the eczema, which then triggers PD. Seriously, as if you need anything more to worry about when you’re already dealing with dry, itchy skin and all the other symptoms that go along with eczema. 

If you do start to notice the symptoms of perioral dermatitis, speak to your GP or dermatologist, as they will be able to recommend the best course of action. Research papers on Perioral Dermatitis stress the importance of not using a topical corticosteroid to try to cure PD.

Some skin experts recommend against going cold turkey on topical steroids as it can actually worsen the initial flare up, but every case will require an individual path.

Every case of PD is different and what works for one person may not work for another.

Our founder, Kiri, tried many methods to manage her flare-ups. This included changing her diet, avoiding products with SLS (sodium laurel sulphate) and exfoliating regularly, among other things. 

Did you know that boosting your zinc intake can speed up the recovery process? AMPERNA® recommends adding a zinc supplement to your diet.

You can have a look at Kiri's Journey to Skin Health which talks about the best vitamins for perioral dermatitis and the importance of probiotic supplements and probiotics in skincare. Probiotics for perioral dermatitis can help play a part in your recovery.

Read more about diet and skin health in our blog post Could an Anti-Inflammatory Diet be the First Step to Clearer Skin?

- Avoiding make-up
- Avoiding skincare products with SLS (sodium laurel sulphate) as this ingredient (along with glycols and parabens) has been known to irritate PD and make it worse
- Changing to a non-fluoride toothpaste as fluoride is a possible trigger for PD (you can read a review of natural toothpastes on the Nourished Life website
- Resist the urge to scratch or rub (I know, it’s easy to say when something is bothering you so much!)
- Check your shampoo to ensure it doesn’t contain SLS as this could also trigger or worsen it
- Only use mild soap and don't scrub at the skin
- Avoid using topical steroid creams and nasal steroid sprays
- Review your diet as some foods can make PD worse (spicy foods, caffeine, salts, oils and acids are all potential triggers)