Perioral Dermatitis Zero Therapy: The only solution to get rid of over-cared skin forever

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Perioral dermatitis is also called perioral dermatitis or stewardess disease. It is an inflammation of the face, mostly around the mouth. Hence the name perioral dermatitis ( perioral = around the mouth; derma = skin, itis = inflammation). In later stages, perioral dermatitis can also affect the area around the eyes. Here you can find out more about perioral dermatitis and its symptoms and causes .
The main causes are using too many or the wrong cosmetic products and stress. Therefore, in order to treat perioral dermatitis, it is necessary to completely avoid skin care and make-up for a certain period of time. This is also called “zero therapy” . In this article, you will find out how to stick to the zero therapy and what else you can do.

Consistent zero therapy is the only way to get rid of acute stewardess disease. This means: do not use any cosmetic products.

How long you should not use anything depends on how your skin reacts. You should really stick to a very strict zero therapy for at least one skin cycle. A skin cycle lasts around 28 days. So a month is the minimum . However, 6 weeks or a few months are recommended. The longer you stick to it, the better your skin can regenerate.

If you have perioral dermatitis, it is especially important to leave your skin alone immediately. Unfortunately, the internet often contains recommendations for all kinds of treatments, creams or oils that are supposed to work against perioral dermatitis.
It is extremely understandable that you are now looking for a good solution that will quickly combat the problem. Unfortunately, this is not the right way, because anti-pimple creams, active ingredient treatments or balancing oils would only make your perioral dermatitis worse. Niacinamide , serums with soothing substances or peelings of any kind are also taboo for your skin for the time being.
Moisturizing serums with hyaluronic acid or other moisturizers would further irritate your skin in the acute phase. Even if hyaluronic acid is very skin-friendly and otherwise provides wonderful moisture: In acute perioral dermatitis, hyaluronic acid causes the horny layer to swell and your skin would become even more sensitive. Give yourself a little time until you can do more again.
Good old zinc ointment is not right now either. Although zinc can otherwise work really well for pimples and inflammations. What you have now, even if you see pimples and inflammations on your skin, are not normal pimples. Your skin has seen too many active ingredients, serums, creams or oils recently that even a simple zinc ointment could be too much. Zinc (zinc oxide) always has to be dissolved in a fat and too much fat or rich butters would now irritate.
So please avoid all skin care products from now on - including treatments and emergency remedies! If your skin is as troubled as it is now, you probably want to do something about it. The right thing to do in this case, however, is to be patient and calm and do nothing.

For your skin, zero therapy means that you should only wash with water , because the "over-cared for" skin must not be put under even more strain. That's right... only water. That sounds really harsh. And you should also avoid using a cleanser during zero therapy if you can. The topic of cleansing is of course very individual. If you have very oily skin that quickly develops new layers, you can clean it now and again with a very mild cleanser that does not contain strong surfactants, active ingredients or moisturizers. Pay close attention to your skin's feedback, that is really crucial here.

Actually, you should always wear sun protection during the day.
In zero therapy, you are now faced with a dilemma. Your skin is so irritated that it will also react to the sunscreen. We cannot generally recommend that you do without sunscreen. However, if you are able to avoid the sun for a few weeks, you can consider whether you want to do without sunscreen for a few weeks to allow your skin to regenerate.
If you use sunscreen or if you start using it again, make sure that it does not contain excessive moisture, vegetable oils or butters, that it does not contain active ingredients and that it does not contain any irritating fragrances of any kind. Unfortunately, this can sometimes be quite difficult with sun protection. Especially if you prefer natural cosmetic sun protection. With vitamin C, it is best to see how it works on an individual basis. Most good sunscreens contain vitamin C derivatives because these boost sun protection and thus also protect against oxidative stress caused by UV rays. In this case, it probably makes sense to accept the vitamin C derivative if it is included. The vitamin C dose in sunscreens is often not that high. In any case, it cannot be compared to a vitamin C treatment. Don't worry. If you are very unsure, the best thing to do is to speak to your dermatologist about the subject. He or she can probably help you with your current skin condition and how to deal with the issue of sun protection.

You should also not wear makeup during the zero therapy.

If you feel very unwell on certain days, you can use simple mineral make-up . It should not contain bismuth oxychloride , mica , silica , active ingredients or vegetable oils. The loose minerals can be applied to redness and inflammation with a kabuki brush. An advantage: you can wash this make-up off your face with water. If a few minerals remain on your skin, it's not a problem because minerals cannot react with the skin. It is very important that your skin does not come into contact with too much moisture, fatty butters or waxes. These are often found in natural make-up. Conventional make-up is also not an option during this time because moisturizers and active ingredients could delay healing. During the zero-therapy period, really only use water for the time being. It is often claimed that abruptly stopping skin care puts additional stress on the skin. This is not true because any further contact with cosmetic products will aggravate your perioral dermatitis.

Your skin may become very dry during the zero therapy. It may also start to flake over time. That's okay and intended. After all, the skin was over-cared for and often over-moisturized. This is the only way your skin can recover. It's starting over, so to speak.

You really shouldn't use any cosmetics on your entire face during zero therapy - not just on the areas that are visibly affected.

Experience shows that many people with perioral dermatitis find it very difficult to stick to zero therapy. It can be a really stressful time. So be clear: It's about your skin becoming healthy again in the long term.
It helps if you can do something different instead of your usual skin care routine and luckily there is something you can do:
A black tea mask can improve your condition. Below you will find instructions for the black tea mask.
It can also help if you find another ritual instead of your skin care routine. You can use this to reduce your stress. Stress is also an important cause of perioral dermatitis. For example, you could meditate, do breathing exercises, go for a walk or brew yourself a special tea and consciously enjoy it every morning.

Just like treatments, most skin remedies that can be found online are not a good idea for perioral dermatitis. Tea tree oil is definitely not suitable for perioral dermatitis. It contains irritating essential oils that can damage even healthy and intact skin.

If you still need something to calm you and your skin, you can make a homemade black tea compress. This will calm the skin a little.
Maybe your skin won't feel as stressed afterward. Ready-made masks that contain black tea are not good for your skin, however, because they contain other ingredients that would be too much for the skin at the moment.