How I Cured My Perpetually Dry and Irritated Facial Skin

Hey everyone,

Today I thought I would write about how I finally figured out how to save my sensitive skin that was prone to allergic reactions. For a couple of years, my skin has had itchy flare ups that caused dry skin. It was usually more easily irritated around the time of my period. But I couldn't figure out how to keep it hydrated and it was always slightly irritated.

I never really had any problems with dry and itchy skin before. I thought it was because I was allergic to the face products I was using because it was only my face that was itchy, not any other parts of my body. I've had some allergic reactions to shampoo before so naturally I thought I was allergic to an ingredient in my face wash. So I tried a bunch of different face washes, but after a while I realized it wasn't because I was allergic to the face products since it itched no matter what I used.

I had no other symptoms to point me to any causes of my dry and irritated skin. I didn't really get rashes so my face didn't look red or irritated usually. It would just itch around my mouth and nose for a day and it would go away once I slathered moisturizer on. I thought it might be perioral dermatitis, but it wasn't as severe and only lasted less than a day at a time. I was also more prone to allergic reactions to things like laundry detergent, cats, and dust. 

It started around the time I had just started college, so I was eating food on campus that didn't suit my diet from home. I usually eat very clean and not much fat at home, and there weren't as many options on campus so I felt really bloated and lethargic on campus during freshman year. I had 2 bouts of UTIs during that year but I took antibiotics and started eating yogurt and exercising so they went away.

After that year, I started living at home and eating food from home so my diet was better. I stopped having UTIs but my skin was still irritated. I started to believe it was because of hormonal changes during my period, since it was worse around the time I would start a period. But my doctors said everything was normal, so I still had no idea what was going on with my skin. I started keeping a journal to try to narrow down what I did before it started to itch. I found that it would be more likely to flare up if I ate sugar.

Fast forward to this year, I randomly started to wake up with something that felt like a UTI but went away after a few hours. I think it was because my diet wasn't as clean and I wasn't exercising during quarantine. After that I tried to eat less sugar, eat more salads and healthier options, and drank more water. I felt like I was doing everything I could to live healthier but I still didn't feel right. This was in the span of about a week.

I started taking UP4 Probiotic gummies to help with the UTI symptoms. I had only been eating yogurt and trying to eat cleaner before, but never tried the probiotic gummies. Finally I got no sugar added 100% cranberry juice and probiotic gummies to take for the week and I felt better within a matter of days. It has been a few weeks since then and I haven't had itchy skin and my skin is no longer dry. I think my skin looks better in general. I feel less tired too!

My hypothesis is that my gut bacteria was imbalanced from the time I got the first UTI, which caused more bad bacteria in the gut and eating yogurt didn't introduce enough of the good bacteria. I had to take probiotic supplements to have a concentrated enough effect. 

I had never really thought to attribute my skin problems to problems with my gut, since I had done everything I thought I could do by eating healthy and adding probiotics through foods. I had just assumed that it was an extension of my past issues with dermatitis. 

This article might be able to explain the science behind it better than I can: https://chriskresser.com/the-gut-skin-connection-how-altered-gut-function-affects-the-skin/

And this one might help you identify if you have an unhealthy gut: https://www.healthline.com/health/gut-health#signs-and-symptoms

If you have problems with dermatitis, acne, or other skin irritations, definitely consult a healthcare professional about your gut health. Try to eat more probiotics if possible anyways, because it'll help with digestion, vaginal health, skin health, and overall improve your immune system!

Hopefully my experience helps others with the same issues. It wasn't easy to figure it out but as a normal person with good health and good diet, sometimes the answer isn't obvious.