[Jenelle]

3 days ago I awoke at 4 AM with an itchy face and discovered my eye lids, cheeks, forehead, nose, chin were all swollen, red and puffy. I took a Benadryl pill, went back to sleep for several hours (like 6--that's Beadryl for you).

Today (from Friday to Tuesday), my face is still red, dry, itchy, peely, blistery, rough, and sensitive, though the tissue around my eyes is not noticeably swollen.

I have avoided any soap, cleanser on my face, and am putting Vitamin E (from a capsule) on the skin.

Working backwards, I had started using an SPF 45 sunblock on my face, I had been to the doctor and was given 2 Lidocane short in my arm (for removing a basal cell spot), and I HAD, on Wed or Thurs night gone to bed with a facial cleanser on.

I would have thought an allergic reaction to the skin cleanser or sunscreen would have surfaced in less than 18 or 28 hours. I called my dermatologist who replied by phone to not put anything on my skin and give it a chance to normalize.

I just want to more about the substances I had been exposed to in the previous 24 hours (Lidocane, or the active ingredients in the sunblock: avobenzone, parsol, homosalate, octocrylene, octisalate, oxybenzone). The company's reply is for me to send the product back for a full refund. That doesn't answer my curiosity about this full-face reaction (not on the rest of the body). I've searched the net for reactions to the active ingredients of the sunscreen, but have found no symptomatic descriptions. Looking at the sunblocks available from this site (the list is 50 to 100 products)--it appears they ALL use the same basic stuff and the rash reaction is very vague (quit using...hah).

I've used the sunblock before, but this time I used MORE on my face than usual, and it leaked into my eyes. But it took 18 hours to show up with negative symptoms (other than stinging eyes, which I rinsed with water). Sooooooooo....did I chemically burn my face (but not my neck, décolleté, which are also sensitive) and how would this best heal: it burns, is rough (feels like the last stage of sunburn before skin peels off). Should I try to scrub this dead skin off? Dermatologist said no.

What should I use for a sunblock...Coppertone, Neutrogena, Bain de Soliel, etc. all use the same basic stuff. Oh, by the way, I HAVEN'T been in the sun--it has been cloudy/rainy the past 4 days--and I've been inside sleeping, thanks to the Benadryl.

[staarz unlimited]

Hi Jenelle,

Thanks for taking time with me. Sorry I took so long to answer but I had to go to the smoke shop and get my husband some cigarettes. He smokes at least a pack a day....wish I could find a cure for that.

i hope your rash is better. i had the same problem a few days ago. I had used some sunblock and got the same symptoms. Tried the usual washing of with plenty water, i even washed my skin with vinegar. but to no avail. my symptoms were still there four days later. i only used the sunblock for one day but i did apply it almost every hour. i have been off work for weeks now, awaiting a hearing and i have passed the sleeping (depression) stage. sounds like you like to fish. I used to fish in the same bay area in the 60's i was born in Alaska.

usually when i go to the store i take a safe list so i dont shop too much, but this time i forgot the list and i bought the wrong sunblock.

one thing for sure....i ain't sunblocking no more. besides i am black and i could have indured the sun if i had just taken my safe list.

signed,
beadryl