Valen’s Vanity Square

Sometimes I get a bit paranoid, worrying that things will happen if I don’t do this or that. So I decided that I should bring along my allergy medicine with me to work everyday, you know, just in case. And thank goodness I did!

Really, the cause of my skin allergy remains a mystery. I didn’t use facial mask this week, neither I went for facial (no more facial appointments during working days for me). But it just happened!

Two days ago, my eyelids and the corner of my lips started to feel itchy after having lunch with my new colleagues. These are the areas that are prone to itchiness and red bumps whenever the allergic reaction kicks in. Quickly I took my antihistamine to calm down the itchiness before things went bad. But the redness and slight swelling, though mild, remained till today. Now. Jeez, I really need a permanent allergy relief solution!

I’m truly puzzled. What triggered the reaction? Was it my sister’s bedding (I slept over at my mom’s place in my sister’s room)? Was it because I ate eggs over the past few days? Was it the eye shadow I put on to work? (But I didn’t put eye shadow around my lips!) Or was it stress, which quietly creeps in once I started working?

I have no clue. All I know is that I will avoid eating eggs, peanuts and seafood this week, and put minimal stuffs on my skin. *Sigh*

vv

Went to the pharmacy to get my allergic medicine during the weekend. I showed the pharmacist the prescription my doctor gave me - an antihistamine and a steroid. Antihistamine is to stop the itchiness, while steroid is to relieve inflammation and swelling (i.e. the bumps and rashes).

The itchiness subsided two days ago, but there was some redness on the skin yesterday. Today, my skin looks pretty much back to normal. What I noticed is that the skin around my eyes and eyelids tend to become dry and flaky after the allergic reaction, may be because I scratched the area a lot. I know the best eye creams won’t be of any help now, as I need to use eye gel according to the pharmacist.

When I told the pharmacist how my skin allergic reaction happened the first time, and how it occurred again 2 weeks later after my facial, she said I shouldn’t go for facial so soon since the first incidence. And she also advised to avoid allergenic foods, such as peanuts, eggs, prawns, etc, for the time being. Eeeks, I already have had those. Anyway…

And on the skin care aspect, she told me not to use facial cleanser that has bubbles (I think she meant foamy facial cleanser), but simply rinse my face with clean water (not sure if I want to follow that), and use gel-base moisturizer. I wonder if Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid moisturizing lotion is considered a gel-base moisturizer. I’m using it now and it doesn’t appear to cause any problem.

I have to be careful with my other skin care products this week. No facial mask from now onwards. No facial treatment in the next 4 weeks. I’m going to start on a new job next week, and I don’t want to meet new colleagues with a face with rashes all over. Haha!

Jeez, what’s wrong with my immune system? I thought my previous favorite facial mask was the culprit to the skin allergic reaction on my face. It seems that even my facial treatment is giving me problems!

Went for facial yesterday. Everything was fine after that, my complexion looked more supple and my pores were reduced. So, I window shopped, had my afternoon snack and coffee, waiting for hubby to meet me for dinner at the shopping mall.

About 2 hours later, I started to feel itchiness on my neck, face and around the eyes. And there were small bumps and big bumps emerging on my face, too! Oh no, it’s here again. The allergic reaction!

I didn’t have my allergic medicine with me, and my face just becomes redder and had rashes all over. I couldn’t do anything but sat in the ladies washroom (there’s a make-up area with sofas) and waited for hubby. I didn’t want to walk around and scared away the patrons of the shopping mall. Haha!

I still can’t figure out what causes my suddenly sensitive skin. Facial masks that I have used without problem, facial treatment that I have undergone for more than a year, they both now trigger skin allergy on my face.

I don’t know if that means I can’t ever go for my facial again (but I still have 12 more treatments in the course!), or they just have to change the type of treatment to suit my current skin condition. *sigh*

If I had acne and blemishes now, I don’t think I would even bother to look for the best acne treatments, coz I have a more urgent problem to deal with now - a sensitized skin. As to exactly what my skin is sensitive to, I don’t know! Other skin care products that I’ve been using don’t seem to trigger any undesirable reaction so far.

Looks like tonight I have to visit the pharmacy and get some anti-allergic medicine in case a flare up happens again!