Skincare, Waterproof Stuff and Oh, My Face is Peeling Off

So I've been on the new skincare prescription from the dermatologist for almost two weeks now, I think my skin is adjusting to no salicylic acid (this is the longest I've gone without using it in a wash/gel probably for 12-15 years).  At first I was amazed that it wasn't drying me out, I skipped moisturizer altogether and still had fairly dewy (read: a little oily) skin.

Redness seemed to be clearing up and I do wonder if it's due to not using the drying wash/treatments with the salicylic acid - but the sulfur based products are supposed to help with rosacea so who knows.

Now I don't know what started all of this strange behavior over the past four days, but wowzers.  What a strange combination of issues I've been having.

First off, I had decided to try using a waterproof mascara daily.  I figured it wouldn't be as bad as I remember (removal) and the curly-lashed staying power plus no concerns about watery eyes in the wind would be reason enough to use it.  I had bought some Neutrogrena oil-free waterproof makeup remover to take it off with.  Even trying to be patient, I was getting frustrated getting all of the mascara off (I am generous with the mascara!).  Then my skin around my eyes was burning a bit in the morning, so I thought maybe I didn't wash it off afterwards because my whole washing routine is different now that I have to store my new sulfur stuff outside the bathroom.
A day or two after I noticed the burning, even though I had changed to being very careful about washing off the remover, I noticed some big scaly peeling around my eyes.  Yikes!  I decided straight away that I was chucking this waterproof mascara (okay, it's just going to the back of the bin reserved for days I really need waterproof) and getting some nice new easy to remove mascara.

I also felt my eye cream wasn't really moisturizing me (always have problems with concealer being patchy).  I was concerned maybe I'd been getting the new skincare/antibiotic too near to the eye skin, all had been revised in how I was applying.  I bought new eye cream, some stuff for "mature" skin from L'Oreal and it was gold, couldn't pass that up.  I love gold! Anyway.

This morning, I woke up and to my horror I was peeling around my left eye and down on to my cheek.  Criminy christmas!

Add in some mystery rash/burn of unknown origin on my neck and chest for the past 4 days and I'm a mess.  From the chest up, I'm burning and peeling and falling apart!  My neck was peeling this morning as well.  I'm not sure how it's possible that this was a sunburn as I wear sunscreen every day and last week it was raining and overcast almost every day anyway; and I only spend 45 or so minutes in the sun cumulatively all day... but it really does look like a sunburn today.  Maybe I was sleep-walking in the sun during a post-workday-nap.

I've also been getting several very small blemishes, the kind that clear up overnight for me with salicylic acid - getting them on my forehead and bridge of nose - and those are places that aren't terribly common for me to get spots.  I figure this is just another adjustment.  I may start wearing a bit of moisturizer again on my cheeks to keep them from drying out.  I'll wait another day or so to make sure it wasn't a weird fluke.  

We will prevail!

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