Collection: Perioral Dermatitis Treatment

Looking for a natural perioral dermatitis treatment? This is the routine we've refined over years of helping customers with PD, and it's deliberately simple. With perioral dermatitis, less product is very often more.

Topical products help, but working out what's driving your flares usually makes the lasting difference. That might be a steroid cream, your toothpaste, hormones, gut health or stress. Our guide to perioral and periorificial dermatitis covers the causes and triggers in full.

First, Check It's Perioral Dermatitis

Perioral dermatitis forms clusters of small bumps around the mouth, nose or eyes, often with a strip of clear skin right next to the lips. If your skin is instead dry, flaky, tight or stinging across a wider area, the problem is more likely a damaged skin barrier. That needs a different approach: follow our Natural Skincare Routine for Dry & Sensitive Skin instead. Not sure which you have? Our perioral dermatitis guide explains how to tell them apart, including what to do if you have both.

The Lyonsleaf Approach to Perioral Dermatitis

Our balms are based on plant oils rather than mineral oil, petrolatum, coconut oil or lanolin, so they're not occlusive in the way that drives PD. Even so, keep things light and simple, especially during an active flare.

• Cleanse gently, without a foaming face wash. Many foaming face washes contain SLS, a well-documented PD trigger. Instead, use the Oil Cleansing Method with Unfragranced Beauty Balm and a warm muslin cloth. It removes make-up and daily build-up without stripping your skin or leaving a heavy residue. Our Sulphur Soap, used once or twice a week, has a long history of dermatological use for this kind of facial rash, with clinical evidence for rosacea and perioral dermatitis specifically.
• Treat the affected area directly and thinly. Apply a thin layer of Zinc and Calendula Cream straight onto the bumps, as often as feels comfortable and calming. Ease off if your skin starts to feel dry or tight rather than pushing through. We wouldn't layer a balm underneath, as we do for eczema, because the goal with PD is less occlusion, not more.
• Moisturise lightly, if at all. A heavy moisturiser can make a flare last longer. If you need one, use a very light layer of Beauty Balm on the rest of your face, away from the affected area.
• Make-up. Mineral Foundation sits well over Zinc and Calendula Cream and offsets its white cast. You can also mix the two in your palm to make a tinted cream, or brush the powder over the top with a kabuki brush.
• Not sure where to start? The Calendula Skin Rescue Sample Set is a low-commitment way to find out whether this routine suits you. You can add a Beauty Balm sample, and sample-only orders go as a large letter, so postage is inexpensive.
• Prefer a set? Many of our PD customers choose the Clean and Clear Natural Skincare System. Pick the Unfragranced Beauty Balm version if your skin is very sensitive.

Once your skin has genuinely calmed down, our Natural Skincare Routine for Oily, Combination & Blemish-Prone Skin is worth moving to as your everyday routine. It's a fuller routine than an active flare needs, so we wouldn't start there.

Why Steroid Creams Aren't the Answer

Steroid creams are often prescribed for perioral dermatitis, yet the British Association of Dermatologists lists them as a cause. That's why so many people look for a gentler, natural treatment. If you're using a steroid cream, talk to your doctor before stopping, especially after long-term use.

Why Lyonsleaf Suits Perioral Dermatitis Prone Skin

Everything we make is water-free and contains no preservatives, emulsifiers or artificial chemicals, which are the kinds of ingredients that commonly upset reactive facial skin. It's all made by us in Wells, Somerset, mostly from organic ingredients.

Always patch test; see Patch Testing and Potential Reactions. Read Using Unpreserved Skincare on Broken Skin to know when extra care, or a doctor, is needed instead. If your skin isn't improving or is spreading, see your GP or a dermatologist.