Halloween Came Early: Do Not Attempt to Top This!

[sarah17]

This year I tried something new. Timing was perfect, I suppose, but the results really bit.

You know those days when only you can probably see any hints of little skin eruptions some call acne? Well, I decided to thwart the problem. Nip it in the bud. I have a tube of gel that I prefer and works nicely, but it's pricey and sample sized. Rather than use it on a regular day, I chose the free tube of benzoyl peroxide gel, because, I thought, why waste the good stuff on a plain old day?

Right?

Dab a little here and there. Put on makeup. Swell.

Late afternoon, Friday: {itch}. {itch}. {ITCH ITCH!!} {{Ohhh to SCRATCH my face!}} (My face was itchy where applied, if you didn't pick up on the itching bit.) My face was a wee red after washing, not the end of the world yet I was grateful we were confined for the evening. Definite after-burn. Note to self: probably shouldn't use benzoyl peroxide gel on my face again.

Saturday a.m. I awoke to a paprika

red face. Not areas. The WHOLE face! Swollen, and it itched like the dickens!! One eye was partially swollen also. At first I wondered, "What did I EAT?" Followed by, "Oh, snap! The gel made hamburger out of my face!"

Needless to say, my errands did not happen.

And I spent the day alternating between ice packs, hydrocortisone cream and aloe.

Thankfully I've kept alive an aloe of some form. Growing up, fresh aloe was priceless salve for summer lobster face. Healed in a snap!

I had asked my husband to pick up antihistamine too since he was going to the drugstore anyway, but...yeah. It was not cool. He picked up the cream and a bottle of aloe gel.

Oh..

Did I not mention that it wasn't just aloe gel?

No.

No?

Some genius decided ALCOHOL would be an excellent ingredient to "moisturize dry and sun damaged skin"...Ow?!?! Helpful, but not entirely, especially for extremely sensitive skin. Maybe the heat from my face was supposed to help cook off the alcohol. Like a facial reduction.  --After all, how often is one red-in-the-face for days? 

Sunday I got creative. Concealer on my under-eye puff unflatteringly highlighted the issue. Still, my hair framed in my face and came into my eyes just enough. The free mineral foundation covered loverly-ly and I dusted my cheeks a little sunnier. I went with dark clothing and a larger artisan necklace to distract onlookers. Although all was red, itchy and puffy beneath, I looked far less hideous!

It's been a few days and one trick-or-treating later. I must admit the brisk wintry air felt delightfully delicious yesterday while going door-to-door with the boys. It's still a challenge of self-control not to scratch---I totally sympathize with itchy people of the world, self-inflicted, poxed, or otherwise.

People claim not to notice it unless I point it out. That's good (?) I guess. It's not like I'm puffered every day. Ish. I did take a picture the other day, but upon immediate review, even I did not want to behold my Halloween gift as it's easily etched into my mental archives. I mean, if I were far more wrinkled, this would be the bee's knees. A bad chemical burn, but hot much for lines. Well, you get more..unique eye lines, but with a plumper, more youthful....radiance.

Hmm...wonder what self-inflicted-allergic-anomaly-just-in-time-for-Halloween-getup I'll concoct next year.

P.S. I should really throw away that tube...just in case I have a memory lapse. {itch itch}

Oh yeah. Do NOT try this at home. I rots! Although it accented disciplinary moments.....um. No. Bad idea.