Curing a Rash on the Face

In 1996, I began to develop occasional rashes on my face. I made appointments with dermatologists, who labeled the rashes “contact dermatitis” but were unable to trace the cause. One suggested that I was allergic to poison ivy. I wondered how I came into contact with an ivy vine. As Kiko, one of my cats, often ventured into a neighbor’s yard where poison ivy grew beneath a hedge, I decided that I was transferring urushiol, the plant’s irritating oil, from Kiko to my face.

The rash frequently became so bad that the area beneath one of my eyes would puff up, closing my eye somewhat. The area around my nose would become so red and stretched that I felt great discomfort. The swelling lasted for many days. My dermatologists prescribed steroids and various medicinal creams. Once the rash abated, my face became scaly with flakes of dead skin drifting away like dandruff.

In 2011, I attended a conference as a guest speaker, and—drat the luck!—I acquired a face rash again. It was in full bloom when I spoke to the crowd. One of my eyes was almost closed. I felt deeply embarrassed.

… so embarrassed, in fact, that I rejected what dermatologists had told me and began researching my rash online.

I will always remember the day when I stumbled onto a website with a disgusting close-up of mites burrowing into a pore of the skin on a person’s face. Could my rashes be mite attacks? I read more. The mites that cause mange in dogs can cause rashes on human faces. I had acquired a puppy with mange in 1996. Its problem was cured, but a number of mites probably remained on the dog and were routinely conveyed to my face.

Products Containing Tea Tree Oil

To kill the microscopic mites, I visited a health store and bought a bar of tea tree soap and a tub of cream containing tea tree oil. I applied the soap to my face and—I kid you not—felt immediate relief! For about a week after each shower, I applied some of the cream to my rash, which rapidly went away.

Since 2011, I have had no more rashes! Yes, I have been entirely free of them! Any time I see a small pimple beginning to form on my face, I use my soap containing the tea tree oil and a small dab of the cream.

I am not recommending products containing tea tree oil as a cure for facial rashes that other people experience. I am not a medical doctor, and I know that rashes can result from many causes. I am truly not in a position to suggest that anyone else try what I tried.

… but I rejoice in the fact that I cured an embarrassing rash that my dermatologists could not cure.