Skin Care for Discoid Lupus

by Katie
(West Chicago, IL)

I have a question. I was recently diagnosed with discoid lupus. For the last 7 years I have just thought that I had some kind of hives reaction when I went out into the sun, turns out it was lupus. I am extremely sensitive to the sunlight and was wondering what kind of products could you recommend? It seems that even with sunscreen I have a flare up. I have been doing a lot of research on lupus and I'm at a loss for products to use to help my skin. I already use natural products because of my sensitive skin, but some of them don't really do much for me. Mostly in the makeup area. I haven't found any kind of base or concealer to cover up my flares. If you could point me in ANY direction that would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks much
Katie

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Our reply

Hi Katie, thanks for your message! I'm sorry for the difficulties you are experiencing with Lupus. I know how hard it can be to find products that your body won't react to! When your immune system is struggling, it is important to do everything you can to minimize stress coming into your body in the form of toxins, chemicals or ingredients that may cause skin irritation. I recommend you look for hypoallergenic products that do not contain plant allergens. The only problem with most hypoallergenic products is that they contain ingredients which can be irritating like parabens, and some even have fragrance! The only hypoallergenic product line that I've found that is both chemically safe (without most irritating chemicals) and that also has no plant allergens, is ***z-cleure.shtml*** . They have some great mineral makeup and
***z-cleure-hypoallergenic-concealer.shtml*** products that work well and don't clog the skin. I hope they can be helpful to you!

It can be very difficult to find a good sunscreen, especially when your skin is sensitive. We do have a page about this here at our Sensitive Skin Sunscreen section which shares some of what we have experienced. The best sunscreen I've found is a good old fashioned wide brimmed hat and long sleeves, which isn't as much fun as baking in the sun, but a lot safer and less expensive. I wish you continued healing and thanks for sharing.