A butterfly rash also known as a malar rash is a butterfly-shaped rash extending from the cheek over the bridge of the nose and finishing at the other cheek. A butterfly rash can either be red or purplish and may either be solid or blotchy. In many cases, a butterfly rash can be extremely uncomfortable and hard to manage. In today’s post, I’m going to go over my holy grail products that make managing a lupus butterfly rash a walk in the park.
For years I struggled to find products that could help manage and bring quick relief if needed. And that’s only one side of the problem. Before I navigated managing my butterfly rash I had days where nothing I did could mitigate a raging lupus rash flare-up. My butterfly rashes would last for 1-8 days. Full coverage foundation barely covered the redness and texture I was fighting. During this time I remember in a two week period I went to my dermatologist 6 times. I tried everything he knew to give me. This was pre-diagnosis with lupus when I thought I was just battling a rosacea outbreak. But on the 6th visit, my dermatologist informed me there was nothing else he knew to try and it was definitely not a rosacea outbreak. He ordered blood work and the rest is history.
During the waiting period, there was nothing I could do I had to just live with the extremely painful, uncomfortable, and embarrassing rash on my face. These painful rashes would come up randomly and stay day and night for 1-8 days. Or so I thought they were random but we will get to that in a second. I tried every product I could get my hands on to reduce the redness and inflammation. Hundreds of dollars later and still no skincare products working or sticking in my routine I was at a dead end.
The texture of my skin where the butterfly rash had erupted completely changed. I was worried my skin would never go back to normal and I would have to live with rough, raised, textured skin forever. Needless to say as a 16-year-old girl I was not taking this well. If this resonates with you don’t worry I’ve got you covered with the skincare products I use to manage and treat my butterfly rash.
First, let’s go over a few best practices that help keep a butterfly rash tamed. On the backend, there are a few lifestyle choices that can help prevent a flare-up of your butterfly rash or minimize a flare-up.
Managing emotions and stress
How you manage your emotions and stress 100% effect your Autoimmune disease. Check out our post on “Stress and Autoimmunity” for a better understanding. Next week I will be writing a post specifically focusing on stress and the effect it can have on a butterfly rash so come back and check that out. But not managing emotions properly will manifest in many ways. One of them is the exacerbation of your autoimmune disease symptoms like a butterfly rash. I didn’t believe it when it was first brought to my attention but after keeping a log of my stress levels the pattern was clear. We have free flare-trackers in our Resource Library so you can see the data in front of you! Below are a few ways I manage my stress that help keeps me mentally healthy so I can stay physically healthy.
How I manage stress
Find what works for you this is just what I’ve found to help me!
- Spend time with God
- Disconnect from phone
- Color
- Work on a hobby
- Stretch
- Take time to do something for me
- Clear my mental plate: Write down what I can do no, What has to wait for another time, etc
Products for an irritated butterfly rash
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CBD FACE OIL
Topical Cbd is known to reduce skin inflammation which makes it a must-have for people with a butterfly rash. When my rash is out and about I will use 5-6 drops after I wash my face. The relief is almost instant. I’ve found Truly Beauty has a lot of CBD products that help relieve inflammation from Lupus. I use the Truly Blueberry kush face oil. I keep my CBD oil in the fridge so when my rash is hot and uncomfortable not only does the CBD oil help reduce the inflammation I get an instant cooling effect that helps ease the discomfort. On top of the oil, I will keep a Gua sha in the fridge to massage the oil in. This combo brings almost instant relief every time. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
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CBD FACE CREAM
Now on top of the face oil after I have given my face a Gua sha massage I will put a little quarter sized amount of Truly’s flower child CBD face cream. I don’t use this face cream daily only when I’m having a rash flare-up. I know it may seem a little extreme with all the CBD but this is the only way I’ve found to reduce the inflammation and find relief.
CBD FACE WASH
I know you’re probably thinking more CBD… but this step is only for a crazy rash flare when my butterfly rash has just gotten out of control or is uncomfortable/ painful. Adding the step of washing my face with the CBD jelly facial wash then going in with the CBD oil, and CBD face cream for an extreme butterfly rash flare-up is like the cherry on top. I don’t use this face wash daily or even weekly. I just keep it in my back pocket in case I really need quick relief. I would definitely recommend it if your rash is flaring up constantly. When I experience a relentless butterfly rash flare-up I hit my rash hard with a whole routine. But if it’s not that serious just the CBD oil will do the trick!
Gua Sha
I’ve already mentioned a Gua sha but for my girlies that don’t like Gua shaing, you can also opt for a face roller. Either option works great. I have both and I keep them in my fridge ready to go for when I need them. I will link to both but it really doesn’t matter. Gua shaing takes a little more research because you are doing a lymphatic drainage massage but ice rolling is straightforward. I’ll link a quick article about Gua shaing 101 if you’re interested!
Products for regular maintenance of a butterfly rash
I know these may seem random and you’re probably looking for some miracle product to fix your butterfly rash but managing your emotions, a clean diet, reducing trigger exposure (ex. sun), and having a good skin barrier is the “magic fix”. Below are my two favorite skincare products I cannot live without I use them every day 2x a day. Keeping my skincare minimal has soon the most improvement for not only my butterfly rash when it’s out and about but the health of my overall skin barrier.
1. Gentle Face wash
I have tried a handful of “gentle” face washes and by far my favorite is La Rochay Posay’s Toleraine face wash. It doesn’t irritate my skin, cleans it well, and is easy to find. For maintenance of my Butterfly rash, I use this face wash daily. If you have dry skin I would look into this brand in general! Let me know if you have any suggestions for ones I should try!
2. Moisturizer
Again I have tried loads of different moisturizers ranging from high end to drug stores. My tried and true has remained the Cerave P.M moisturizer. It’s cheap, doesn’t irritate my skin, actually hydrates my skin, and can be found at any drugstore. They also have an all over body lotion that you’re supposed to be able to use for your face. I’ve tried it and loved it but I didn’t see it said you could use it for your face until it was out. I’ll keep y’all updated if I end up trying it as a face moisturizer!
3. SPF
SPF is and will always be a staple in my daily routine. Sun exposure is a known trigger for butterfly rashes. I rave about this sunscreen almost weekly now – it’s just that good. I have a long history with sunscreen breaking out my skin or just irritating my skin. Elta Md’s sunscreen is gentle, has never broken me out, light weight, blends in well, but it is pricey. I justify the almost $40 price tag because I use sunscreen daily and I would constantly be broken out using any other sunscreen. My second choice would be the Cerave Am moisturizer with SPF. If I can’t swing the $40 at the moment I will grab a bottle of Ceraves Am cream. The only reason its not my favorite is because I don’t like the smell, it’s hard to blend in sometimes, and it’s not the same formula as my favorite Cerave PM cream.
Finding products that work with a Lupus butterfly rash just take time. Stick to clean ingredients, gentle formulas, and remember to keep your routine minimal! Leave a comment with your favorite skincare products I would love to give them a try.
If you end up trying a Truly product let me know. I am obsessed with Truly and so excited I get to share a coupon code with yall! I’ve already gotten three of my family members hooked and I hope you do too! It’s hard finding quality CBD products where I live so being able to order online and get it in a few days has been great!
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