Tips to kick perioral redness to the curb.
Got an itchy, red, tight feeling around your mouth? Is it giving pash rash, sans pash? If it’s paired with annoying (and sore) bumps — there’s a good chance you’re dealing with perioral redness.
You might’ve seen this condition also be known as perioral dermatitis and periorificial dermatitis.
What is perioral redness?
It’s categorised as a v painful rash around the mouth that can also pop up on your chin, nose, or even around the eyes. Not only is there a rash, but pimple-like, red bumps that can be a b**ch.
It makes talking, smiling, and eating your fave salty chips hard.
Perioral redness can be caused by a bunch of things: long-term topical steroid usage, potent skincare, makeup + more. Matter of fact, sometimes it just pops up out of nowhere.
If you’re reading this and nodding your head in a ‘yup, I’m feeling this’ way — you’re not alone. Because someone behind this screen has dealt with it, too.
Do I have perioral redness or acne?
Good question. This is one that only your GP or dermatologist could truly answer. But we have a few handy tips to differentiate them:
Acne
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Is unpredictable and loves to pop up anywhere, not just the mouth. Chin, cheeks, chest, smack bang in the middle of your forehead before picture day.
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Occurs because of excess sebum, and manifests in many different ways. Ie: Blackheads, whiteheads, pustules, cystic acne + more.
Perioral redness
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Usually is around the mouth and surrounds, sometimes near the eyes
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Mostly appears as similar-looking, pimple-like bumps
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Feels more like dry, itchy, hot, burn-y symptoms, rather than deep-pain like acne can have.
How to kick perioral redness to the curb
Back in 2020, our founder Ashli got perioral redness too. She’d just launched a self-funded, allergen-free skincare range called Yours Only, made for people with sensitive and reactive skin.
Ashli created Yours Only’s BALM — a thick and nourishing lip and body BALM, created to quench perioral redness, cracks, lips, cuticles, dry patches + more. No fragrances or nasty irritants were added. People became OBSESSED.
Ash’s perioral redness story
Ash was minding her own sensitive-business when one day, the itch started. Then came the mouth cracks that would break every, single, time, she smiled.
Imagine throwing every salve and lip balm at the supermarket in your cart. If her sensitive body could stand the ingredients, she tried it. Nothing worked.
Here’s how she finally cracked the cheat code and got her skin feeling shiny and new again:
Ashli’s tips to beat perioral redness:
It’s always best to consult with your GP or healthcare team, but here are some extra tips that got Ash through the trenches.
1. Ditch potent products
The skin is SENSITIVE. Swap to very simple skincare and makeup, just for now.
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Pop the heavy foundation court-side, for now. Opt for a lighter option, or let your skin breathe for a little while.
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Cut back on your skincare routine: less heavy actives and serums that might irritate the skin. Swap to something simple, like Ashli’s personal routine for her perioral redness — the Yours Only BALM Bundle
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Sure, the cupcake-flavoured lipbalm looks cute, but your lips are screaming for less fragrance. Yours Only BALM does all the nourishing stuff, without the potent stuff.
Ashli launching Yours Only BALM was initially to help her own skin, but it ended up becoming our best-seller, and handbag sidekick.
2. Wash with lukewarm water.
Your worst enemy is hot water rn. Think about it — scalding water on dry, itchy skin? AGH.
We’ve heard from so many community members who have done everything right and not seen any improvements until they implemented this step.
3. Swap your toothpaste
Ashli, being the sensitive human that she is, can’t stand many products. She found a VERY simple ingredient-listed toothpaste online which helped reduce the potent-ness around her flare up.
“I had tried so many different creams, cleansers and moisturisers to restore my skin barrier. This is ONE WEEK of using CLEAN, COAT and BALM. Life changing” — Natasha
Our full perioral redness routine
Finding simple skincare products can be tricky.
The Yours Only BALM Bundle is a multi-purpose range for hair, face and body. A three-step, simple routine to reduce your ingredient load, and reduce the potent stuff you’re putting on your sensitive skin.
Thousands of people have swapped to this for their sensitive, reactive skin:
1. Wash with Yours Only CLEAN Cleanser and lukewarm water. An 8-in-1 for face, body, shampoo, bubble bath + more. It cleans deep, without stripping irritated skin.
2. Nourish the skin with Yours Only COAT Moisturiser. Lather on face, body and everywhere thats feeling dry.
3. For those extra dry patches, quench with our Yours Only Lip + body BALM.
These three products are GAME. CHANGING. Plus, the whole family can use them — coz they contain no nasty irritants or fragrances.
If your feeling v reactive, start with either Yours Only COAT or Yours Only BALM and build up to using both. There’s nothing potent in them, but we don’t want to freak out angry skin, y’know? 
P.S: We don't cure skin conditions - our products aren’t medicated, by choosing what to exclude, we provide mild and nurturing formulations designed not to irritate.
