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Allergie on the face
Hello B and D,
I would like to help a female friend who has been struggling with an allergy on the face and below are the symptoms and solutions she has tried over the years with conventional doctors:
I’m 57 now, turning 58 in December. In the spring of 2019, I started experiencing perimenopause. Around that time, I noticed some redness under my eyes. At first, I didn’t pay much attention, but it gradually spread and became more pronounced all around the eyes. I started seeing dermatologists, and they prescribed the usual treatments — cortisone cream, moisturizers, etc. The treatment worked somewhat, but I still had frequent flare-ups.
Eventually, one dermatologist diagnosed me with atopic skin and simply recommended applying Vaseline at night. This actually worked quite well for a while. However, about a year later, the flare-ups returned. I decided to take a full allergy test — including everything possible — and surprisingly, it came back negative.
It’s worth mentioning that I do have several food intolerances: mainly to lactose, gluten, yeast, processed sugar, and even some vegetables. For example, I can’t tolerate lettuce (though I can eat iceberg lettuce), and I’m very sensitive to legumes like beans and chickpeas.
In January 2020, I started menopause treatment (Livial), which worked quite well in general — though it didn’t completely prevent flare-ups. My skin kept getting drier, but the eczema remained more or less under control.
The problem now, since around March 2025, is that I feel I can no longer control it. I have to take cortisone orally in minimal doses. The medicine I take contains 0.6 mg of betamethasone, which is enough to keep the inflammation down to a light pink area. But if I stop even for one day, the full inflammation comes back — along with swelling around the eyes.
This is where I currently stand. I started suspected an autoimmune disease and will do the medical consultations to find out.
Thank you.
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This discussion was modified 2 months, 3 weeks ago by
Bernadette_Abraham.
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This discussion was modified 2 months, 3 weeks ago by
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2 Replies
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Thanks for sharing her story; it’s clear she’s been through a lot. Based on everything she’s tried and her history, I’d look at this situation from a broader functional lens. Here are some key thoughts and practical tips she could consider. Let’s start with breaking down what might be going on:
Hormonal Shifts as a Root Trigger
Estrogen supports skin hydration, immune regulation, and barrier repair. When it drops (like during menopause), underlying immune issues often come to the surface. That could explain why symptoms began around 2019 and worsened post-menopause.
<strong data-start=”748″ data-end=”793″ style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Food Intolerances Suggest Gut Involvement
The wide range of intolerances, gluten, lactose, legumes, and yeast points toward possible gut permeability (“leaky gut”), low microbial diversity, and maybe even mild mast cell activation. It’s not uncommon for histamine intolerance and autoimmune tendencies to appear together.
<strong data-start=”1079″ data-end=”1133″ style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Immune system support
If even a small dose of betamethasone keeps the symptoms down, but symptoms return immediately after stopping, her immune system might be stuck in an inflammatory loop that hasn’t been resolved upstream (gut, hormones, mast cells, etc.)
What she can do to repair her gut:
Her symptoms and food sensitivities suggest that the gut lining may be compromised. Supporting this foundation can often reduce skin flares and immune overactivation.
Gut support stack:
<ul data-start=”408″ data-end=”775″>
L-Glutamine (5g/day): repairs gut lining and supports immune tolerance
Zinc carnosine (75mg):<strong data-start=”490″ data-end=”508″> shown to reduce inflammation and promote mucosal healing
Aloe vera (inner leaf extract): gentle and soothing
Probiotics (carefully selected): <em data-start=”671″ data-end=”699″>Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG or spore-based blends are usually better tolerated in sensitive individuals
Topical Care for the Skin Barrier
While working internally, give the skin barrier what it needs to stay calm externally. She could try for example Niacinamide (2–5%). This helps strengthens the skin and reduces inflammation.
Histamine issue?
The red, puffy eye area and sensitivity to various foods can point to histamine intolerance or mast cell activation. She could try to remove foods that are high in histamine for a while and see if this helps. We’ve got a manual, right here, that could help her on her way
https://bbettermembership.com/resource-library/h/histamine-intolerance/
High histamine foods are for example:
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Fermented foods: Sauerkraut, yogurt, kombucha, soy sauce
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Aged foods: Aged cheese, cured meats, smoked or canned fish
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Alcohol: Especially wine, beer, and champagne
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Certain fruits & vegetables: Tomatoes, avocado, eggplant, citrus, strawberries
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Leftovers: Especially meat or fish stored over 24 hours
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Chocolate & nuts: Especially cashews, walnuts, peanuts
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Vinegar & condiments: Vinegar, ketchup, mustard, pickles
Hopefully you’ve got some idea on what to advise your friend. Let me know if you have some additional questions!
bbettermembership.com
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Thank you D! This is so helpful 🙏🙏
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