‘Bachelor’ Star Kristina Schulman Shares Photos of ‘Emotional’ Struggle With Perioral Dermatitis
Bachelor star Kristina Schulman is opening up about her journey with perioral dermatitis (PD).
PD is an inflammatory skin condition that leaves a rash around the mouth and sometimes around the nose and eyes.
Schulman’s condition has been treated and returned on multiple occasions, and she’s still trying to find her path to clear skin.
If you struggle with any type of skin issue, you know that rocking a bare face can be intimidating—especially online. That’s why Bachelor star Kristina Schulman was hesitant to share her experience with perioral dermatitis to her hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers, but she did. And now she plans to share her journey to clear skin.
On June 4, the 28-year-old shared a Reel of her skin spanning from 2019 to today. Over the last two years, her complexion has bounced back and forth from red, itchy, and inflamed to smooth and glowing. And she’s still trying to figure out why.
“Raw, emotional, and unfiltered,” she captioned the post. “This morning I woke up feeling down, overwhelmed, sad, and defeated. For the past few days I stayed quiet and off social media in hopes that I’ll reach mental state where I can share my skins journey + progress—that progress hasn’t come... just yet. After years of quietly dealing with perioral dermatitis (PD) I wanted to open up and share my journey.”
Perioral dermatitis is an inflammatory skin condition that usually develops as a rash around the mouth, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). It sometimes spreads to the under-eyes and around the nose (also known as periorbital dermatitis), and usually itches, burns, and leaves the skin feeling tight and dry.
The condition is often linked to the overuse of topical steroid creams or internal steroid medications, per the AAD, and the cause becomes a little murkier when that condition doesn’t apply. Skin irritation and allergies can be contributing factors, as can hormonal changes or heavy moisturizers, per the Cleveland Clinic.
Treatment varies, but often includes using gentle, minimal skincare, halting use of steroid creams, and in some cases, taking an antibiotic. The most frustrating part about PD, though, is the fact that after clear skin is achieved, its return is always a possibility, and Schulman knows that to be true.
“I went on a dairy + gluten free diet (with minor slip ups 🤭) and while yes, those dietary changes have helped my overall health my PD seemed to keep coming back,” she wrote. “Nonetheless, I kept up with my dietary changes, introduced an anti-inflammatory diet, I eliminated [sodium lauryl sulfate] products, I wash my sheets with hypoallergenic detergent, I wash my makeup brushes and eliminated makeup products that I sensed may have caused my flare ups, I reserved to using only a gentle cleanser, light moisturizer, and occasional Aquaphor mask... but here we are, still struggling with random flare ups that hurt, itch, burn, feel very dry and tight.”
The reality star admitted to working with dermatologists in the past to find relief, only for it to be temporary. “I have an appointment scheduled to see my dermatologist, this time I hope to be better prepared and offer some knowledge in return,” she wrote.
Schulman hopes that sharing skin updates and treatments can help others, too. “While I know I am not alone in this or with this condition (which is very tricky to treat since triggers are different for each individual) I hope we can create a community where we can openly share our journey and success stories,” she continued. “In this post I share my journey, by no means is this medical advice. Thank you all for the love, the support, and advice that you’ve shared with me 🤍 going to keep you posted.”
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