For the first time in years, I applied sunscreen to myself. I'd found (what seemed to be) non-toxic sunscreen at our local Grocery Outlet. It's made by Native (
link to the Native Coconut and Pineapple sunscreen I used), which used to make great, natural deodorants. Now, all (except maybe their unscented) deodorants have "fragrance," but they're generally still better than conventional deodorants, so I figured the same would apply to their sunscreen. Not so! Apparently, my body is allergic to it, most likely to the "fragrance" in it, since the other ingredients are not common allergens and fragrances are.
Wednesday was a super hot day, so I took my kids to the lake. I put on sunscreen to keep myself from getting burnt while in the water (gotta be in the water with the kids to make sure they don't drown!). I only applied it on my upper arms, upper chest, upper back, and my face. I figured my legs would be okay, since they were in the water (they got really burnt!).
Everything was fine, and I took a shower after we got home. In the morning, I noticed a slight rash (little red bumps) on my upper chest. I didn't think much of it, and went along with my day. Around 9:00pm, though, my face felt bumpy. When I looked in the mirror, I noticed my face was all bumpy. I don't have acne scars or other pitting, so this was really weird to see. I noticed that everywhere I had applied my sunscreen, I was covered in bumps. My legs were totally fine. My lower arms were fine. It was obviously the sunscreen.
I took a Benadryl and applied Benadryl cream on my neck and face and went to bed. (I didn't realize our Benadryl pills expired 3 years ago. (We obviously don't use them much). I did the same Friday night. Friday morning and night, and this morning and night, I drank tea with turmeric, ginger, licorice, cardamom, dandelion, green tea, black pepper, cayenne and cinnamon--in hopes of reducing inflammation and helping my body clear it out. I also took a really hot, steamy shower in hopes of helping sweat it out. But, I'm still all bumpy. The bumps on my face seem smaller, but that could also be because my face is a bit more swollen.
My husband bought new Benadryl today, so I'll take that tonight. And, I'll make nettle tea and maybe eat some nettles tomorrow. But, I'm honestly not sure how long this rash is going to linger. It doesn't itch--just feels oddly sensitive and bumpy when I touch it. But, it really weirds out my daughter, and she's struggling to sleep because of it, so I'd like it to resolve sooner rather than later!
Any idea how long this will last? Should I go into a doctor? Anything else I should try to help it clear up faster?
