Winter is notoriously rough on delicate skin, and I always have to ramp up my skincare routine during the cold, dry winter months. But this year I’ve developed a new and very irritating issue with dry skin patches on my eyelids. They itch, they burn, and they are unsightly.

After a bit of scientific research (ahem, Google, ahem) I have self-diagnosed contact dermatitis. It is usually the result of some allergen, be it food or environmental or perhaps cosmetics.

Since this is a new problem for me, I am assuming it is something new that I’m doing that is causing this. I don’t think it’s a food allergy because my diet hasn’t changed significantly this winter.

I originally thought that it was caused by the eyebrow growth cream I started using a few months ago. The eye that is the worst is the one that has the thinnest eyebrows so I was more liberal about applying the eyebrow growth cream on that eye.

It seems rather cruel to have to choose between having eyebrows and having unsightly red patches on my eyelids, dontcha think? I guess that’s what they call a “first world problem.”

I stopped using the eyebrow growth cream about a month ago, but my eye is still irritated and itchy and red.

So now what?

After speaking with Dr. Beckman, I learned that I’m on the right track. It is most likely being caused by some product that doesn’t agree with me. Unfortunately, I try out new products all. the. time. It is going to be really hard to narrow it down.

Dr. Beckman advised trying a skin test with various products I suspect. By applying a small amount to the inside of your arm, right below the arm pit where your skin is very thin, you can see if a certain product is irritating you. I’m hoping that this testing method will shed some light on the problem and help me narrow down the culprit.

Beyond that, I am going to have to keep eliminating the use of products one by one.

There are topical treatments to help alleviate symptoms in the meantime. Dr. Beckman suggests Eternox Peptide Crème by Theraderm. It’s a luxurious, airy crème that was formulated to reduce forehead wrinkles along with all other face and neck wrinkles, and improve firmness. But its peptides, hyaluronic acid, antioxidants and botanical nutrients will also work well to soothe and repair the skin, leaving it soft and smooth. It’s ideal for all skin types and doesn’t contain parabens, fragrance, or gluten, so it’s safe to use on eyelids. Theraderm also has Peptide Repair Eye Crème, which was mainly designed to reduce the appearance of lines under eyes, dark circles and puffiness, but offers many of the same added benefits.

If you are experiencing contact dermatitis, you can also consult your doctor.

Have you ever experienced contact dermatitis or skin rashes that resemble this? Did you figure out the cause? I’d love to hear about it.