That never turn into zits! They just sit on my face and itch and then sometimes I won't even be touching them and they will well up into huge red bumps on my face, neck, and chest. I don't know what they are!! Sometimes they will hang around for a few hours and sometimes a few days or a few weeks. Any ideas?

Julie

It sounds like it could possibly be hives which can be caused by many factors including:


-Allergens, including food
-Environmental factors; such as pollen, dust, and change in temperature
-Emotional factors; such as stress, anxiety, etc.
-Drugs; such as antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, and vaccinations
-Synthetic products; such as deodorant, perfume, and other synthetic substances
-Infections and infestation from fungi, bacteria, viruses, pets and insects

Start keeping track if there's anything different that you've added to your diet, laundry, cleaning supplies and things like that. Are you under a great deal of stress? I used to break out years ago when I was going through a very stressful time, since I'm no longer in that work enviornment I haven't had any break outs. I hope this helps and keep us posted of how things turn out.

Julie,

You may want to switch your skin care and/or cosmetics. Sometimes you can develop an allergy to something you have been using for awhile even though you did not have a reaction to it initially.

A certified organic line that I have been using (and my daughter who has very sensitive skin) is completely chemical and synthetic free and contains only certified organic fruit, nut, seed, herb and flower extracts. The Soothing Skin care line would be great for you as it contains ingredients that are especially formulated to reduce irritation and redness.

SOME HERBS USED:
Organic Chamomile ? antimicrobial, calms, soothes
Organic Horsechestnut ? decongests, drains broken capillaries, strengthens
Organic St. John?s Wort ? moisturizes, anti-free radical, protects
Carrot Seed ? regenerates, tones, heals
German Chamomile ? anti-bacterial, wound-healing, and pain-relieving
Organic Rosehip Seed ? regenerates, moisturizes, heals

It smells fantastic too - great aromatherapy!

The problem with many conventional skin care products is that many of the ingredients can produce allergic reactions. For example:

Diazolidinyl urea (Found in many moisterizers and facial cleansers)
Established as a primary cause of contact dermatitis (American
Academy of Dermatology). Contains formaldehyde, a carcinogenic
chemical, is toxic by inhalation, a strong irritant, and causes
contact dermatitis.

From Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS):
CAUSES SEVERE EYE IRRITATION. MAY CAUSE SKIN
IRRITATION.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF EXPOSURE:

SYMPTOMS OF INHALATION: IF MISTED, WILL CAUSE
IRRITATION OF MUCOUS MEMBRANES, NOSE, EYES AND
THROAT. COUGHING, DIFFICULTY IN BREATHING.

SYMPTOMS OF SKIN CONTACT: CONTACT CAUSES SMARTING
AND BURNING SENSATIONS, INFLAMMATION, BURNS, PAINFUL
BLISTERS. PROFOUND DAMAGE TO TISSUE.

Information on ingredients in your beauty and healthcare products can be found at:
EWG Report || Skin Deep

The site is sponsored by the Environmental Working Group and is a great source of information.
You may also want to visit your dermatologist to rule out other causes for the rash.

I have those itchy red bumps on my face, neck, chest and even on my upper back. They just itch and itch, and scab up...
Question for you... have you had a baby recently?
Shauna

10 years of dealing with random itchy bumps, (on my face neck and back) replacing cosmetics, food, detergent and going to a few dermatologists who never cleared up my problem, I FINALLY came to the conclusion that smoking is causing my itchies!!! I quit for a month....no itchies.....start back....itchies from hell.

Okay... so I get these darned itchy bumps too, but not on my neck or face. I get them on my stomach, hips, and just above the knee. My skin gets so itchy it drives me crazy! This just started happening about a year ago. I have tried using different lotions and different bath soaps, but nothing helps. I have tried lotions with aloe, vitamins, oatmeal, and nothing. I don't smoke and I haven't done anything to cause this change. I can't figure out if it's stress or what.

Mine look like little bug bites, but I scoured the house for fleas and washed everything thoroughly in case of mites or something crazy (unlikely because I am a very clean person). And they seem to show up in strangely symmetrical areas. Like the same exact locations on each hip and each knee.

If I manage to not scratch them, then they just sit there like a small itchy bug bite. But if I itch it, then they get larger in diameter and raise up a little more, and then afterwards they leave dark spots but eventually go away.

So I am wondering, has anyone found any particular lotion or ointment that prevents and treats these things? I asked my dermatologist, but surprisingly he was no help. He gave me some ointment but it's greasy and doesn't work well for prevention. It just ends up getting rubbed off on my clothes.

I have those itchy red bumps on my face about four years ago, I tried everything to get rid of them so I could have some amount of peace. I went to a dermatologist who gave me every kind of pill and every kind of cream for my face and nothing worked. He even scaped my face to see if I had a bacteria growing on it, even though I washed every day. Pretty disgusting. Any ways the lab came back negative. The dermatologist thought I may have rosacea except for the itchy part. That symptom did not fit. Needless to say I got tired of it and went to a plastic surgery office that offers light chemical peels. The doctor did not think that the peel was such a good idea with the way my face appeared broke out and all and she thought that the peel might irritate it and make it worse. I said regardless of the outcome I still wanted to give it a try. I did, and within one and a half to two weeks my face was completely cleared up. No bumps, no itching, no irritation. The chemical peel worked for me. This happened in 2004, my face has been cleared from these annoying itchy bumps until now. This time they came back and are on my face, my neck and my upper chest. Still can not figure out what they are, but the chemical worked the first time so I am going to go give it another try. I will let everyone know what happens. If anyone figures out what these bumps may be please let me know. Also some of the stuff that was said in earlier threads about recently having kids or smoking. I had my kids in 1993 and 1996, so the whole giving birth recently did not cause it and also I have never smoked. Let me know if anyone figures it out. Good luck and if you do try the peel , let me know if it works for you. The peel I got only costs around a $100.00.
Well, good luck to all, and may we all find relief

I chanced upon the most effective remedy for just about every skin irritation on any skin, from face to feet. I read about using Vicks Vapor Rub on foot fungus so I tried it on a rash on my arm and it worked. It doesn't smell the best but it's cheap and it does the trick. Straight camphor oil is even better and they are both inexpensive remedies. Spread the word!