I am seriously hoping that you've been in touch directly with the manufacturer and explained to them your obvious allergic reaction. I would be curious as to what their response was. I really wish that you are feeling better soon, Andrea ...

Sephora says.........

First Time Users:
With any new technology, there may be a low incidence of people experiencing a mild irritation or rash. In the even that you are one of the few, please discontinue use and consult a physician.
You may want to perform a patch test prior to use: Apply a small amount to your inner arm over a consecutive 3-day period.

my money is on glycosaminoglycans....yep, its glycosaminoglycans' fault.

I would suggest it's possibly the phenoxyethanol. Just read the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for this chemical, which can be found here:

http://physchem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/PH/2-phenoxyethanol.html

Severe skin irritant should be a tip-off. I am curious (and obviously naive) as to what the product was meant to be used for.

After some Google searching (mainly to educate myself about this product) I discovered the following. The "miracle" ingredient in this product is called Idebenone, and its MSDS can be found here:

http://www.sciencelab.com/xMSDS-Idebenone-9924346

Again, the phrase "slightly hazardous in case of skin contact" might just be a tip-off. Interestingly, the manufacturer of Prevage, Allergan, maintains that Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for many of its products including Prevage are not required. See here:

http://www.allergan.com/download/ehs-material_safety_data_sheet_letter.PDF

If that's what Prevage does, I'd hate to see what Postvage is capable of....

Hope your face gets better!

My god woman!
Get some Benadryl (pink or clear) and rub it all over.It helps the itchyness. Get well soon!

Parabens are a preservative contained in a ridiculous amount of personal care products from shampoos to makeup to skin care. It most certainly is in all of your favorite products you listed a while back on this site when you asked for others to submit what products they like.

While I doubt the parabens gave you that reaction, you should read about paraben-free products regardless. You seem to be health conscious, so learning about how they are bad for you and for the environment seems like something you might be interested in. I recently made the switch to paraben-free products, and I love the Dr. Haushcka line of skin care.

Hope you feel better!

Thanks for everyone's concern! I'm happy to report that while the inflamation, hives and itch on my face has gone down, the rash has spread to my arms. Sounds worse than it is so don't worry.

Kersten, as you noticed, parabens are in fact in a lot of the things that I use so I realize it probably wasn't what caused the allergic reaction. I'm still going to try staying away from it though. I am desperate to find out what the culprit was so please people, don't stop thinking!

P.S. I have been using Kinerase for a little while now and really liking it. I think it's good for sensitive folks out there like me!

:-)
A

Actually, parabens are a rather rare cause of allergic contact dermatitis. It was mostly likely caused by the diazolidinyl urea which is a formaldehyde releasing preservative. You need to see a dermatologist!

Have you ever seen footballers wives? This reminds me of last week's episode. (The only episode I have seen ... so far)

i too started using prevage and 5-6 weeks later got hives so badly my eyes shut and my lips were huge. i was on steroids for a long time, and they are better now. nice to know it wasn't just me.

I do beleive it is the Idebenone. I've been using a concentrateed serum of it...after the first week my skin looked great, glowing...then it became tight, then stared itching like crazy, especially those areas I had targeted for a bit extra attention...then my skin became very dry & itchy...I used an entire tube of Weleda Skinfood, slathering it on...but now, after a break from the serunm...things are looking really good. I heard of one famous dermatologists theory of skin irritation being a catalyst for an increase in collogen formation. So, what if this is sort of a nasty but perhaps necessity of the process by whcich this chemical works. it is a very powerful antioxidant, and should be able to do some powerful things.

Wow. I just came across this looking for help. I have used Prevage off and on for a few months. Then last night I used a bit before going to bed. I woke up in the middle of the night thinking that by face burned. Fell back asleep and when I wok this morning my face was swoolen to the point my eyes would hardly open. I'm sitting here at this computer looking for help. I look like a boxer who lost a title fight. Major major swelling. I wish I could post a photo. Its unbelieveable.

Wow I wish I had done some fact checking before I bought Prevage.
I googled Prevage plus severe rash and found your site.
So sorry you had problems.
I bought my prevage at Sephora at Time Warner Mall in NYC.
I've used it as instructed for the last 6 days.
Since yesterday my skin started feeling weirdly bumpy and looked swollen.
Now today, it is super itchy.
I called the manager at Sephora and they said I can return it for full refund.
I will warn other people about this product.

Hi Andrea. I am glad that your face is OK now, but wow, the ingredients you listed are pretty much all toxic chemicals. Perhaps you would be interested in reading this:

www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/health/cosmetics/index.html

and this:
www.lesstoxicguide.ca

P.S. great blog by the way! :)

I too am having terrible swollen hives from prevage! This has never happened to me before! I found your site while doing research before calling my dr. My eyes are real swollen! Yikes!!!

Hi Everyone, I used Prevage, one time and woke up with a rash on my face and neck the next day (without additional use) I woke up swollen with hives, on my face and chest and arms. I am on Prednisone and strong anthi itch pills and cream-it has been about 7 days and I am still burning and blotchy. This is terrible. Thanks for all your postings!

My bet's on the Idebenone. I was in a wedding this past weekend, and we had our hair/makeup done in a salon. I had an allergic reaction to the makeup, ("True" brand) and my face has been swollen & puffy with a rash for two days now! The "secret ingredient" to the True brand makeup is Idebenone.

I've never been allergic to anything in the past, so this is really shocking. I'm heading to the doctor later today.

I bought a sample of prevage off e-bay and used it for the first and only time on Monday, the 15th May. The following morning I had all the symptoms, swollen face and lips, but worst of all my eyes had disappeared behind my swollen eyelids. The itching was confined to my eyes and neck. Today, the 19th I am no better although my doctor has given me anti histamine tablets and some eye drops. I suppose it serves us right for being so vain.

Same thing happened to me. I started using Prevage w/ 1% Idebenone and after about 6 days; redness and itching where I applied it. I stopped using it immediately and the redness and itching continued a couple days until my eyes became severely swollen just as described here by others. I went to the Dr and was diagnosed as having an allergic reaction and prescribed Prednisone which has helped but it's taking a few days for the swelling to go away.

I used Prevage 'gingerly" for one night and woke up itching and swollen in the middle of the night. An extremely itchy rash spread from my neck, covering my chest and back and 3 days later, I am on prednisone and antihistamines and my face is still bright red (actually looks like a pretty good sunburn). Until I read this site, I couldn't believe it could be caused by a face cream and was thinking insect bite? or food allergy? but am now convinced it could be the PREVAGE.

I have been badly swollen and itchy for nearly a week now thinking it was a terrible hay fever response or something....the Prevage I've been using for about a month never occurred to me. WOW! $150 worth of misery.

I, being the skeptical sort, did not use this product on my face. Since I know a great deal of subtle improvements to skin is subjective, I used this on my "test" arm... my right arm was the "control" recieving no product. I felt an arm was a big enuf area, and if something "bad" happened to it, i could still function without looking like a posterchild for domestic abuse. By not using it on my right arm, I figured I could contrast the two and see if the product actually worked. Or if I was throwing away my money on wish.

I started with a relatively small patch and got braver as I saw no reaction. Foolish me. I have no food or respitory allergies, so after a few days, I figured I was home clear. That's what I get for thinking. After about one week of use, I awoke one morning and to an my arm whose skin resembled oatmeal and itched like the dickens. The night before, I had loofahed the area, and applied the product (prevage at 1 percent)to damp skin. My thoughts here, are that this pretreatment facilitated prevage absorbtion into the skin by exfoliating any dead skin on the dermis. I got back into the shower and tried to lather and loofah the product off, to no avail. Since then applications of topical Antihystimenes and cortizone creams have little or no effect, so I've decided to stop using them... and to be thankful that I didn't do this to my face or my entire body. Reading some of these descriptions here, makes me realise this could be so much worse.

The only thing I am allergic to are Sulfa drugs. I am wondering if any of you that have had this allergic reaction are also so inclined to be allergic to Sulfa as well.

hey, I'm back again hopefully with some help. Last nite, after a shower and before I slept, I coated my still very itchy prevage induced rash with some serum VitaminC. I also opened a capsule of natural 400 mg vitamin E and applied it over the C to my lower arm where I had the rash. On my upper arm, I used serum Vitamin K.

The appearance of my arm this morning is radically improved. But most importantly, there is NO ITCHING. I didn't do a "control" meaning I didn't leave any area uncovered with some sort of treatment, so I dont' kow if today is simply the normal progression of the healing. But I just don't see how the improvement could be this dramatic overnite.

I would caution using any of these treatments I've mentioned here, on only on a small part of your face, if that is where you have your rash,and wait 24 hoursto see how this effects you. Everyone reacts differently, and better to see how these vitamins will effect your skin on a small part of it... be safe rather than sorry.

Good luck. Its simply divine being free of this miserable itching.

Wow. I thought it was just me. After using Prevage 1% for about two weeks I too woke up middle of the night with burning, next day horrible swollen rash on my face. Took about 4 - 5 days to go away. I too am alergic to sulfa drugs, but that connecting thread would be way too bizzare. Kinerase is a wonderful product, I've been using that on and off for a decade. And as dumb as this sounds, I am willing to try the 5% because the before and afters are amazing. I know. I'm crazy vain.

The picture of the bottle of Prevage does not look like any Prevage that I ever bought.

Anyway, I have been using Prevage now for the last year and have had nothing but beautiful resutls and TONS of compliments. I've never had a problem with it.

Was this the prevage you purchased through a doctors office or somewhere else?

This prevaage is a sample. That's why it looks different than the full-size.

I'm so glad I find this site. I too have been using Prevage for about two weeks (bought it at a doctors office). Two days ago I noticed red bumps on my cheek area woke up the following morning with an itchy rash over almost my entire face (not forehead yet). This morning still very itchy doesn't look much better. Headed to dermatologist this morning. I don't have sensitive skin so there must be something really toxic in that bottle.

One thought..I used some of my daughters sunscreen the day I first started breaking out I wonder if there is some connection. I had been using a different sunscreen and this was the first time I used it. I only applied it to my lower face because I was wearing a hat. Could explain why my forehead isn't broken out.

Prevage is magic! I've been using it for eighteen days now. No break-outs and no wrinkles! I use it in conjunction with Gatineau though. You might be allergic to something in the product.

I am so glad I found ya'll! I have been using Prevage for about a month. Had a bad reaction one morning, swollen face, little blisters all over, terrible itching and burning. Never considered it was Prevage, since I used it for so long with no problem.
After the rash went away, 2 days later, I resumed using Prevage only to minimize the trauma (I thought). Today I can barely see through the slits where my eyes used to be, and am hugely swoleen and covered in blisters all the way to my chest. The itching and burning are intolerable. On my way to a doc!

My face is also swollen with a burning itch. The best way to describe it is like there are thousands of fire ants biting my face.My condition comes and goes although lately it has been occurring more frequently.The prednisone clears it for awhile but it keeps reoccuring each time worse than the last.After reading your blog I am taking every cream and lotion I have and checking the list of ingredients for anything you might have red flaged I have an appointment with a dematologist in 1 week, it is a 5 hour drive one way to his office.But the way I feel right now I'd drive across the country to get there. I thought I was alone in my misery thank you for allowing me to share it helps.

I received a sample from the dermatologist and used it 4 times. Upon the 4th day I started to develop a swollen,bumpy, red,hot, burning, ITCHY rash. My face feels a bit numb also! I was awake all night trying to ignore the itch. My only relief came from ice packs that warmed up too fast!My husband just went to pick up topical Benedryl and oral for the evening!

I used Prevage for approximately two months without incident. Then one morning I woke up to a horrible face rash and severely swollen eyes. The office where I purchased the Prevage told me that it was highly unlikely that the reaction was due to Prevage. I saw my physician and was placed on prednisone for two weeks. During that time, my doctor suggested that I use only Aveeno products on my skin. After 6 weeks my skin was looking better, so I thought it was OK to use the Prevage. The next morning my face and eyes were so swollen that I could not see well enough to drive myself to the doctor. I am so upset. Instead of making me look younger I swear I look 10 years older; especially around the eyes. Once the swelling goes away, I'm left with itchy,peeling skin. And prednisone isn't exactly a good thing to put in the body. By the way, my physician said that Prevage is the likely culprit. Does anyone know for sure which ingredient is responsible for the reaction?

Are you allergic to ANTIFREEZE? Propylene Glycol, a part of Antifreeze (yes, the stuff we put in our cars), is known to cause everything from allergies to DEATH.

Now, here is a shocker...it can be found in commercial CAKE MIXES too!

Always read the labels.

Today, I have an itchy red rash around my eye and going down the side of my face... I'm online here, trying to find some natural product to deal with it and then maybe I'm heading to the hospital, since docs aren't open on Sunday.

I have been trying to find the ingredients in Prevage for 4 months and today I found this site! Wow, thought I was the only one having a horrible reaction. Had laser resurfacing in January. Had a bad reaction to Aquaphor after surgery. Thought it was the lanolin in the Aquaphor. After about 6 weeks the doctor had me using Prevage MD and I didn't seem to have any problems with it although my eyes were bothering me some. Then in May he did a chemical peel, (probably unnecessary but costly) and I had a horrible reaction to the Nutricreme that I was told to use post-op. It also contained lanolin. The platic surgeon was not concerned with the condition of my skin so I went to see a dermatologist who was shocked at the hives and rash and general condition of my skin. He put me on Desonide .05% cream, rather than oral steroids, and after a week my skin was fine. Stupid me, the other day I put some Prevage MD on my face and here I am again with hives, swelling and an itchy rash!!! Haven't been able to find out what ingredients are in this stuff until I found this website.....By the way, the dermatologist told me to use a small amount of vaseline at night as a moisturizer as it is pure petroleum jelly and should not cause a reaction. How were you able to find the ingredients in Prevage? Maybe my problem is not lanolin??? Good luck to all of you fellow sufferers!!!

I'VE HAD A TERRIBLE REACTION TO PREVAGE AFTER 2 MONTHS. My face is swollen & eyes are swollen as well. I look a mess . The sun makes it worsr even with a 30 sunscreen

Hope you have recovered!

I used one sample packet of the Prevage with 1% idebenone and I only used it on portions of my face. I didn't have any reaction until about 10 days of use. I woke up with red bumps around my eyes which then moved down over my cheeks by the end of the day. The following day I woke up with my eyes nearly swollen shut. I couldn't even drive myself to the dermatologist. My doc said it's the worst case of Allergy Contact Dermatitis she has seen in a long time. Although she doesn't like prescribing systemic steroids (prednisone), she placed me on an aggressive tapering regiment for 12 days. I'm only on day 2 and I am itchy, burning, peeling and feel like my eyes have glue in them. She also prescribed DesOwen cream and a couple of Ambien CR's so I could sleep at night. The evening before I saw my dermatologist, I was in such discomfort I could not sleep. For those of you anxious to try Prevage, please perform a patch test! I know many people using Prevage who love it and haven't had any problems after months of use. I rarely have allergic reactions to anything, so the Prevage ordeal was a real wake up call.