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Louise Thomas
Editor
Joey King has opened up about one recent struggle she’s come across with her skin.
The Kissing Booth actor recently posted a skincare routine on TikTok, in which she explained she had been struggling with perioral dermatitis over the last seven months. “Any tips for the dermatitis would be greatly appreciated,” she captioned the video.
Perioral dermatitis is a red and scaly rash specifically around the mouth, according to the Cleveland Clinic, but it can also occur around the nose or eyes. The skin condition can sometimes be mistaken for acne, yet is more likely to be the type of dermatitis if the rash burns or itches. Some topical prescriptions can be provided through a dermatologist.
King was seen shaving her face using a dermaplane razor in her TikTok, when she revealed that she was trying to wean herself off her prescription ointments. However, she admitted that they seemed to be the only successful solution to her perioral dermatitis.
“I’m trying to stop my prescription stuff to make it go away on its own,” she said about the skin condition. “I just stopped it like a week ago, I started using my other skincare and, you can’t really see it right now, but it’s like coming back. And I have literally no idea what to do about it.”
Her clip was viewed more than two million times, as many fans commented tips that King could use to help treat her symptoms.
“Have you tried using a gentle, fragrance-free moisturizer and avoiding trigger ingredients? Consult a dermatologist for personalized treatment options,” one commenter asked, to which the Family Affair star confirmed that she did switch her skincare products.
“Yes I switched to vanicream before seeing a derm. And I got put on some topical prescriptions and they work great but I was told to ween myself off. And now that I am… it’s coming back,” King replied.
Other commenters suggested that her dermaplaning or face shaving routine could be the culprit, and whether it was causing irritation on dry skin.
“Too much exfoliation might be causing the irritation so please be careful when you exfoliate or use a blade,” one person wrote in the comments. “Don’t dermaplane on dry skin, make sure you cleanse first and have your blade the opposite way of hair growth. And please DO NOT blow on your blade, bacteria will get on it and it can cause infection, wipe it with tissue. Use calming products after you’re done.”
Another commenter agreed, writing: “Don’t dry shave put oil before and it will help prevent cuts. Also shave down, never up love you.”
“I have dermatitis and the worst thing I can do is dermaplane... so I would recommend stopping with that,” a third fan pointed out.
King isn’t the only celebrity to open up about her struggles with perioral dermatitis. Back in March, Hailey Bieber posted her own TikTok showing off what her skin looks like during a flare-up and what she does to combat the condition.
“This is something that I have had since I was about 19 or 20,” the Rhode Beauty founder said. “And I know a lot of other people deal with it and struggle with it as well. I’m having a pretty bad flare up right now so I wanted to share what I use when I’m having a flare up.”
Bieber shared that she specifically uses an azelaic acid prescription cream to help with any inflammation.
“And in the day time, I use something called clindamycin, which is also a prescription you can get from a dermatologist,” she said, noting that the antibiotic helps “stop the growth of bacteria on the skin.”
