It’s not always easy to tell what causes perioral dermatitis, although there are factors which seem to increase its likelihood, or to aggravate its effects if you’re already prone to flare-ups.

These include:

• Being on hormonal contraception
• Experiencing other hormonal changes
• Using topical corticosteroids
• Some sunscreens
• Having a fungal or bacterial infection on the skin
• Using fluorinated toothpaste
• Using cosmetics, soap or other skincare that irritate the skin
• Having an allergic reaction to something eaten or touched

But every case of perioral dermatitis is different, and it sometimes happens to people that don’t seem to have any of those triggers and no exact cause can be pinpointed.

What’s common to all those potential causes is that the skin barrier is irritated, damaged, or not functioning as it should; any treatment, whatever the original cause, should be aimed at looking after the skin as carefully as possible.