As most of you who suffer with this "horrible affiction" I was so relieved to find this stream. We are not crazy. Whatever this is, it is debilitating and humiliating..... not to mention painful

Painful menstrual periods

. We have all received validation, support and recognition through this website and that is a very important first step. I have tried some of the suggestions and I am impatiently waiting for the Mario Badescu creams that everyone has had such great success with. I know we will probably never know the cause..... but who cares as long as we find a "cure"... or at least a way to live with it.    Eyes not so bad this morning.... as I am less stressed about them!!! I see a light at the end of the tunnel. There is help. Thanks to all and Good luck to all of us!!

I have had this problem for about 4 years, it seems to come and go in every month at around the same time, but its been much worse around the eye area at present.
It seems to be a mixture of all of these problems, i already suffered from eczema, but i suffered from that when i was younger, i am 19 and female

Condoms
Female condoms
Female sexual dysfunction

and currently studying so i think it came back through stress when i started university last year. I have patches

Allergy testing
Skin color - patchy

of it in the elbow

Elbow pain

area and small patches

Allergy testing
Skin color - patchy

on my leg, these seem to clear up when i put a bit of moisturizer on i use aveeno as well as the body wash. (And de-stress) But as soon as i am stressed or ill it comes straight back.

My eyelids

Eyelid bump
Eyelid lift
Eyelid twitch

however are in a terrible state, they are red swollen and itchy, they also seem to run all the time, also i have now started to get a new 'flap' on my eyelids, this gets much worse when they are sore and flared up, but seems to go when they are better. I think it is because i have had the condition for a long time and also my doctor never told me that i could not use too much steroid cream on my eyes, so guess what, i used it every day to keep it at bay - im paying for that now. I have also experienced like others loss of sight, which is terribly scary! i cried and cried and it eventually came back into focus, but as everyone seems to experience crying BURNS!

When i first think back to when i got this condition it started on my leg in a round patch, the skin would itch and itch, then harden and flake, i had this for a bout a year, i did not treat it with anything other than some moisturizers, ( can not remember which but something bog standard) and eventually it just went away, however i still have a dark brownish patch of skin left that will not go away, i am so worried that the skin around my eyes may be left with a permanent ring around them.

i really can not believe that doctors do not really know what this is, and to be honest all the doctors i have seen have been very arrogant i think i have used nearly every treatment under the sun for this from the doctors, i recently chucked the huge bags of creams away that i had used ( i wish i had kept them so that i could post what they where!)
One doctor told me to bathe in wallpaper past for the anti fungal properties,as you can imagine it was disgusting and did nothing!

i believe this problem is both eyelid eczema, i think this because if i put hydrocortisone on my eyelids (never doing that again after reading this post) the dry itchiness spreads down onto my cheek which tells me that its eczema. But i also believe it is bacterial fungal type thing as the sore patches have spread to areas like my arm pits when it is really bad. One of you mentioned you also had this.

I seem to also have another skin condition, but im not sure there is a link and so i do not want to scare anyone. It occurs on my vagina lips and my nipples, it seem similar, the skin get unbelievable itchy, worse so than my eyes! The skin can blister and bleed and has a sheen to it where the skin seems to get so thin.I do not want to make this post really long and get into it too much as i am hoping they are separate conditions. But i have had no luck from the doctors, instead they have actually been insulting, telling me not to come back to them and go to the sexual health clinic!! it is not a sexual health problem me and my partner are both completely clear of everything.

So as you can all imagine my whole body is going through hell, going to try that Mario Badescu cream, i use cetaphil at the moment which i can not live without but only gives me some relief form the itching. I am going to a dermatologist soon so i am hoping they will have some answers, but form what i have read they may not!

In the meantime going to try what ItchyandRed posted on the 22nd of aug as i think this will help people suffering from bletharitis and eyelid eczema as well as anything fungal. Its about breaking the cycle!
Thank you for your help!
i will let you know how it goes with the dermatologist.

My gosh, this certainly sounds like a job for a dermatologist, and I'm glad you are finally seeing one!  The presence of these spots on your elbows and the fact that they are rather hard is interesting.  Has anyone ever discussed psoriasis with you?

http://www.medicinenet.com/psoriasis/article.htm#look

My doctor told me that swollen, puffy eyes are a good indicator of mono. If you feel run down, I recommend getting a blood test.
I am recovering from mono, and my eyes were very swollen for about a week and a half. I could not see out of the corners of my eyes because it was painful to turn my eyes in the socket. I was out of focus, and it felt like I had a sinus infection, too. My eyes felt fine, but my eye lids felt huge and sensitive to the touch.
I've had puffy eye lids a few times in my life, but never this bad. Sleep is the best prescription. When I was sick with mono, I couldn't find any remedy that relieved the pain. The other times I had puffy eyes I used ice cubes. I hear tea bags work great, too. With mono, they told me to sleep and take prednisone (my lymph nodes began to swell a week after the puffy eyes started, and in that case, 1 tsp lemon juice and a sprinkle of cayenne over a tsp of honey reduced the swelling better)
I hope you all can diagnose your symptoms so you won't get sick again.
Good Luck

Hey everyone... I've resontly (The last week or so) have contracted red, itchy and flacky eyelids, as well as my eyes going a bit blood shot; my dad thinks I'm on drugs or something as bad, and my mum thinks I have Blepharitis like her mother had. I have read up on this condition and aparently its for people aged around fifty, I'm fifteen and male, but I have no idea what the hell to do.

The only facial product I use is Superdrug brand Tea Tree which I have checked for all the chemicals mentioned in this post (Which I'm amazed has run over two years) and none have shown up. Honistly I'm at a lose at what to do, my mum is making me an apoinment for my local doctor tomorrow, so that should yeld some results. I live in England and I'm only alergic (allergic) to elastoplast... I'll tell all of you what my doctor says to me, but untill then I'm going to have to deal with it.

Till net time

LunaUmbra

I recently contracted the problems you all have mentioned and found an absolutely amazing Japanese creme called yu-be.  I highly recommend you all try it as it soothed my eyelids and lips within 15 minutes with all natural ingredients.  I also bought natural face cleansers which I have yet to use.  Please do yourselves a favor and try the yu-be creme.  Contact me if you can't find it and I will help you out.  ***@****

I have this same problem around winter time. I went to a health store and the lady who owned the store suggested a bottle of organic lotion called after waxing, anti-inflammatory moisturizer and eczema creme. It was made in Calgary, not sure where you are from but maybe you can find something similar. I noticed a difference in the puffiness the next day and it took about 8 days to get rid of the dryness. I swear by it and always keep a bottle for winter.

I had flaking dry skin on my eyelids. Daktarin helped the dryness but did not cure it.

The doctor prescribed clotrimazole and hydrocortisone cream twice a day for 7 days.

It was scary stuff and I was very careful to not use too much at a time, it did irritate the eyes if I put on too much.

That said, the reason I'm posting is after eight months of problems, two months with Daktarin, this cream dealt with the issue completely in a week and I am very happy.

my dry, chapped, red and wrinkly eylids started 2 weeks ago.  I finally went to the Doc.  he typed something quickly on his laptop and left the room and came in with a "its probably a fungus" diagnosis from the Mayo Clinic.  He suggested I wash my face with Sessun Blue because of its selenium content and if it got dry to use Eucerin.  Well the shampoo dried my face so much that I looked and felt like an old leather basketball and the Eucerin is really not very good for as dry as I am.  so I refocused the shampoo to only my eyelids .. I'm still horribly dry, red and it seems to be spreading to my outer lids, and its quite painful.  I read that alot of people recommended a cream from Baneusco ..(mspelling) and so I've ordered that, should be here soon and a friend suggested tea tree oil since it cleared her fungus toe - though it took a while - thats my next step.  if these don't work, I'll check in with a real dermatoligist.

I have had this same problem off and on for several years.  Saw an allergist and dermatologist.  Was found to be allergic to paraben, (found in cosmetics, creams, soaps, etc.) neomycin, found in antibiotic creams, and Balsam of Peru.  However, I read it is possible to use products with paraben in it and not react unless something else causes it to flare up.  I have discovered that whenever I touch, cook with, or smell anything in the onion/garlic family I have a flare up.  So I'm pretty sure its somehow realated.  And after doing research, garlic and onions (even scallions) can cause allergic reactions to some.  My dermatologist gave me Protopic ointment and it helps...not a steriod but acts like one.  Hope this has helped.

After reading the advice on this forum and putting up with flaky, red eyelids for months, I decided to try Mario Badescu's Control Creme.  I purchased it at Ulta.  I have applied it on my lids for the last 3 nights before bed.
First day, a lot of redness gone - still peeling skin near the lashline
Second day - minimum redness - itching gone - less peeling
Third day - eyes are almost back to normal.  No flaky skin and redness is almost completely gone!
Spent a small fortune on various remedies to no avail.  THIS STUFF WORKED! $30 for a 1 oz jar (you can buy smaller quanitities on their website)
I don't work for them, or know anyone that does just happy that I finally found a product that does what it says and wanted to pass it on

I figured i couldn't be the only one on earth who suffered from this problem, so i googled it and came across this forum.
I have suffered from this condition on and off for years because i am a keen eye makeup wearer, and i've always put it down to the cosmetics i.e allergic to certain products etc i even stopped using eye make up remover and opted for the natural option of olive oil (which works wonders on eye make up removal btw). Olive oil seemed to work for a while, but then it flared up again and i hadn't changed ANYTHING i had been using. The only conclusion i came up with then was the way i took it off, i.e using round cotton make up remover pads perhaps a little over zelously. I found that sometimes if i maybe didn't use enough make up remover on the pad, dry areas on the pad would rub on my eye lid and cause the sensitive area to become irritated and puffy which would then last for days. I'd even smother my eye lids in petroleum jelly thinking that would stop them drying out.....to no avail, just made them more itchy.
I am going to try this Mario Badescu Control Cream which i've just purchased from BeautyBay.com for £13.95. I'll keep you posted on what the out come is after 1 months use. :)

Update
I stopped putting petroleum jelly on my eye lid on saturday because i had stuff to do and didn't want to leave the house with big greasy eye areas. And low and behold, my eyelids (left to be precise) has dried up, leaving very little and no redness, but very flakey dead skin left from the swelling. I'm still a bit sore in the corner of my eye (ear side), and stings when my eye waters, but it seems to have calmed down. I'm starting a new job in two weeks and really want to start wearing make up again :-S

can someone advise exactly which product is The Mario Badescu Control Cream, is it this one - it is more expensive than you all say, and it specifically says not for use on the eyes! I can't find any other one with Control in the title though!

http://www.beautybay.com/skincare/mariobadescu/controlmoisturizerforoilyskin/

thanks

My eyelids are sore and painful but not flaky or swollen-I cannot put any eye make up on. My eyes also are very dry. Would this Mario cream help me? Do you think it is the same problem for me?

I am posting this because I think I have found the cure for my problems and am hoping that this might also help some of you!  I am a 49 year old woman with no history of allergies and no previous skin, eye or health problems.  Starting last August I began to experience all of the exact sympoms as many of you, including red sore eye lids, flaking of my upper lids, itchyness along the lash line,  weepy eyes and a sore dry spot on the outside corner lid.  My eyes were often sore when waking and sometimes got worse during the day.  The symptoms would tend to fluctuate but never went away totally. The only relief I found (after getting drops and creams from my doctor which provided almost no relief) was to take allergy medication.  After reading all of the comments here, I felt that a fungal infection might be the cause.  I started using oil of oregano and also got a jar of Mario Badescu Control creme, but the biggest change I made was to throw out my memory foam pillow!!  Even though it seemed fine (i.e., no smell etc,) I couldn't help but wonder why my eyes were often worse in the morning.  By the third day may eyes were totally better and have been fine for almost 2 weeks.  Because I did all three things at once, I am not sure which one was the real cure but I suspect I had a fingal infection originating from the pillow and that oil of oragano killed it and the creme soothed my lids.  All I know is that for the first time in 8 months I am symptom free!!  Hope this helps some of you. Good Luck!!

I did not notice the peeling/flaking until my eyes had been sore for a few weeks and even this would come and go.  My lids were never very swollen, more red and very tender and irritated.  I also wondered about "dry eye symdrome" but i tried natural tears and it did not help.  Also, with dry eye problems, your eyes are often better in the morning and get progressively worse throughout the day, whereas mine were often worse in the morning.  Also, my eyes did not feel sandy or hurt when I blinked as I have heard described by others.  I also never had crustiness or any obvious discharge.   I am Canadian but got my friend to get me the MB creme in the US as Canada has restrictions which forces them to change the formula.  It can't hurt to try it.
Hope this helps!  Good luck.

Another Update

After my last post, i recieved my Mario Badescu Control Cream like a day or two later. It's a small pot, only 14ml, which i bought from Beauty Bay for £13.95 plus P&P. It doesn't say anywhere on the tub not to use around eye area, and i've just looked on the official website and again i can't find anything about it not being used around the eye area.
But, as promised, i posted that i'd use it for a month before i give my verdict. Since using it from day one, i have been able to wear my normal eye makeup (shadow(s), eye liner, mascaras etc) and use any make up remover (i'm currently using Simple Eye Makeup Remover) without any flare ups, swellings or irritated dry skin! When i started using it, i had a particular red dry patch on my right eye lid which looked like an eczema patch, and within a couple of days it was gone.
I totally recommend Mario Badescu's Control Cream. Yes it's a small pot, but since you're only using it on your eye lids, you only need a very small amount to apply to the lids, and then in which case it will last a long time even with daily use!
It's small, it's expensive, but it's worth it! And it's not like we haven't spent enough on treatments that didn't work.
Hope this helps :^)

Very Good comments, Thank You All!

I have the same symptoms as the rest: very itchy, swollen, flaky, looks 100 yrs old, only one eye (the side I tend to sleep on), have tried numerous prescription/non-prescription creams.

The fungal theory makes sense because it is consistent with how fungus spreads and grows ( I was suspecting this, and reading all comments only confirms my thoughts) :
Fungus starts in a round, red patch. It itches, it causes tissue to swell and scale, gets soothed by cold temperature, each genus proliferates in its specific preferred temperature, and it is very contagious to someone with a stressed immune system (spreads via pets, contact, off of bed-linens, etc). It does not respond to broad-spectrum creams, and actually thrives under the protection of a greasy cream that keeps the oxygen levels low, but needs treatment with a non-greasy cream with an ingredient that is specific for that type of fungus. Also; each year there are numerous new strains of viral and fungal strains, as we spray more and more chemicals and fungicides....to keep things interesting :-)

Why doctors are not trained in proper diagnosis in how to distinguish a fungus from an allergy beats me!!!!; it seems this should be basic 1st year information....

I will try the MB Control Cream, as well as the anti fungal....not ready for the grave yet!

Here are quite a few reviews of Mario Badescu Control Cream:

http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemId=45516/Control_Cream/Mario_Badescu/Moisturizers

This product does contain balsam of Peru, which can be powerfully irritating to some people.

I have the exact same problem except I have never had any itching involved. I am a 23 y/o and mine began 6 mo ago after I went for a long jog on a really cold day. The next morning my eyelids felt like they were going to crack open. I assumed it was just chapped skin from sweat on a sensitive part of the face in the cold air, but that was december, it's now june and it hasnt gone away! it alternates between redness, puffiness, dry & scaley, and almost healed but it seems that simply keeping the skin moisturized is not going to do the trick. anyways, i have ordered the mario badescu cream and am hoping for permanent relief (although i'm alittle discouraged after reading some of your posts).

I had the same symptoms as a lot of you....red and dry skin around eyes, puffy every morning, one eye worse than the other, and very itchy.  It all started 2 weeks ago and I could not get rid of it.  I went yesterday to Ulta and bought the Mario control cream and noticed a difference right away.  When I woke up this morning the puffiness was almost gone and the redness was all gone.  24 hours later a little dry skin left.  I am assuming it will be gone by tomorrow.

I am so glad I found this site! I've had the same red, peeling, burning and often tacky eyelids (and crusting up / peeling underneath lower eyelashes) that just started early this past spring. I thought it was seasonal allergies, but no allergy medicine was working and I haven't had problems with allergies in years so I just started looking for answers online after this last flare up. I was captivated by all of the stories and results, and especially by all of the mis-diagnosis by doctors. As I read nearly every post one Saturday morning (200+), I was first relieved I wasn't the only one struggling with this. It has come on about 7-8 times in the last several months, and is so dramatic, I'm embarrassed to even see my husband of 15 years or two kids with no make-up! It was causing extra wrinkles below the eyes and the swelling and sagging of eyelids made me look 15 years older than I am (I'm 41 and have very few fine lines or wrinkles around my eyes (yet!) - and until this condition.  One thing that struck me was the number of posts from people who have been misdiagnosed. There were so many good home remedies to try, but I will admit I was a bit lost on where to start and what to try (without spending a small fortune on every single idea). But then I started short-listing a few suspected causes from other folks that lined up with my personal habits. I drink too much iced tea, for one. I use several Pantene and other shampoos and conditioners that reportedly contain parabins (although I can't tell from the labels of those products what is a parabin). I also have been using a prescription grade acne spot treatment gel due to frequent breakouts (even at my age). And sugar / chocolates / sweets are my nemesis!!  Then I read one or two posts that talked about Candida as a possible cause. This is an overgrowth of the "bad bacteria" that lives in your digestive tract. I had some issues several years ago that doctors could not diagnose, including the same sort of crusting in the corners of my mouth, a recurring sinus infection that lasted 3 months and 4 rounds of antibiotics didn't cure, and a lot of joint pain. After getting really frustrated (the sinus infection was debilitating!) I started researching online and found a Candida support site and symptom test (http://ow.ly/5HvE4), and of course an expensive pro-biotic solution. I ordered the pro-biotic as I had not heard of it before, so had no idea even if it was readily available at the time (now you can find probiotics in pill form at any drug store, and in a variety of food products like yogurt, smoothie drinks and juices). I immediately cut back on starches in my diet, cut out altogether refined white sugar and started taking it. The 3 month sinus infection my GP couldn't cure was almost 100% better in 24 HOURS!!!  My point for elaborating on this story was the clue that so many people are being mis-diagnosed by doctors and put on antibiotics or steroids which are pretty bad for the system (although I realize sometimes needed - I think they are over-prescribed as doctors are quick to throw a script). Western medicine also does not seem to recognize Candida or any of the holistic approaches. I used to think holistic was bunk too, and be careful as there are a million 'snake oil' companies, but it was so clear that diet and this Candida overgrowth was a direct link. So I still had this recent eyelid flare up and was sitting with cold packs on my eyes, then read the posts and put 2 and 2 together. I had fallen off the no sugar wagon earlier in the day, and my eyes were unbearable that night.  The candida support site lists all kinds of skin rashes and eczema as a symptom (see the full list here: http://www.candidasupport.org/symptoms.html), nice because it outlines the various symptoms in men vs. women and even children. The test is here: http://www.candidasupport.org/test_yeast.html.  So the headline from my most recent bout is this: I stopped drinking iced tea the next morning, took 2 probiotic pills, and had no sugar. The night before I treated my eyelids and under bottom lashes with a 50/50 mix of Eucerin and a hydrocortisone cream prescribed for my son's eczema when he was young. When I woke up 1 eye was 100% better, and the other was 90% better. I've since avoided all refined sugar, and applied the eye cream mix twice a day and the 2nd eye is now 100% better. I'm also drinking a probiotic blueberry pomegranate juice once or twice daily. I would encourage everyone to do some research along these lines. The symptoms of Candida are so widespread, it is shocking. I also bought the Organix shampoo and conditioners that are parabin-free. I probably should have done 1 thing at a time to better work the process of elimination, but I will confess I was desperate for a solution (it was my husbands surprise b-day party at a local hotspot, and I didn't really want to look 15 years his senior!). I'm not saying this is the answer for everyone, I agree with an earlier post that the causes could be wide and vast and everyone is different, and each case is complex in its own way. I just encourage everyone to look at their diets (other symptoms they might have but didn't really recognize as real health problem) in addition to environmental / allergies to products.  I hope this post even puts 1 person in the right direction and helps, as I understand how difficult and painful this one is! Good luck!

I had the same problem off and on for about 6 months.  It got a lot worse with the high heat this summer after I did outdoor activity.  But I followed the Tinactin and Maria Bedescu control cream treatment and within one week I no longer had any redness, flaky skin or itchiness.  I am continuing with just the control cream.  Amazing.

I ordered the control cream online and received LOTS of free items with my order.  A real bonus.

I have extremely sensitive skin, and recently I had a problem with puffy, irritated eyes. The problem apparently stemmed from a combination of irritants from makeup and the soap I used to wash off the makeup.

It was pretty bad. Saggy AND puffy, and my eyes felt like sandpaper from the irritation..

I used Eucerin Original Moisturizing Cream (2 oz. tube) for a few days, and the puffiness, sagging, and irritation went away.

All these people with the same symptoms... Still no follow-up reply 2 yes later?  No makeup here either.  I'm Celiac, on a healthy diet.  Also getting the same gas problems as when I was eating gluten.  Thinkink it's some sort of fungal/yeast infection in the g-i tract... Reaching eyes via hepatic vein?  

I'm so frusterated with this. my eyelids get so puffy and so itchy and red. its not just the eyelid, but it goes all the way up to my eyebrows. Usually it is my left eye but this morning i woke up and both of them were pretty red and puffy, the left is worse tho for sure. I'm so frusterated b/c its embaressing, and a pain in the neck! All i want are answers as to WHY and WHAT this is

Hi All,  Greetings from the UK, It's such a relief to find this thread and to know we're not alone with this problem, I'm a healthy active 38 yr old man and suffering with all the same symptoms, sore eyelids, drying, cracked, creams & vasolene and tears all sting like acid, I've been suffering for the last 3 months and its a daily battle, I've seen the Doctor, local pharmacist, spoken to NHS Direct and an optician, I've got a box full of lotions and creams I've tried, along with antihistamine tablets for possible allergies etc My optician has suggested HOT eye compress for 10 mins twice a day with hot recently boiled SALTED water (natural anticeptic theory for any mild infection etc) along with artificial tears to keep the eye moist, my eyes feel some refief and the swelling/soreness immediatetly reduces, it definately helps keep it under control although their still dry and flaky, but I dardn't put any moisturiser anywhere near them for fear of "the burn", some mornings my eyes were so puffed up and red it looks like I'd been up all night sobbing :-( which is not a good look at work. I've been on the hot salted water compress x2 a day for 4 days and switched shampoo to baby shampoo and ditched all other face washes as I've always had sensitive skin so used a variety of products & shampoos, I'm convinced its allergy related, I shall be replacing my pillows this week as soon as I can to see if that helps, I notice if I wash my face over during the day with just water my eyes feel less "angry" and sensitive, as if whatever is annoying the delicate skin around the eyes is washed away temporarily, maybe a dust or pollen problem ??? the list is endless :-( I'm running out of things to try so I will update in a week or so and let you all know how its going with the hot compress. Good luck everyone, it's just us I'm afraid as the Doctors & Derm's seem to be clueless  on this issue round the world.

Ps,   Forgot to mention, the hot salted water compress didn't sting at all, was completely soothing and the most relief I've had from the soreness all week,

Hi I read your comments and I don't have a cure but I am having the same issues and it seems to happen when I put mascara on or when Ive had alchohol the night before.

And what is unusual is this it just sudden these last couple months, im 21 and have never had this before. My eye lids are sore real sore like I rubbed them raw, red, and itch real bad. And now im freaking cuz i googled melanoma of the eye and it has the same symptoms and I can't efford to go to the DR at all.

I'm going to add my sob story in case it could help us crack this case of the itchy eyelid.  I moved from Austin, TX to Greenville, SC in January.  My situation was highly stressful and I was not dealing with it well.  I got shingles on the left side of my face at the beginning of May and was very sick for at least 2 weeks.  When I was just getting over the shingles I had a break down one evening and cried extremely hard and my eyes have not been the same since then.  I thought my eyelids swelling and itching had something to do with the shingles, but the doctor assured me that I was only experiencing environmental allergies.  I have tried, like many of you, antihistamines, eyedrops, homeopathic allergy meds, eczema & psoriasis creams, not eating sugar, wheat, dairy, changing contacts, switching contact solutions, oatmeal & honey poultices, holy basil (which really helped with the stress) you name it.  
I was relieved to find this forum when I did.  I had been suffering from the same symptoms for almost 5 months, attributing it to allergies.  Honestly, I am still unsure of what is causing this problem with my eyes, but I hate it.  HATE it.  The day I read this discussion I began calling drug stores, spas, department stores, cosmetic retailers, and anything related trying to find the magical Mario Badescu cream (how do you say that last name, by the way?).  Unfortunately no store in my area carries his products so I will have to order the control cream online, but in my search I did find something else that worked for me.  My boyfriend uses a transdermal B12 cream called Pink Lady. http://www.********.com/products/pink_lady.php  We gave it a try on my dry, scaly, wrinkly, swollen eyelids and, I'm not kidding, within an hour tops we could already see a difference.  The itching stopped when we applied the Pink Lady and it didn't burn like other lotions or creams.  It has been a little over a week now and my eyes are 90% normal looking, just a small bit of wrinkle left on the bottom eyelids.  I hope that goes away soon as well.  I still plan on purchasing the Mario Badescu Control Cream just in case the Pink Lady stops working.

Mario Badescu control cream for eyelids is rubbish! well for me anyway,at first feels soothing but as it soaks deeper in eyelids,after few days of use make them sorer in long term,ive tried this,castor oil, witch hazel,vasline,happens the same with all these.. best product I find work for me 95% better and lasts in the long run is johnson &johnson babe shampoo,pour bit on fingers,rub into a foam under the hot tap and scrub face,and eyelids on closed eyes,so its foamy,keep applying hot water,then wash off with cold water,dab face,not rub,with clean towel,works wonders morning and night,you will notice a massive different in one day,scrubbing the whole face as well as lids ,helps to get rid of allergens on face on eye brows,nose ,skin etc which irritates the eyelids

I think I have narrowed it down to what others have previously mentioned, Candida.  Candida Albicans has a long list of symptoms some that I have never had and some that I have started having.  http://www.candida-albicans-cure.com/candida-albicans-symptoms.html

My boyfriend is a massage therapist and practices muscle testing or applied kinesiolgy.  He tested me for Candida after I told him what I had read in this discussion and I tested positive and it tested that the Candida was pretty deep, affecting my immune system which explains a lot of problems I have been having.  I also have had itchy nipples on and off for about a year or so.  My boyfriend muscle tested me for multiple, possible causes and I tested positive for thrush which is another symptom of Candida.  I also have had eczema and have been having problems with the skin between my fingers itching to the point that I will hold them under extremely hot water for relief.  Anyway, I am cutting out all sugar, including fruit, and am really going to limit my starch and dairy intake as well.  I am going to order a product called Fungal Balance from my boyfriends doctor and see if my symptoms subside.  

Thank you for all the entries here. I have had this same problem on and off for several years. I've been to my PCP and dermatologist looking for answers and I have been given creams and eye drops which did not seem to work. I also was told it could be an allergy to the laundry detergent I use on my pillowcases, so I switched to hypoallergenic detergent which seemed to work for almost a year until this past week, when I got new pillowcases, and problems started to occur again. After reading your posts about the Mario Badescu control cream, I immediately went to Ulta and purchased it. It been a day since using the cream, and I have gotten great results, reduced the puffiness, redness, itching and flakiness and it also has a soothing component which makes my eyes feel instantly better.

Thank you again to everyone who has posted. It has been helpful to know that I am not the only person who suffers from this and to share the frustration that there is little known about the problem or how to treat it.

Well my update to date is the following, I continued washing my hair/face with johnson & johnson baby shampoo, stopped the hot salted water compresses, it definately helps to rinse your face over 3 times a day to freshen up and help keep the allergens down from around the face, I made up some eye cream using Original Vaseline CREAM (blue screw top pot not petroleum jelly) mixed 50/50 with 1% hydrocortisone cream (not ointment,too greasy) my eyes were better overnight! ! ! I now only have one small patch that itches slightly under one eye, the rest looks and feels normal, I stopping the cream after a week and using occaisionally as soon as I get the itch !

I have been menopausal for 14 years.  There is no longer any "time of the month" for me.  However, I do take HRT and synthroid.  Sometimes, I suspect these in what they are now calling "golfer's vasculitis" (google that).  I have had dry, chappy lips for 3 years now steady and only recently within the past few months came up with these edematous eyelids with red patchy areas right where the crease is (where I would use eye make up).  I use clinque lip repair on my lips.  Ok here are some clues for me.  I do have lichen planus but it is otherwise in remission.  Last time I checked my thyroid condition was well under control.  In June I traveled from the US to Sydney.  When I arrived I removed my make up, put on some face and eye creams and went to bed.  When I awoke my eyelids were so swollen it seemed monstrous and the red dry patch was there too.  I connected it to a contact dermatitis from alcohol I had in a little plastic container seeping out into my makeup bag and getting into my make up.  Recently it has returned.  Now I think it is from the season and also because I have been hiking in the woods and occasionally have picked up some wildflowers to have a sniff.  Doctor prescribed some steroid cream and that usually works but I would rather not use it if thereis some otc that is better.  Maybe I will get some Mario Badescu.  I just spent a bundle on creams from Clinique which don't seem to do the job.  Thanks for the tip and I hope I have contributed something to this thread.

One or two other comments.  The alcohol was isoprophyl alcohol 90%; pretty powerful stuff which I probably shouldn't have had in my luggage as it is considered an explosive apparently!  Another thing to mention is that I did have a fungal problem on the side of my mouth in late winter early spring but I thought I got it all and beat it with the med my doc gave me nystatis with acetominodiecream.  I don't think I would want to use that on my eye.  

Aleve(genetic)- store brand- Interesting- I do take due to joint pain and aches
I am in full menopause with hot sweats and teary eyes- I thought the salty sweat was drying my eyelids- red and chapped - like lips would get when at the beach
My husband said it could be mites - I have been carrying for parrots- but who knows.
I'm investigating and like a another input- washing makeup brushes and no makeup on eyelids
I just finished a "rave' hairspray- maybe?? I've returned to trasasmi-
I use bee balm and cetaphil lotion- help- but ot gone
I'll stay tuned for suggestions ~~ Becky

I live in the Pacific Northwest where it is very wet, between 40-70 degree temps. I do not think it's the dry heat. I have experienced eye discomfort for almost a year now. It would come and go. I then started experiencing a build-up of scaly skin behind the ear and weeping. Then my right eye-lid started swelling (especially in the morning upon waking) they were also itching, dry (scaly).
Here is what I did (not a cure though) to make them feel better.
Take an antihistamine 25mg twice a day for itching & swelling, then 50mg at bedtime. 3 times a day I wash behind my ears and my eyes with baby shampoo (makes them very dry, but stops the itching.) Then I bought Lamisil (for Athletes feet) put this on for 2 days.(in case it was a fungus) Then I switched & put on hydrocordizone for 1 day, wow, this helped alot. My eyes & ears were cracked & bleeding, so I put Vaseline on them. They felt sooooo much better and almost cleared up. Then bam! It came back yesterday.  I believe it is an allergy to my cat. So I washed all my bedding, and put the cat out of my bedroom.
You are also right about it being age related. I never had a problem until I hit about 40, then I started having allergic reactions to everything.
Do Not, I repeat, DO NOT put Tea Tree Oil on your eyes or face. I did this and thought I would go through the roof. (Burned like the dickens). The hydrocordizone cream wasn't so bad, burned a little.

I found out about the Mario Badescu cream by reading the other comments on this page....IT WORKS!!  I had the same symptoms as everyone else...red, flaky, itchy patches on my eyelids.  I tried everything, but nothing work as well as this control cream!  It literally took one day to see my symptoms turn better and that was after I rubbed one of my eyelids so much that is started to bleed a little!  Thanks everyone for turning me on to this cream!!

i live in ontario canada. Can anyone tell me where i can buy mario badesu control cream close to the boarder (Michigan). I need help to get rid of my red, swollen, itchy eyelids. I also get blisters on my eye lids You can e-mail me privately if you prefer at donna.***@****
Thanks
Abby

I have the same problem I have been prescribed steriod cream for the lids when very bad and I use liquid parafin called simple ointment (don't execpt vasaline its too thin) this takes the sting straight out of your eye lids, smother eye lids over night for a few nights and seems to clear for a bit, I don't were any make up on my lids and I have been able to wear it for years, so annoying! I have uv itus of the right eye too and the sore itchey red lids have started when the ub itus does, the ointment works very well and quickly, need a new prescription every 28 days but well worth it!

I have had the same problem that a lot of you have or have had. First my eyelids start to itch and feel like "prickly heat", then they turn red and eventually super puffy. I also get a lot of tearing. At first I thought it was ragweed allergy, but after the winter freeze it still came back. I tried cortisone cream and antihistamines that would slightly help, but it kept coming back. Eventually I tried one weird thing, and it went away in one day. So far it hasn't returned. I sprayed Tinactin on a tissue and blotted it all around my eyes. I waited until it dried before opening my eyes so as not to get any in them. I saw in one blog here that it could be a fungal infection. I don't know where I would have gotten a fungal infection from, but that's why I eventually got so fed up with nothing else working that I tried this. Yup..weird. I'll repost if this fails, but several days and no flare up!

I had extremely dry, red, and itchy "flare ups" on and around my eyelids and in the corner of my eyes.  My right eye was always worst then my left.  When I went to the doctor they told me that I had eczema and gave me a steroid cream.  At first the cream helped but I would continue to get flare ups.  I went back to the doctor and they thought I may be allergic to something and did the patch test on my back.  They couldn't find anything that I was allergic to.  So basically I was left with nothing and the flare ups would continue to come back every few days.  One day it was so unbearable and I found this blog.  Everyone here really helped me!  I went straight out and bought the Mario Badescu control cream from Nordstrom.  I figured I had nothing to lose - it was cheaper than if I went to the doctor and paid a co-pay nevermind whatever they would prescribe me!  Anyone who is having this issue should try the Mario Badescu control cream!!!   The second I put the cream on I could immediately feel relief!!  After a few days my unsolvable problem was gone forever!  It has been 5 months and I have been clear!!  I still put on the cream twice a day (morning and night) just as a precaution.  Thank you to everyone for recommending it!  My normal skin is back and I am so grateful!!

I sort of stumbled upon this site when I was suffering from dry, upper eyelids in February.  I even had small slits, or cuts, in the creases of my eyelids.  It was very painful.  I went to my dermatologist and was given a $40 cream.  It didn't help.  That's when I googled my problem and found this site.  I bought the Mario Badescu control cream.  I am not kidding....I was cured in 2 days.  I couldn't believe it.  I use it nightly and haven't had one sign of any recurrence.  

This forum helped me in my journey to discover why my eyelids "suddenly" started becoming ultra-sensitive.  After making it to almost 40 with no allergies or skin problems, I seemed to develop horrible eczema overnight.  My eyes started off just being puffy/swollen, then got an angry red, then flaked and swelling would go away.  I stopped wearing makeup, kept it well moisturized (on the advice of my doctor, who insisted it was a pollen allergy), and it still kept coming back... same pattern, a few times a week.  

It wasn't overly itchy, and using hydrocortizone cream helped, although I was concerned about the side-effects of using that, especially on the eye area.  When it started to spread down my cheeks, I knew something was really wrong.  My eyes looked horrible, like I had pink eye or some sort of horrible, infectious disease!  I was moritifed to be seen in public and felt compelled to explain to everyone that I didn't have an infection, just sensitive skin that was experiencing an allergic reaction.

This went on for four months.  I know many of you have been dealing with this for YEARS.  I simply could not anymore, so I finally bypassed my doctor, who was no help at all, and went to an allergist.  He spent about an hour with me, talking to me about my lifestyle and the particular symptoms I was experiencing.  At the end of our discussion, he said, "the one thing I can tell you is that you probably do not have an allergy to pollen.  Just from what I see happening to your skin and from what you've described, you have none of the classic reactions."  

He suggested I get a patch test for chemical reactions, as he suspected my allergy was to something in a product I was using.  My first thought was my makeup - oh no!  I love wearing makeup and don't want to have to stop.  So, I did the test, which involves wearing a strip of paper on your back that has chemicals on it, then removing it and see what swells up and reddens your skin.

Guess what?  I was allergic to methylchloroisothiazolinone, a preservative and foaming agent used commonly in shampoo.  The lightbulb went off and I thought back... yes, I had changed shampoos a couple of weeks before the trouble began.  Pantene... methylcholorisothiazolinone is one of the top ingredients!  Considering I was in the high allergy response result from my patch test, no wonder this was causing irritation... the way I washed my hair, all those suds ran down right over my eyes!!

I stopped using it and the problem VANISHED... my swollen eyes healed up and they have never, in the six months since, flared up again.  

So, long story short, please visit an allergist and see if they can help you by conducting a chemical patch test to see if you are allergic.  If you can't afford the allergist, try avoiding shampoos with this ingredient and see what happens -- it can't hurt!

Good luck. :)

Great point about looking carefully at your shampoo as a cause!  My derm said another common ingredient is increasingly found to be a problem.

It is cocamidopropyl betaine, a foam former that is usually among the first three ingredients listed on a shampoo bottle.

Just try walking down your friendly supermarket aisle and finding a single shampoo that does NOT contain it!

Try this first.
STING, SWOLLEN AND PAINFUL EYES  

Evidently this is a big problem.It was for me. This could also be a help for many.
  I  also found this:
The active ingredients contained within Kleenex Anti-Viral are Citric Acid and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. These ingredients are present in the middle layer of the tissue and upon activation by moisture, kill 99.9% of cold and flu viruses within 15 minutes of contact. These tissues are virucidal against Rhinoviruses Type 1A and 2 that cause the common cold, Influenza A and Influenza B which cause the flu and Respiratory Syncytial Virus which is the leading cause of respiratory infection in children. Citric Acid makes up 7.51%, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate makes up 2.02% and the remainder of the ingredients are inert. If one holds a tissue up to the light, little blue dots containing the anti-viral ingredients can be seen. (when you wipe your moist eyes you activate these additives. This could be in other products as well)
In order to make its flu-fighting claims, Kimberly-Clark had to get approval for its pesticide-laced product from the EPA, rather than the Food and Drug Administration since tissues aren't ingested.(but can be by people and animals, my dog eats kleenex) After a yearlong review, the EPA approved the product in 2003, with certain caveats. The agency, for example, required that Kleenex state on its label that the product hadn't been tested against bacteria, fungi or other viruses. Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07022/755901-28.stm#ixzz1PMrScUlV
Well Here is some info on KLEENEX:

Is KLEENEX® Facial Tissue biodegradable? Flushable?
KLEENEX® Tissue is made with biodegradable cellulose fibers. Because the tissue is made with an additive to make it strong, it will not break down as rapidly as bathroom tissue. Therefore, we suggest you discard KLEENEX® Facial Tissue in the trash.
What types of trees are used to manufacture KLEENEX® Facial Tissue?
Selected tree species, including spruce, fir, aspen, maple and eucalyptus contain thin wood fibers which contribute to the desirable characteristics of softness, absorbency and strength in KLEENEX® Tissue.
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=187870

This is my post.
"I have had allergy's all of my live but when I moved to Dallas, Tx they got much worse. I have very sensitive eyes which water all of the time. My Eye Doctor gave me 2 excellent drops and controlled my problem. All of a sudden about 2 months ago they started sting so bad and none of the meds or any eye product worked at all. I had to put ice packs on my eyes and it didn't help very much. I ended up going to bed to rest my eyes. Then I started doing my own research on why this happened.  When your eyes water you grab a tissue. I was grabbing KLEENEX ULTRA SOFT designer tissue. THIS WAS THE PROBLEM. There is some chemical in the product that created such a painful horrible problem for me, it was very bad. When I stopped using a KLEENEX any where around my eyes it STOPED. Chemical Sun Screeners will also cause this problem. I bought hankies to address any eye watering and no problems. I hope this info helps you as well.  Go back to  hankies!!!  Be Green as save your self
Pat

I would just like to say how brilliant Mario badescu control cream is, after a few weeks of having nightmare it cleared up in 2 days I  have all done the same things as you all and I cant believe how amazing it is.  Just buy it and put it on your eyes quick

I found your post as I was researching this "red eye thing" and am so grateful to be reminded of the candida issue.  I expect it is the contributing factor for I have dealt with it in other areas for years.   In fact, a chiropractor found the problem about 5 years ago when my health was going south and docs could not find the problem.  They would just treat one area after another and not know what was causing them.  As you say, the diet works but I have really fallen off the wagon lately and I look like it.....from the eyes to the size. I look forward to relief.   Thanks.