About 2-3 months ago I went on an OCD overzealous campaign against my face with an Axe luffa sponge and Old spice body wash. I was taking hot showers and scrubbing my face moderately hard with the luffa sponge soaped up with the body wash. I was then subjecting my skin to hot water from the shower. Everything was fine until I noticed about 2 months ago that my skin where the rash is had become very dry (not red yet). I put Vitamin E on it and basically forgot all about it. I continued the hot showers and exfoliating with the luffa sponge until one day I noticed a red rash on my face.

The rash/redness is located across my nose, on my cheeks in a "butterfly" pattern, directly below my eyebrows (A point where I know I was overexfoliating with the luffa sponge), and in the center of my forehead. My hairline was also dry/flaking on my face (also where I was exfoliating). There are a couple of random spots down below my mouth that are circled in red on the first picture there. These spots are red/dry. I also noticed the same redness/dryness in my beard, where I was also exfoliating.

The rash appears to be agitated by hot water/heat and/or rubbing/touching. Exercise causes the rash areas to sting. Even using listerine mouthwash where it triggers a burning sensation in your mouth agitates it. For a few weeks it was flaking and very dry but I was able to eliminate that for the most part by taking extremely cold showers and applying Eucerine moisturizer to my face quickly after. I have been taking cold showers for the past 2 weeks and I highly recommend you research the benefits of this.

This rash responds to 1% hydrocortisone (Aveeno) cream. I have applied Neosporin to this rash with little results. At this point in time I am not touching my face with anything whatsoever. I haven't showered in two days and it appears to be going away very slowly.

What did I do to my skin?