Rosacea is a skin condition caused by excessive inflammation and vascular dysfunction. This means that the capillaries on the face become enlarged and cause frequent blushing and redness, particularly on the cheeks, nose and forehead.
It causes a feeling of burning or stinging, and is likened to having sun or wind burn ALL THE TIME. But there are things you can do (and not do) to reduce your symptoms and keep rosacea under control.
Don’t put chemicals on or next to your skin. As rosacea can be easily aggravated by chemicals and synthetic ingredients, it is particularly important to choose natural and organic skincare products. Also avoid the use of fragranced items including fragranced cosmetics, perfumes and laundry detergent.
Do apply skincare products rich in antioxidants and organic oils. Not only do the antioxidant-rich ingredients help protect your skin from UV damage but organic oils such as jojoba have been shown to provide natural SPF factor (jojoba sits at around SPF 4). Our Repair Face Serum is my pick here (see customer story below).
Do wear sunscreen. When spending time in the sun, choose a natural sunscreen that will protect without aggravating (my personal favourite is the naturopathically formulated Soléo Sunscreen). But keep your time in the sun to a minimum as Rosacea is very often aggravated by sun exposure. This is because our body produces vitamin D when we are exposed to the sun and increased vitamin D levels are associated with rosacea progression.
Don’t eat foods that aggravate your rosacea. Rosacea is often worsened by certain foods so it’s important to become aware of which foods aggravate your condition. Common foods include alcohol, spices, and hot beverages.
Do eat a colourful diet. Rosacea is benefited by a diet providing anti-inflammatory effects. The Mediterranean diet is perfect because it is high in antioxidants and has a low glycaemic index.
Do eat all the good bacteria. Probiotics should also be added to your diet (e.g. kombucha, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchee, supplements). Good gut flora can help improve the absorption of key nutrients necessary for healthy skin, including zinc and vitamins A, C, D and E. It also benefits the immune system and is anti-inflammatory.
Don’t get too hot or cold. Avoid excessive climatic changes including high heat (this includes sunbathing, saunas, hot baths/showers and hot beverages), strong winds, extreme cold and high humidity.
Do try to stay calm. Stress can aggravate rosacea because it increases production of the key stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol has an inflammatory effect on skin and can contribute to flare-ups. To reduce stress, use daily stress management practices e.g. yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises. Gentle exercise can also help regulate cortisol levels.
I would also like to share that we’ve had some great results from customers using our Repair Face Serum. Kerry from Queensland shared this story:
“I suffer from both dry skin and rosacea, and trialled the Repair Face Serum to see if it would help fight my current flare up. From the first use I noticed a difference in my skin. I applied it at night before going to bed and by morning the dry, flaky skin was smooth and the redness reduced. I continued to use it for several days with increasingly impressive results, my skin was silky smooth, the dryness completely gone and the rosacea almost gone. I went without it for two days and noticed the rosacea beginning to flare up again. I cleaned my face and put the Serum on and by morning my rosacea had cleared up so completely people were commenting on how great my skin looked and were asking me what I was using on it!
The product itself is smooth and beautiful to apply. It has a light, natural, pleasant fragrance which is not overpowering, which I like as I wear perfume during the day and don’t want other scents competing. A little bit of the Serum goes a long way, so the bottle would last well. I’d highly recommend this for anyone suffering from dry skin, redness and rosacea. I got noticeable and rapid results!”
Please remember, rosacea is a multi-factorial skin disorder with many factors affecting its progression including immune dysregulation, climatic exposure, barrier dysfunction, and hormone dysregulation.
As always, I’m here to help so please feel free to reach out if you have any queries.
I hope you find it helpful.
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