What is Rosacea?
If you ask anyone who has it they will tell you it is a miserable pain. Rosacea
may appear as a flush of dilated capillaries or massive breakout. It can flare up
for seemingly no reason. It is a condition that the more you know about it, the
better equipped you can be to deal with it.
The National Rosacea Foundation defines Rosacea as:
“a chronic, acne-like condition of the facial skin that may affect as many as 14
million Americans. It typically first appears when people reach their 30s and 40s as
a flushing or subtle redness on the cheeks, nose, chin or forehead that comes and
goes. If left untreated, Rosacea tends to worsen over time. As the conditions
progresses, the redness becomes more persistent, bumps and pimples called papules and
pustules appear and small, dilated blood vessels may become visible. In some cases
the eyes also may be affected, causing them to feel gritty, and appear watery, irritated
and bloodshot. In advanced cases, the nose may become red and swollen from excess
tissue - the conditions that gave the late comedian W.C. Fields his trademark bulbous
nose."
Managing Rosacea
All forms of stimulants seem to make Rosacea worse. Skins suffering
from this condition are functioning in an over-active state. We need to focus on calming
them down as it takes very little to make this worse. The latest information
indicates the cause may well be the Dermodex mite. Dr. Peter Pugliese has done extensive
research on this condition and his studies and clinical trials show a reversal in the
condition when the mite is eliminated.
Environmental stimulants:
Temperature can be a culprit. This would include very hot or cold weather, (or rooms), as
well as exposure to the irritating effects of the wind. High humidity seems to also make
problematic skin break out more. Some of the clients with the worst problems seem to be of
Scandinavian decent who lived an outdoor lifestyle.
Sun exposure triggers both heat and UVA /UVB damage. For Rosacea clients this can
include dilatation of the capillaries and increased breakouts. Clients should wear
wide-brimmed sun hats and a good SPF30 product. We recommend the Circadia Light Day
Cream SPF 30 as it doesn’t feel heavy and
isn’t irritating to this type of skin. I have tried many SPF products over the
years and this is one of the nicest.
Internal Stimulants: Anything with caffeine, sugar, spices, salts or iodine has
been observed to be an aggravator to this skin condition. Alcoholic beverages increase
body heat and aggravate. The same is true for any hot beverages. 
Keep sodas, coffee and those spicy dishes to a
minimum. There is no substitute for lots of cool water. In hot weather or when
working in a hot environment, suck or chew on ice chips to keep body temperature
down. Draping a cool towel across the back of the neck can be very soothing and heat
reducing.
Certain drugs seem to also elevate body temperature as can our natural hormones.
Being aware can be one of your best assets.
External Chemical
stimulants: Your hot-tub may feel
wonderful but the heat it generates and the chemicals necessary to keep it clean may cause
your Rosacea to be intensified. Also be aware of chlorine in swimming pools if that
makes your skin problems worse. Other external chemical stimulants could come from
your work environment. Avoid touching your face if you come in contact with inks,
carbon, grease or other “chemicals”.
The products you use on your skin also fall into the “chemical”
category. Just because something is a chemical doesn’t make it bad. A
chemical is simply the term used when two molcules are fastened together. Water is a
chemical, air is a chemical. We just need to find the right products for you with
chemicals that your skin tolerates well. Some people like to use very harsh
stripping agents to help control Rosacea. While it works for some, it makes many
other skins worse. 
It
is best to avoid the following as you are apt to experience a flare up: astringents,
alcohol, witch hazel, menthol, peppermint, eucalyptus oil, clove oil, and glycolic, lactic
or salicylic acid.
We recommend treating this skin type gently. Dr. Pugliese recommends the Vitamin Veil Cleanser for Rosacea skins. It will feel very strange at
first because it is a soothing soybean oil base. It does not clog the skin but actually
does soothe it. I have clients use this product exclusively for one to three days and they
find their skin noticeably calmer. It rinses off well with water and a washcloth but you
may notice a fine “veil” of vitamins left on the skin. This is fine and does not
require a toner to strip remove it. Dr. Pugliese recommends not over-stripping the skin as
this can lead to more irritation. My clinical use confirms this technique works.
In place of a toner we recommend Soothing Mist as it will instantly soothe redness,
tingling or other signs of irritation. It can be reapplied during the day to calm and
soothe the skin. Try keeping it in the refrigerator as a great cool-down for those tough
moments. Another great helper for irritation or stinging skin is Instant Calm. This green
tea complex relieves tingling, stinging or other discomfort on contact. Redness is reduced
within minutes. Not only is it great for rosacea but also on sunburns, insect bites or
other skin irritations. For sever cases, try R-Relief instead. R-Relief is Instant
Calm greatly intensified. Redness prone skins benefit from using a small amount on a daily
basis. Give it a week and see the improvement.
Rosacea RX has been shown to consistently reduce redness, irritation and skin
discomfort within 10-14 days. The active ingredients are rosemary and evening primrose
oil. It is light, hydrating and soothing. Let this soak in then apply your SPF 30 on top.
Since Rosacea skins are sun-sensitive it is important to incorporate topical Vitamin C
daily. Vitamin C enhances sun protection and helps to prevent the signs of aging. The
SPF30 Day Cream by Circadia offers this protection along with soothing healing agents.
Apply over face and neck on top of Vitamin C Reversal Serum and Instant Calm. We
incorporate Hyaluronic Acid into our Vitamin C to help fight the symptoms of dehydration.
This wonderful agent can attract moisture and add it to the skin.
Your SPF product is perfect for daytime but if you need more moisture try the Hydrating
Moisture Cream over your other products day or night. It is very light but restores
moisture to delicate dehydrated skin.
Home Care to Prevent a Flare up
 | Cleanse skin using gentle products like Vitamin Veil Cleanser and work to normalize body
temperature. |
| More oily skins prefer Panthenol cleanser |
| Apply a few drops Vitamin C Reversal Serum (days) |
| Apply 1-2 pumps Instant Calm or R-Relief. |
| Apply Rosacea RX day and night |
| Circadia Light SPF 30 (day) or Hydrating Moisturizer Cream (night.)
|
| Spritz with Soothing Mist as needed. |
| Avoid consuming alcohol, hot beverages and/or spicy foods. Eat a
diet full of raw vegetables and grains. Avoid saturated and animal fats
which have been shown to promote inflammation. |
|
Avoid direct sunlight, humidity, and high or very low
temperatures. Avoid saunas, steam baths and hot tubs. |
|
Avoid skin care and/or makeup products that contain
alcohol or topical steroid creams. |
|
Employ true mineral makeup products (read ingredient
labels to avoid triggers like talc.) |
|
Avoid excessive rubbing or scrubbing of the face. Use
only very gentle cleansers with lukewarm water. Gently pat face dry.
|
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Avoid foods containing histamines or those that release
histamines in the body which may trigger a flare-up. These may include:
tomatoes, spinach, eggplant, cheese, chocolate, chicken liver, bananas,
raisins, figs, avocadoes, and sour cream. Niacin rich foods including
liver and yeast can also cause flare-ups. Bread does not seem to be a
trigger.
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