rosacea blogger – Rosy JulieBC

Rosacea Skin Care Tips to Beat the Summer Heat

Published on June 9, 2018June 8, 2020 by Julie B Campbell

Rosacea summer skin care tips

Trying to achieve the right rosacea skin care strategy to stop flare-ups is hard enough, as it is, without the added heat and humidity from the summer months to make the entire process more complicated.

When the mercury starts to rise, don’t let the color in your cheeks rise with it! Instead, use the right strategy to help you to enjoy the summer while keeping the redness, bumps, itchiness, heat, and other rosacea symptoms and discomforts at bay.

Check out the following rosacea skin care tips to keep cool, even when the weather is hot:

Keep out of direct sunlight – Exposure to UV rays and the heat that comes with them is one of the most common triggers for flare-ups among all rosacea sufferers. For that reason, stay out of sunlight as much as possible from 10am to 2pm (when the sun is at its hottest), wear a wide brimmed hat, and work on finding a sunscreen that is at least SPF 15 but that is gentle enough not to cause a skin reaction. Sit in the shade whenever possible, and use an umbrella to create your own, when there isn’t a big tree handy.
Exercise in the morning or evening – Exercise is important to your health, but the temperature combined with physical exertion can make it hard to stop your skin from flushing. If you need to, do several short routines, instead of one long one. Try to work out in the morning or evening, when the temperatures are cooler, or stick to an air conditioned exercise space.
Learn your triggers – Take note of the environmental and physical factors that are triggers for your flare-ups and avoid them. This potentially includes foods and topical products, as well as stress and lack of sleep, in addition to weather factors such as sun and wind. By avoiding them, your skin may not be as reactive to heat and humidity.
Keep cool – Wear lightweight, light colored, loose-fitting clothing, stay hydrated, chew on ice chips, or even wear a damp scarf or towel around your neck to keep your body temperature down. That way, the weather won’t have as much of an impact on you.
Avoid alcohol – It’s true that part of the fun of summer barbecues and parties is in the great cocktails that you get to enjoy, but they are some of the most common rosacea triggers among sufferers. Instead, consider trying a tasty mocktail from the National Rosacea Society (“Beat the Red with These Summer Mocktails”) that you’ll love, that won’t trigger redness, that will keep you hydrated and cool, and that may even help to reduce the risk of flare-ups through their carefully chosen ingredients.
Be consistent with rosacea treatments – Whether you are using a prescription medication, a natural rosacea treatment, or light therapy, keep up with what has been working for you on a very regular schedule, every day. One of the best rosacea skin care tips that you’ll ever learn is to discover what works and stick to it. That way, your skin will be less reactive and less likely to be affected by fluctuations in the weather.

Summertime can be a ton of fun, as long as you use the right rosacea skin care tips to keep the redness down. Then you can think about what truly matters: having a great time!

Rosacea Skin Care in Winter: How to Stop Those Rosy Cheeks!

Published on January 6, 2018June 8, 2020 by Julie B Campbell1 Comment

While winter is known for giving many people a pink-cheeked look when they come in from the cold, those plummeting temperatures and harsh winds can be even harder on your skin when you have rosacea.

Rosacea in Winter | Rosy JulieBC — Rosy JulieBC after walking in -30ºC weather (-22ºF)

Yes, it can look cute when you have rosy cheeks when you just walk in the door from a brisk winter’s day but when the redness doesn’t go away and is joined by tightness, dryness, burning, itching and other unpleasant symptoms, it becomes clear that the right winter skin care for rosacea is a must.

You might have found what works for you in the summertime as you protect your skin from triggers and keep it gently cleansed and moisturized but colder weather typically requires a slight change in rosacea skin care products.

Believe it or not, this is true no matter where you live. Regardless of whether your winters send the mercury well below freezing or whether you live somewhere that remains comparatively mild, it is the difference in temperatures and humidity levels from one time of the year to the next that causes your skin to require different rosacea skin care products.

Wind, cooler temperatures, as well as air conditioning or indoor heating can all wreak havoc on your rosacea symptoms. Humidity, dryness and temperature fluctuations can require an extra layer of protection throughout the winter months. All this, on top of the stress many people feel around the holiday season when there are many different kinds of plans, gatherings, festivities and even just things to wrap up before the year comes to an end, can take its toll.

It also makes it more important to keep up with any treatments you are using, regardless of whether they are prescriptions, natural rosacea treatments or amber or red light therapy or both red and amber light therapy combined.

Winter Rosacea Symptoms Prevention Tips

Here are some great tips to help to keep your rosy cheeks and rosacea symptoms under control this winter:

When the weather is extreme, try to stay in as much as possible. Very low temperatures and biting winds will only make things worse, fast. If you must head out, use a ski mask or scarf to keep your face protected.
Be aware of your body temperature. It’s easy to get very cold and very hot in a matter of moments in the winter. Stepping inside homes, workplaces and malls while bundled up can rapidly bring on the heat. Heading out the door after being warm inside can strike you with shivers. Layer with loose clothing so you can always adjust how warm or cool you are.
Pay attention to fabrics. Many people find their rosacea symptoms flare when they come in contact with certain fibers. One common troublemaker is wool. Take care to know what fibers are coming in contact with your face and watch for trends in irritations and flare-ups.
Keep cool while inside. This is especially important when you’re doing things like cooking and baking. These activities feel so normal and everyday that we often forget how warm they can make us. Steam from pots and heat from stoves and ovens can rapidly bring on rosacea flushing. Take breaks from the heat by leaving the room – or at least the spot immediately in front of the oven and stove – whenever you can. Turn on the hood fan or an oscillating fan set on low, to move some of the heat around and keep the temperature within reason.
Watch what you eat. Added sugars, salty foods, alcohol and other potential trigger foods abound when it’s nasty outside. This is especially true because hot foods and beverages are the most appealing when you’re trying to beat the winter chills. Try to limit the consumption of these foods as much as possible – if you can get away with a bite, go for that, instead of a whole portion – and try to wait for hot options to cool down a bit before you begin.
Keep your stress levels as controlled as possible. Don’t overbook your schedule, complete tasks as early as you can, don’t procrastinate, make a priority of “me time” and stick to a bedtime and waking routine as though your life depended on it. The more relaxed you are, the calmer your skin can be.
Maintain an extremely consistent winter rosacea skin care routine. Find the right rosacea skin care products for your unique skin type and symptoms as early as possible and stick to them – along with any treatments you’re using – without any exceptions.
Sit back from the fireplace. Try not to sit too close to any specific heat source as it will only warm and dry your skin, increasing the risk of a flare-up or at least a deeper blush.
Consider using a humidifier if your home is especially dry in the winter. If you can’t touch anything metal without getting a shock or if your sweaters and hair are particularly zappy, this may be a sign that a humidifier could help – particularly if it’s run in your bedroom at night while your skin is doing most of its healing.

Consistency with rosacea treatments and skin care as well as avoiding triggers can help you to avoid the vast majority of flare-ups and discomforts.

Winter Rosacea Skin Care Tips

The hardest part of treating your skin during the winter is usually in developing and sticking to your rosacea skin care routine. The first step is to find the right products, which can be a struggle in itself but then you need to stick to it every morning and every evening without fail. No exceptions.

Moreover, for the first two weeks of virtually any rosacea product change, your skin will often flare-up and break out. This makes it very difficult to judge any rosacea skin care products within the first two weeks of use, as things often get worse before they get better. For most people, the key is to keep it simple. Use as few products as possible, choose formulas with very gentle ingredients and avoid most options with promises such as anti-aging, exfoliating and even anti-redness in some situations (as many anti-redness formulations are designed to mask the color without healing the skin underneath, which can actually worsen the situation over time).

Consider the following tips as you create your winter rosacea skin care routine:

Gentle cleansing. Use an extremely gentle rosacea skin care product for cleansing. The goal isn’t to have a “squeaky clean” feeling once you’re done. Instead, the idea is to remove the dirt, unwanted bacteria, product and excess oils while leaving some skin oils in place. Healthy skin does have some oil left on it. You want your skin to be clean, not stripped. In most situations, twice-daily cleansing is all you need.
A low- or non-foaming, fragrance free, creamy cleanser is the goal. Watch out for alcohols and astringent ingredients as they should typically be avoided. The result should leave a thin film behind that will act as a moisture barrier to lock in this vital hydration.
Rosacea treatment. If you are treating your rosacea with a specific prescription or nonprescription topical cream or with amber light therapy and/or red light therapy, now is usually the best time to use it. Treatments are generally best used on a clean face, right after cleansing. That said, be sure to follow the directions of your doctor or dermatologist, or on the product package.
Moisturizing. This is best done as close to cleansing as possible. If you are using a treatment, moisturize right afterward (unless the treatment includes the moisturizing or recommends against the application of additional products). If you are not using a treatment, moisturize immediately, when your skin is no longer damp but when it doesn’t yet have that fully dry feeling. An extremely gentle moisturizer is best. In the daytime, it can help if you choose one with an SPF if the sun is one of your triggers.
In the winter heavier creams, salves and oils are often more effective for preventing rosacea symptoms than the lighter lotions that are typically suited to warmer weather. This is the product most likely to need to be changed as a part of the rosacea skin care routine when moving from one season to the next and is the most likely to require that unpleasant transition period of about two weeks when breakouts and flare-ups can happen. Red light therapy may help to minimize the inflammation that is behind many of those symptoms and amber light therapy can help to calm the skin.

Set up a routine that will be appropriate for following the instructions on all these rosacea skin care products and treatments and stick to it without fail. Your skin loves routine and hates change, so the more you keep up the exact same patterns, the less likely you will be to have breakouts, flare-ups, and other unwanted symptoms.

*Please remember that I’m a rosacea blogger and patient with the condition, but I’m not a doctor. This is information I’ve compiled based on my own experience, but I’m not a medical professional or a skin care expert. For an official diagnosis or advice, please make an appointment to see your doctor!

Rosacea Diagnosis: What’s Behind Your Rosy Cheeks?

Published on November 12, 2017June 8, 2020 by Julie B Campbell

rosy cheeks rosacea symptoms When you continually have a red face that looks as though you have a sunburn that won’t go away, you will likely start to wonder what’s going on with your complexion. This becomes more confusing when those rosy cheeks are accompanied by additional symptoms such as itching, burning, extreme dryness, or little pimples that resemble whiteheads.

Diagnosis of rosacea is becoming increasingly common, but as there is no specific test for this condition, doctors tend to rely on a physical exam of the skin, in combination with a history of your symptoms in order to reach a conclusion with regards to what is afflicting you.

For this reason, misdiagnosis of rosacea is common. It is often assumed to be a form of acne, eczema, psoriasis, or even lupus, as all of those conditions can present with similar types of symptoms. Therefore, if you have been showing symptoms of a red face that just don’t seem to be going away, it’s important that you do speak with your doctor and not simply assume that it is rosacea.

At the same time, this same issue works the other way. Many people with rosacea have been treating their skin for another condition following a misdiagnosis. This can cause symptoms to worsen, or it can allow the condition to progress because it is being improperly controlled.

Please note that this is not medical advice. It is not meant as a recommendation. It’s meant to help share information I’ve discovered over the years and that I thought you might find interesting and helpful. Always talk to your doctor before making major dietary or health changes.

Make an appointment with a doctor

If you think that you may have rosacea because of symptoms of a red face, rosy cheeks, burning, little pimples, or any of the other symptoms of rosacea it is important to speak with a doctor. The diagnosis may be made by your regular physician, or you may need to see a dermatologist.

To prepare for your appointment, you may find that a diary of rosacea symptoms will be a helpful tool. If you record the symptoms that you experience over the days that precede the appointment, you’ll be able to show your doctor the times of day when you experience the most symptoms, the types of things you ate when symptoms occurred, the amount of sunlight to which you were exposed, exercise and physical exertion, and even the amount of stress that you were feeling. This can help to point to certain triggers, which is very helpful for both yourself and the doctor in making a diagnosis and in suggesting rosacea treatments that will work.

There aren’t any screening tools such as blood tests for rosacea, so the most important thing that you can do when you prepare for your first visit to the doctor’s office is to go with a clean and moisturized face. Don’t wear makeup. Observing your skin is one of the primary techniques that a doctor can use to help to decide whether or not your red face is caused by rosacea. If you cover it or change it with makeup, that could mislead your doctor.

At the dermatologist appointment

Your doctor or dermatologist will likely speak with you about your medical history. This may include questions about medical conditions, your skin care routine, mental health issues (as stress and anxiety can be some primary rosacea triggers), lifestyle (such as time spent outdoors in direct sunlight), whether or not your family has a history of rosy cheeks, and even about your menstrual cycle (if you are female, of course).

Some components of a physical exam may also be conducted in order to rule out other potential causes of the symptoms. This will mostly involve a careful skin examination during which the symptoms are carefully observed. At this time, you will likely be asked about other symptoms such as any pain, itching, burning, or stinging that you feel in the red parts of your face.

Receiving a rosacea diagnosis for your rosy cheeks and other symptoms

The actual diagnosis of rosacea should be relatively fast, easy, and painless. This will be even faster if you have taken note of your symptoms and potential triggers, in advance. The reason is that it will help your doctor to more quickly rule out other potential conditions that could be causing the symptoms.

An accurate rosacea diagnosis is key to being able to treat and overcome your red face symptoms and to reduce or eliminate the discomforts associated with this condition, such as burning and stinging. Beginning treatment early on is also important to helping to slow the progression of the condition. While not every rosacea sufferer’s symptoms will worsen over time, many people who have this skin disorder do find that it becomes more severe as the years pass.

Since there are many different components to a rosacea treatment, and it takes some trial and error to discover what will work for each specific individual, an early start is your best advantage. Some of the things that you should expect to have recommended to you include:

Dietary changes (to identify and avoid trigger foods and drinks)
Sun protection
Gentle skin care including proper cleansing and moisturizing
A topical product, such as a prescription medication or natural treatment.
An oral antibiotic (this is a common first effort to clear symptoms)
Avoiding excessive heat and steam (stoves, hot beverages, soups, saunas, hot tubs, etc)
Light therapy (LED, LLLT, Laser, etc)

Light therapy is a relatively new type of treatment for red face symptoms, but positive responses over the last decade to treatments involving red light or red combined with other colors of light, have made this a much more common practice. If your doctor or dermatologist does not bring up the topic among the initial forms of treatment for rosacea, don’t hesitate to bring up the subject in order to discuss whether or not it will be appropriate for you and your new skin care routine.