rosacea symptoms – Rosy JulieBC

Popular Natural Rosacea Home Remedies You Have in Your Kitchen

Published on July 15, 2018June 8, 2020 by Julie B Campbell4 Comments

As you learn about the lifestyle changes that you can make to easily keep your symptoms under control, don’t forget that rosacea home remedies can be some of the simplest and most affordable weapons in your arsenal for combating redness, bumps, dryness, itchiness, burning, and other discomforts.

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.

Controlling rosacea symptoms is a two-part process: prevention and healing

The first component to helping to make sure that your rosacea symptoms are kept under control is to do what you can to stop them from happening in the first place. For some people, that is easier than for others. Every case of rosacea is different. While many rosacea sufferers can take on the right habits to heal their symptoms and stop them from ever coming back, others will need to keep up an ongoing effort to reduce and ease flare-ups.

Regardless of the way that your rosacea symptoms present themselves, identifying triggers and reducing your exposure to them is key to flare-up prevention. That said, when it comes to healing the flare-ups that do happen, there are some amazing home remedies that can help you to get even more out of your red light therapy.

Some of the best rosacea home remedies are readily available in your pantry.

The following are the top 5 rosacea home remedies that may help you to soothe your symptoms when flare-ups occur. Used in conjunction with daily red/amber light therapy, these natural treatments may help to alleviate the discomforts associated with this skin condition, while shortening the length of time it takes for the symptoms to heal.

Green tea – It’s no mystery that green tea is great for you. It’s filled with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenogenic, and phyto-protective properties that support your overall health. That said, those properties are also helpful to treating rosacea symptoms.
To take advantage of this home remedy, many people drink at least a couple of cups of green tea per day. Some will also make an extra cup “for the fridge.” Though you could drink that as an iced tea later on, many people prefer to use the chilled green tea for topical purposes. To do this, soak a very soft cloth in it and hold it against the affected part of your face. For some people, this can be very soothing and will decrease inflammation and redness. Be sure to apply to a clean face as this could change the effects of any other medications or rosacea skin care products that you have on your face. If you are using doctor-prescribed medication, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using this or any other home remedy for rosacea.
Oatmeal – Oatmeal is another antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredient. It can be wonderful for reducing redness, inflammation, burning, and itching. To use this as a home remedy, use powdered (colloidal) oatmeal. This can be purchased at most drugstores, but in a pinch, you can blitz plain oatmeal in the blender and run it through a sieve to keep only the finest powder. It should be extremely fine because it will need to remain evenly suspended in water droplets.
Mix ½ cup of the powder with ¼ cup of water and apply the mixture to the skin. Smooth it on very gently without rubbing. Leave it on for 20 minutes and rinse it away with cool water, patting dry with a microfiber towel. For a bad flare-up, repeat this several times per day. Again, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using this in combination with other treatments.
Turmeric – This is a powerful antiseptic and anti-inflammatory herb with fantastic therapeutic and antibacterial properties that make it a favourite among rosacea home remedies. Many rosacea patients believe that using this spice internally and externally on a regular basis helps them to control their symptoms. Many rosacea sufferers also enjoy the effects of turmeric in combination with LED light therapy.
External use involves applying a mask to the affected skin for 20 minutes made of turmeric and honey. This should be done daily until the symptoms have subsided.

Internally, take up to one teaspoon of turmeric in a glass of water or almond milk, or as an ingredient in a rosacea-busting smoothie. A small pinch of black pepper helps the absorption of the turmeric into the body (by boosting its bioavailability). If you are on any medications, particularly anti-inflammatories, blood pressure, blood thinners, or others, consult your doctor before using turmeric, as it does have quite a powerful effect.
Chamomile – A compress of chamomile can be very helpful to many – but not all – sufferers of this condition. It is interesting to note that some people feel that this is the next best thing to a cure, others find that it actually worsens their symptoms. Test on a very small area before applying this to all of your affected skin to be sure that you don’t have a chamomile allergy (which is cool) and that it will not cause your symptoms to worsen. To use a chamomile compress, soak three to six bags of chamomile tea in three cups of boiling water for ten minutes and then refrigerate until cool (though not cold). Soak a soft cloth in the liquid, wring out the excess, and rest it on your affected skin for 15 minutes. Repeat several times per day until symptoms subside.
Honey – A growing body of scientific and medical evidence is now supporting the use of raw honey, manuka honey, or kanuka honey among rosacea home remedies that help to prevent and treat symptoms. Honey is a natural antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and has antibacterial properties. Gently apply it to your skin in the affected areas and leave it there for at least 15 minutes before rinsing it away with lukewarm water.

Aside from these popular home remedies that you likely already have in your kitchen, there is one that you may not have but that wouldn’t be difficult to add to your pantry: lavender. The plant is very inexpensive and it smells wonderful. It can be purchased at virtually any garden center and it makes a terrific addition to a kitchen windowsill or a window box that receives a lot of sunlight. The rosacea home remedy using lavender involves clipping a sprig and boil it in a cup of hot water. Chill the liquid and dab it onto your affected skin with a cotton ball to ease inflammation and shrink blood vessels on the face. Repeat twice per week for as long as needed. As in all cases, consult with your doctor or pharmacist first.

The scent of lavender is also calming for many people. Since stress and anxiety can exacerbate rosacea symptoms, a little bit of aromatherapy to help you to keep calm can go a long way for preventing flare-ups and healing those that have occurred. Even without applying it to your skin, having a sprig of fresh lavender in your bedroom at night, or near your work space may help to keep you calm.

Any or all these home remedies have the potential to help you to treat your rosacea symptoms. That said, it’s important to note that every case of the condition is different. Some might work for you, others might not. Patch testing is always recommended before trying a full application of any home remedy.

I really can’t say this enough (but this is the last time for this post, so you can breathe a sigh of relief!): as is the case with any major changes that you make to your lifestyle, your diet, your fitness routine, or your treatment of a medical condition, it is a good idea to speak with your doctor before you get started, to ensure that they won’t conflict or interact with other treatments or medical conditions that you may have.

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 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.

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.