Tag: rosacea treatment

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.