10 Tips to Eliminate Rosacea

The sunny days are back and so is the desire to go out. The sun's rays warm the skin but you feel it changing and see redness then pimples or lumps appear. Don't wait any longer, you may be suffering from rosacea . We will give you all our advice to best manage these flare-ups and help you eliminate rosacea.

What is rosacea?

Rosacea is a skin disease that mainly affects fair and mature skin. It is often women aged 30 to 60 who see red or pink lesions appear in the center of their face: these are the blood vessels which dilate following an external attack. Men are less affected by this phenomenon, as for children, it can result in ocular rosacea combined with ophthalmological symptoms. Be careful, just because white skin is mostly the most affected does not mean that black skin is absolutely not affected. Indeed, due to the pigmentation of black skin, redness is difficult to observe and therefore rosacea often passes for acne. However, these are not the same remedies that are used. Around 5% of the French population is affected by rosacea, in Switzerland we are talking about several hundred thousand people (Source Revmed.ch)

There are several forms of rosacea, and depending on the severity or type you suffer from, it can manifest as:

• Flushes: redness on the face, whether it stays or disappears quickly.
• Rosacea
• Pimples (In the so-called papulo-pustular rosacea form)
• Ocular rosacea
• Phymas (thickening of the skin around the sebaceous glands, more common around the nose, we speak of rhynophyma)

What are the types of rosacea?

Rosacea can be divided into 4:

Defined as the first symptom of rosacea, these are small rednesses that appear and disappear quickly on the face. It may also be permanent redness on the nose, cheeks or forehead. These redness can make the skin dry, tight or even develop a tingling or burning sensation. This redness can also be accompanied by the appearance of small vessels, this is what we call telangiectasia or rosacea. Red lines will remain visible as skin redness fades.

Pimples appear on the face; they can be hard or filled with pus. Telangiectasias or also called rosacea can become more pronounced and the redness on the face is very marked.

This form of rosacea is the most marked, it is the increase in the sebaceous glands of the nose and a more marked dilation of the pores of the skin. It can make the skin rough and rocky. Phymatous rosacea mainly affects men aged 50 and over, however there is no miracle solution to eliminate it, only surgery can be carried out.

As its name implies, it is the eyes that are affected by this form of rosacea. This results in irritation of the eyelids, red and dry eyes, increased sensitivity to light. Frequent conjunctivas can also be a sign.

You must be vigilant, and seek advice if you have any doubts. Since ocular rosacea can be a warning sign of future skin damage but above all trigger a decline in vision if this is not monitored by qualified professionals.

Rosacea can be diagnosed by your dermatologist even if you don't have all of these symptoms.

The origins of rosacea

As noted above, rosacea is mainly contracted by fair-skinned people. Redness will appear on the complexion and here are the main reasons:

• heat or cold: significant variations in temperature which will surprise the skin which will defend itself against this attack and therefore redden.
• too much exposure to UV rays: fair skin, often prone to sunburn, will see a greater impact appear on their skin when the protection is not sufficient.

Although the reasons are mainly linked to the external environment, actions can also cause the skin to react quickly.

• the consumption of spicy products: inevitably in the presence of a food emitting heat and those inside the body itself, the latter can only react!
• Alcohol consumption also causes facial blushing which may not fade if it is too severe.
• Too rapid temperature changes during the shower are also a sensitizing factor for the skin. It reacts if it is too hot but also too cold.
• An active sign of infection or illness, fever will also trigger a reddening of the facial skin.
• Heredity can also come into play when developing rosacea.
• Demodex folliculorum, a small mite the size of a seed living on our skin, is an important vector in the development of rosasea. For what ? This giant of the microscopic world feeds on excess sebum in the skin. This can be seen as a good point, it is true, however due to the lack of a digestive system the mite dies quickly after feeding and ends its life in the sebaceous glands close to the hair follicles. These bacteria also perish and release inflammatory proteins leading to an immune response which manifests itself in the form of rosacea.

Finally, the use of certain cosmetics in facial care also has an impact on the reaction of your skin. For example, sudden redness and rash following the use of a cosmetic product? It 's because it wasn't suitable for your sensitive skin. It must surely contain alcohol, irritating products like perfume or chemicals which are products to ban to eliminate rosacea.

How to treat rosacea?

Unfortunately there is no miracle solution to make rosacea disappear. To best treat it, it must be diagnosed quickly for better care. However, to reduce its occurrence and the inconvenience it causes, there are some tips that you can implement on a daily basis.

Things to avoid and good actions to adopt to reduce rosacea

Food: Simple little things that will go a long way:

1. Spicy food: yes we love little salsa evenings with friends but be careful not to spice up your plate too much, keep mild foods close to you that won't make you overheat too much.

2. We also reduce our alcohol consumption which also promotes the dilation of the blood vessels on the surface of your face

3. Omegas and vitamins will be your friends: add foods rich in trace elements to your menus such as fish, fresh vegetables and fruits or even almonds.

4. Certain foods can have a real impact on the skin. By eliminating some of them you will be able to see a significant improvement and not only in the quality of your skin but in your entire body. It is recommended to consult a dietician or naturopath who will support you in this new approach.

Lifestyle: It is not necessary to turn it upside down but just to integrate new activities or restrict others

5. Promote exposure to the sun with sun protection , even in winter : to facilitate application, especially in winter, you can integrate into your routine a moisturizing cream with a minimum SPF of 30 against UVA and UVB. Yes, a tanned complexion is beautiful and you can continue to tan even if you protect your skin every day. Also remember to hydrate your skin after all exposure and not only with care products but also by drinking a minimum of 1.5 liters of water per day.

6. Avoid and remove skin disruptors as much as possible from your complexion, care and shower routine. Choose natural products without alcohol, perfume, menthol, or sodium lauryl sulfate and focus on cleansing your skin in a minimum of steps, which will reduce damage to your skin.

7. For your cleansing and makeup removal, you can turn to fatty products such as oils or balms and then a gentle cleanser. Use a separate towel which will limit movement, the appearance and activity of new germs on your skin.

8. To soothe redness and feelings of heat, you can integrate oils or treatments containing them into your routine, in particular: hemp oil, Safflower oil or tamanu oil. Of course we also advise you to turn to cosmetics specially developed for redness.

9. In the shower, do not overuse the thermostat too hot or too cold to reduce temperature changes that are too sudden for the skin.

Stress management

10. It is essential not to blame yourself if rosacea persists, as a reminder the reason is often 40% genetics. It is also important to consult professionals in the field for appropriate support. Don't shut yourself up, talk about it, there are surgical remedies to reduce the redness or make it disappear but it will gradually return some time later. Activities such as yoga can help you relax and externalize the side effects of rosacea. In addition, choosing a gentle activity allows you to slow down your pace and focus on what suits you best. Take some time for yourself !

OlieNeela guides you towards a more natural routine to reduce the negative impact of processed cosmetics on your skin. Do not hesitate to consult our products made in Switzerland to compose your adapted routine.

Olie Neela, with a lot of love xoxo