Rosacea has a pretty light and airy name for a skin condition that can be frustrating at best and torturous at worst. I once went scouring the internet for advice on anyway to control my own rosacea; it’s a complicated condition so that scouring can feel exhausting before you’ve even made a dent.
As someone with rosacea, I’ve gone through the gamut of trying to control it. Think of this guide as your well-tested strategy for treating rosacea.
First, the ins and outs of what rosacea is. This is a prevalent, chronic skin condition that results in slight to severe redness and can manifest in 4 different forms.
Erythematotelangiectatic involves redness and flushed skin, sometimes with visible blood vessels. Papulopustular is a more severe case with redness, swelling, and acne-like bumps. Phymatous is more challenging yet, as the skin thickens and has a bumpy texture. The last form of rosacea is ocular, which causes red and irritated eyes as well as swollen eyelids, possibly including bumps.
Depending on which type of rosacea you’re struggling with, different treatments will have varying levels of effectiveness. This guide will help you with every kind of rosacea, but for severe cases, strong methods are necessary (which we’ll mention).
What Causes It?
Rosacea is a tricky skin condition because so, so, so many things can trigger it. We’re talking about nearly everything (I know, trust me). Too hot outside? Flare-up. Too cold outside? Flare-up. Some triggers — like the weather and emotions — you can’t control, but other triggers are well within your control. Rosacea reacts to:
- Coffee
- Direct sunlight
- Certain medications
- Spicy foods
- Foods with cinnamaldehyde (cinnamon, chocolate, tomatoes)
- Foods on this list
- Hot beverages
- Make-up
- Alcohol
A good idea for getting your rosacea as well-managed as possible is to keep a diary for it just like you would keep a food diary. This format is great for keeping track of what causes you to flare up so you can avoid it. This study found that diet plays a significant role in the flaring up of rosacea. Try incorporating the rosacea diet into your lifestyle; this is a guide to eliminating trigger foods and adding in beneficial foods.
Topical Treatment Options
Once you’ve got your diet addressed, move on to your skincare regiment. You probably know the line your esthetician won’t give up, “Everyone’s skin is different.” That logic is especially true with rosacea.
When cleansing — which should be done twice a day as oil build-up will only exacerbate rosacea — use lukewarm water and a non-foaming cleanser. Avoid harsh products too, like witch hazel and manual exfoliants like scrubs. The First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser is specifically formulates for sensitive and problematic skin, helping maintain a natural pH balance.
It’s also vital to moisturize and use 30+ SPF during the day; whether it’s cloudy or you’re indoors, the sun is your enemy. Look for skin products with zinc, like the Biossance Squalane + Zinc Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 PA +++, as this can help to tame the irritation and redness of rosacea.
If you’re searching for more rigorous treatments, rosacea can sometimes be effectively minimized with laser treatments and medications. If you have rosacea, you definitely set up a visit with your dermatologist to check into all the options, including what medications or laser treatments would assist best with your type of rosacea.
The Makeup Solution
While you might not be able to do much immediately for a rosacea flare-up, you can reduce any redness with effective makeup that won’t add fuel to the fire. The skin loving ingredients within jane iredale foundations, concealers, and powders actually help soothe sensitive rosacea skin while still providing a full coverage finish! Plus, the products are all 100% vegan and always cruelty-free.
For light coverage, try Glow Time® Full Coverage Mineral BB Cream, which covers blemishes, minimizes the appearance of pores, disguises wrinkles and smooths and brightens skin.
The Amazing Base® Loose Mineral Powder provides luminous sheer to medium coverage that feels like silk. Perfect for concealing redness and diffuses appearance of fine lines and pores with soft focus effect.
Looking for something a lot more buildable? Try Beyond Matte™ Liquid Foundation. This clean, weightless, multitasking 3-in-1 foundation provides buildable, stay-put coverage and a natural-looking semi-matte finish.
Add double-duty coverage by using a primer specifically formulated for reducing redness, like the SIIA Cosmetics Silky Smooth Primer, which uses pineapple extract to combat rosacea. It naturally controls redness, moisture and oil production.
Having any skin condition is frustrating, as our face is the first thing people truly receive an impression of us from, and it’s a unique part of our bodies. Yet, rosacea doesn’t have to be a downer.
For one, there are many chronic health conditions with much worse repercussions; when my rosacea flares up, I like to remind myself that if I have to have a chronic condition, I’m glad it’s mainly an aesthetic issue and not a risk to my life.
If that’s an unsatisfying consolation, don’t worry — most types of rosacea are very receptive to lifestyle changes. Get started on making those changes, and you’ll be reducing that redness in no time.
