There are numerous factors as to what causes rosacea, but bottom line is, it is essentially an inflammatory skin condition, and symptoms can include flushing and redness, acne-like bumps, patches of dry, irritated skin, and swelling. These symptoms can be triggered by environmental pollutants, sunlight, heat, stress, and various foods and drinks, and might flare up for a few weeks at a time or longer.
Here are eight essential skincare tips to soothe existing symptoms and minimize the chance of flare ups:
1. Use a Topical Probiotic Mask
Researches have discovered that many people with rosacea are missing the good bacteria on their skin that help prevent inflammation, and have an overgrowth of various bad bacteria. By using a probiotic mask, these microorganisms improve and strengthen the skin’s natural protective mechanisms and maintain an equilibrium of good bacteria on the skin’s surface.
They work by secreting anti-bacterial, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory substances that penetrate bad bacteria and kill them before they trigger an inflammation, whilst providing a protective shield to keep bad bacteria from reaching skin cells, as well as calming parts of the skin cells that want to react to the bad bacteria, thus stopping them from sending an “attack” message to the skin’s immune system that leads to redness, swelling, patchy skin, or acne-like bumps.
What To Do: Use a probiotic mask with as many strains of live bacteria culture as possible, and prebiotic, to balance the skin's natural microbiome and soothe inflammations.
Product Recommendation
MARIE REYNOLDS LONDON
Restore <- Click to shop
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2. Build Up Your Skin Barrier
Rosacea skin typically has a weakened lipid barrier, thus it is absolutely crucial to protect, maintain and strengthen it, as not only does it help lock in moisture, it also keeps bacteria, irritants and allergens out, thus reducing inflammation, redness and acne-like bumps.
What To Do: As the skin barrier is made up of lipids, it is crucial to replenish it with lipids, aka oils, so that the barrier can stay intact, strong and healthy.
Product Recommendation
ANFISA
LILOU Radiant Hydra Balm <- Click to shop
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3. Use an Anti-Pollution Product
While the concept of an anti-pollution skincare product may be hard to grasp, the truth is, rosacea skin is often triggered by environmental pollutants in the air. These free radicals attack healthy skin cells, and cause trauma that leads to redness, sensitivity, swelling and even worsened inflammation.
What To Do: Use an anti-pollution product that can fight and neutralize free radicals, whilst forming a breathable barrier on the skin surface to physically block out environmental pollutants.
Product Recommendation
KLUR
Symmetry Fluid <- Click to shop
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4. Use a Soothing Mask or Serum
With the right ingredients like honey, squalane, aloe vera, panthenol, gotu kola, chamomile, calendula, blue tansy, and lipid-rich oils such as avocado oil, a soothing mask or serum can provide instant calming effects to existing redness and dryness. However, the results may not be as long-lasting as you might wish, as the underlying cause must be addressed at the same time with treatments like probiotics and diet.
What To Do: Look for products with soothing ingredients like those listed above. For masks, try to avoid paper masks, which typically contains a lot of preservatives, and use wash-off masks instead.
Product Recommendation
MARIE REYNOLDS LONDON
Butter Balm <- Click to shop
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5. Avoid Harsh Cleansers
By stripping the skin of its natural oil with harsh and drying ingredients, such as a foaming cleanser, not only will the skin struggle to balance its water/oil protective structure, and as a result, produce excess oil that will clog the pores causing congestion and breakouts, the skin's lipid barrier may also be damaged, which opens the doors for bacteria and irritants to attack the skin.
What To Do: Use a gentle, non-foaming, non-stripping cleanser morning and night, and avoid anything that contains sodium lauryl sulfate or ammonium laureth sulfate.
Product Recommendation
TWELVE BEAUTY
Purifying Cleansing Beauty Cream <- Click to shop
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6. Avoid Benzoyl Peroxide
As one of the symptoms of rosacea is acne-like bumps, a lot of people treat it with acne products that contain benzoyl peroxide. This is a big mistake. By nature, this substance increases the skin's oxidative stress and dries the skin, which leads to even worse inflammation, as well as premature aging.
What To Do: Use products with enzymes instead as they can reduce inflammation, remove waste, bring nutrient to the damaged area, and help speed up the repair of damaged tissues, yet without causing irritation.
Product Recommendation
KLUR
Gentle Matter Daily Moisture Cleanser <- Click to shop
With pineapple, papaya and pumpkin enzymes, which are gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin, it gently exfoliates and improves enlarged pores, blemishes and dullness. Whilst, ingredients such as Damascus Rose Hydrosol, Marshmallow Root and Reishi help to balance skin, promote skin cell regeneration and collagen synthesis, fight free radicals, as well as hydrate and brighten.
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7. Exfoliate, But No Scrubs or Glycolic Acid
Contrary to popular belief, rosacea skin needs exfoliation too, as it is imperative to remove dead skin cells, and increase skin turnover, so healthy skin underneath can reveal itself. However, it is best to avoid physical scrubs and glycolic acid, as the former is designed to scrub away the top layer of skin, including healthy skin cells that form your skin’s protective barrier, as well as causing micro-tears in the skin, and the latter has the smallest molecular structure in the acid category, which means they get deep into the skin, and may cause irritations.
What To Do: Use a gentle acid-based exfoliator (without glycolic acid) that is also formulated with soothing, calming ingredients once, or maximum twice a week.
Product Recommendation
OUMERE
No. 9 Exfoliant <- Click to shop
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8. Avoid Food That Can Trigger & Worsen Rosacea
We have mentioned many times how food can affect the skin positively and negatively. Unfortunately for rosacea skin, there are many types of food that are best avoided, including dairy, gluten, sugar, eggs, nightshades, soy, alcohol, and caffeine, as they cause inflammation and can trigger and worsen rosacea symptoms.
Just remember, you are what you eat, and unless you maintain a strict but necessary diet, even the best and most expensive skincare products won’t be able to help.
What To Do: Find out more about the foods to be avoided here and here.
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