Rosacea can be a frustrating and uncomfortable condition to live with, but it can be managed, if not totally cured! We look at strategies for coping with flares.
How do you clear up rosacea? It’s a good question and one with a frustratingly partial answer. That’s because rosacea is a chronic condition, one that most people who have it just have to learn to live with, rather than clear completely. While individual flare-ups of rosacea can be vanquished, the condition itself can be very persistent, and another flare might be just around the corner!
So what’s the point of management strategies?
The end goal of putting in place a rosacea regime is to limit rosacea’s effect on your life, so you can enjoy it as much as possible, despite having a long-term skin condition. The aim is to have fewer and less severe flares, with longer periods of time between them, so that you’re able to be comfortable in your skin and minimise any long-term damage the condition might have on your skin.
The most effective way to do this is to follow a four-step management plan.
1. Identify your triggers: start by identifying your triggers, the things that cause your rosacea to flare up. These could be things you’re eating (spicy food is a classic rosacea trigger!) or drinking (as is alcohol), but also include less obvious things like being out on a windy day, having a hot cup of tea, moving from one environment to another, where you are in your menstrual cycle, exercise, stress, intense emotions, medications, the shampoo you use or the fancy new face cream you’ve just treated yourself to!
There are a few triggers that seem to cause problems for most people living with rosacea, but remember that everyone is different, and what might be fine for others could cause problems for you. Try keeping a trigger diary to keep a handle on what affects you,
2. Avoid the sun: sun is a prime trigger for rosacea! It can make an existing flare worse, and trigger another. It can also cause long-term damage to the skin, which can make it more likely that your rosacea symptoms persist or become permanent. It’s sensible to keep out of the sun as much as possible if you have rosacea; use high factor, hypoallergenic sunscreen, and wear hats, scarves or anything else you can utilise to protect your sensitive skin!
3. Use non-irritant skincare: ingredients in face creams and cosmetics can cause problems for people with rosacea, so make sure you check the ingredients list for those you think might affect you.
4. Keep skin in good condition: rosacea can leave lasting damage to skin if left untreated or unmanaged over time; the skin can thicken or become permanently discoloured. To help avoid this as much as possible, make sure you pay extra attention to your skin. Keep your face well-moisturised and nourished with nutrient-rich products that feed your skin with the EFAs, vitamins and oils it needs to produce new cells.
Balmonds can help with the last two strategies, with our range of natural products for sensitive skin! We have four different emollients that are particularly suitable for rosacea and which you can use in combination to keep your face well-nourished and well-hydrated, plus a non-irritant natural shampoo and body wash.
Balmonds Intensive Facial Oil with rosehip, palmarosa & chamomile (£22 for 30ml): great for night-time use
Balmonds Daily Moisturising Cream with shea butter, hemp & calendula (from £13.99 for 100ml): a great neutral unscented moisturiser for daily hydration
Balmonds Cooling Cream with lavender, aloe & menthol (£19 for 100ml): for calming flushed skin
Skin Salvation balm with beeswax, hemp & chamomile (from £7.99 for 30ml): for intensive hydration
Balmonds Natural Shampoo & Body Wash with nettle & chamomile (£19 for 200ml): good as a shower gel or & facial wash for super sensitive skin
