Rosacea: A Science Backed Approach

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that causes facial redness and bumps. This condition, generally affecting men and women over the age of 30, can be tricky to treat. Though it isn’t particularly dangerous, it can be uncomfortable and unsightly -- affecting your overall confidence.

The biggest sign of rosacea is redness on the cheeks, forehead, chin, and nose. In a few cases,the redness spreads to the neck, chest, ears, and head. It can also damage the blood vessels,causing them to thicken, swell and become more visible. Approximately half of people withrosacea also experience eye problems such as irritation, redness, swelling, pain, and evenblurred vision.

Other rosacea symptoms include:

• Dry, rough patches of skin
• Stinging and burning
• Acne-like bumps on the skin
• Eyelid bumps
• Enlarged pores
• Enlarged nose
• Burning or stinging when applying skincare products
• A feeling of heat or warmth on the face

These symptoms usually come and go, with most people experiencing intense flare-upsfollowed by days or weeks without any signs.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a cure for rosacea. But many different treatments can help manage symptoms and reduce the occurrence of flare-ups. Dermatologists can prescribe various medications, including Brimonidine, Azelaic acid, Isotretinoin, and Metronidazole, to help control redness, swelling, and skin bumps. Your doctor may also recommend cosmetic treatments like dermabrasion, laser skin resurfacing, and electrocautery. As environmental factors most often cause flare-ups, you should also determine your triggers and do your best to avoid them.

Some of the most common are:

• Stress
• Wind
• Sun exposure
• Extreme heat or cold
• Spicy foods
• Alcohol
• Hot baths
• Exercise
• Some medicines like steroids and blood pressure medications

Keeping a diary

Clearly, there are a lot of potential triggers here! So how can you narrow it down to figure out what you need to avoid?

It’s actually easier than you’d think with the help of a rosacea diary.

The National Rosacea Society has a pre-made one that you can use, or you can create your own in a regular notebook. You should include relevant information in this diary, including weather conditions, food and beverages consumed, activities, feelings, and products. Over time, the information that you fill out in this notebook should be able to provide you with valuable insight into what your potential triggers may be.

From there, you can begin the testing and elimination process. Say you identified sun exposure as a potential trigger. Try avoiding sun exposure for a few days and see how your skin reacts. Or say you identified alcohol as a potential trigger. Try avoiding drinking alcohol for a few days and monitor your skin condition in the diary.

This might sound tedious, but with the right amount of effort and consideration, you can determine your triggers and take steps to improve your skin.

Any skin irritation, from sunburn and dryness to product irritation, can trigger a rosacea flare-up. The most important thing you can do to curb your symptoms and reduce flare-ups is to have a solid skincare routine that should include:

Sun safety

Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that’s at least SPF 30 every single day. Wear a wide-brimmed hat if you will be spending a lot of time in the sun and be sure to reapply your sun protection early and often -- especially if your skin is getting wet either from sweat or water.

Moisturizer

Hydrated skin is healthy and strong. Moisturize every day, especially in cold weather and dry indoor heat. However, you should still moisturize even if you live in a humid environment or have oily skin. This is because a lack of natural moisture can cause the skin to overproduce oil, which can lead to other skin issues like shine, acne, and enlarged pores.

Gentle skincare products

Skincare products with harsh ingredients like strong fragrances, alcohol, sulfates, silicones, parabens, phthalates, and witch hazel will irritate sensitive skin affected by rosacea. Instead, look for natural and non-comedogenic products with beneficial ingredients for rosacea such as soothing Vitamin C and turmeric, pomegranate, and green tea.

Rather than experimenting with new products from the drugstore, try PROVEN Skincare. PROVEN believes that skincare should be just as unique as you are! Take our skin quiz , and our patented AI technology will formulate the best products for your skin type, lifestyle, environment, and other factors. Our products are grounded in science and crafted with high potency ingredients that are specifically targeted to rosacea and any number of your other skin concerns .

For starters, our revolutionary skincare database contains information from more than 20 million skincare consumer reviews, 20,000 skincare ingredients, and 4,000 skin-related scientific papers.

Based on this information, we learned that 43% of customers have skin sensitivities -- so you’re definitely not alone! As a result, three Stanford scientists developed over 2,000 different product combinations to locate your perfect match.

Your perfect skincare match from PROVEN will come with three specially formulated products that can soothe your rosacea.

Your custom cleanser gently cleanses the skin without irritating it or damaging the skin barrier. This cleanser also contains gentle exfoliating and toning ingredients that are safe for sensitive skin.

Your custom moisturizer has powerful nourishing ingredients like hyaluronic acid. This smart product also contains SPF 40 so you don’t have to worry about applying additional sun protection that could end up sensitizing your skin.

Your soothing night cream that is able to fight redness, dryness, and irritation from rosacea while you sleep. Expect to see natural and soothing ingredients like green tea extract, niacinamide, and peptides.

These three incredible products make it straightforward and easy for you to care for skin affected by rosacea. With these products, there’s no need for a complicated skincare routine that could be further irritating and sensitizing your skin with an overload of ingredients.

Instead, our formulations are designed for your skin concerns and are able to soothe the skin and promote an even skin tone that’s free of redness.