rosacea blog

Anyone who has rosacea always dreads the first bathroom break at work, because it is in the workplace bathroom where you realize for the first time on any particular day, that your face looks really red. When you’re at home and look in the bathroom mirror, things are usually not so bad. Not so at work and in particular in the workplace bathroom: huge mirrors with the overhanging fluorescent lights make everyone look bad, but because of the greenish hue of the fluorescent light bulbs, the red in our face is being emphasized even more.

This can, of course, increase any feelings of anxiety you may have even further, so it’s important not to pay too much attention to what you see in the bathroom mirror at work. Since most workplaces have fluorescent lights (and are out of our control), there are a few things you can do to reduce the reddish appearance of your face.

First, what you wear will have an effect on how your face looks under fluorescent lighting. Wear dark neutral colors (black, gray, navy) and avoid anything green or red. At home, decide what clothes go best with your complexion and if you happen to have those energy-saving fluorescent bulbs, determine what of an effect the greenish hue has on your face.

Then, there are several good mineral (make-up) foundations that can cover up and reduce the redness of your face. I don’t think this is something that is solely reserved for women with rosacea. Men can benefit from this as well. Just perform a Google search on the term “mineral makeup rosacea green”, and do some research. Look for mineral makeup that does not have too many ingredients and is free of fillers, talc and parabens. Mineral makeup usually contains zinc oxide, which is a natural anti-inflammatory ingredient. So you are not just covering up reddish skin, you may actually reduce the inflammation and swelling in the process.

Rosacea may also be a factor of stress and anxiety when you are looking for a new job and have to go on an interview. Just keep what I mentioned above in mind and if you have the luxury of giving a presentation, just dim the lights a little bit. There are always many things during an interview that are totally out of our control, but if you have the choice of being interviewed in a room with no windows versus a room which has natural light, the choice is obvious. In the days before an interview, be sure to avoid to any rosacea food triggers and drink plenty of water.

Due to our increased activities and stress levels in the afternoon, our faces will often appear more red in the afternoon. It is always a good idea to allow yourself regular breaks. Anything will work, such as taking a short walk through the building, some breathing and stretching exercises in front of your desk and going to the water fountain.

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• How To Use Mineral Makeup To Alleviate Rosacea Symptoms & Benefits … – To find the best Rosacea makeup one must figure out those cosmetic ingredients that are healthy for their skin . The real cause of Rosacea is unknown but by. The rest is here: How To Use Mineral Makeup To Alleviate Rosacea Symptoms …

Rosacea can have many triggers, including heat, cold, stress, anxiety, embarrassment, certain beverages and of course certain food. While stress, anxiety and temperature can have an almost immediate effect on our facial flushing, it is a little harder to figure out what food ingredients trigger rosacea, in particular when you have been just diagnosed with rosacea.

In order to determine what food triggers aggravate your rosacea, you need to pay close attention to your diet and write down everything you eat for at least a week. Then, try to correlate increased facial redness with a particular food you ate the day before. You will then look for any improvements in your rosacea symptoms after you have eliminated the suspect food from your diet.

The list of potential rosacea food triggers can be extremely long and not all rosacea sufferers react the same. Frequently, rosacea sufferers have to avoid any aged foods that are high in histamine and tyramine (a breakdown product of the amino acid tyrosine). Foods such as chocolate, hot peppers, tomatoes, red (bell) peppers, raspberries, lettuce, certain cabbages etc. can often trigger rosacea flare-ups.

However, simply eliminating food ingredients will not always work. This is because many rosacea food triggers are “hidden”. What do I mean with “hidden”? For example, you may be sensitive to paprika. There are many food items that contain paprika, sometimes without it being mentioned on the ingredient label. This includes barbecue sauces, steak causes, certain chips etc.

Another example is citrus rind. You may not react to orange juice, but some brands of orange juice may contain large amounts of orange peel, which is a potential rosacea food trigger. The cheaper (store) brands often contain more orange peel.

Finally, there are some foods that increase the amount of nitric oxide (NO) in the blood, which acts as a vasodilator. Which foods can increase NO levels in our blood?

• Arginine-rich foods, such as nuts, chocolate, soy (tofu).
• Foods that are preserved or cured with nitrite or nitrates (cured meats for example)

If you know of some food item that is a rosacea trigger for you, feel free to share it with our readers and leave a comment.

Find out if our rosacea treatments could benefit your skin.

You may recognize this scenario: it’s the weekend, the weather is great and you made plans for a day at the beach. A full day of sun and of course, you are taking all the necessary precautions to protect yourself from the sun. You apply the SPF 30 or higher sunscreen all over your body and face and you even bring or rent an umbrella to limit your sun exposure. When it is time to go home, your face is extremely uncomfortable (painful and itchy) and you can’t wait to wash your face. When you see your face in the mirror, it is all puffy, swollen and extremely red.

What went wrong here? The sunscreen was supposed to protect your face, correct?

The problem with most sunscreens is that they are formulated for the average skin type and should work well on all parts of the body. However, the facial skin is a lot more sensitive, but for most people, this does not create a problem. But with rosacea skin, the story is a bit different.

Since rosacea becomes aggravated by UV exposure, it is advised that we protect our skin with a sunscreen. Naturally, we take this advice and apply sunscreen on our face, and try to stay out of the sun as much as possible. However, rosacea skin is extremely sensitive and as I have written in this article, the barrier function of rosacea skin is compromised.

Applying a thick layer of waterproof sunscreen on our face will result in a lot of heat being trapped underneath this layer of sunscreen. The heat builds up and cannot escape. Any sweat that is being produced cannot evaporate. This causes the blood vessels in our face to widen even more, plus fluid will leak out of the capillaries making our face appear puffy and swollen.

Waterproof sunscreens usually contain silicones and are very thick (higher SPF sunscreens are often very thick). This thick layer over the skin causes a buildup of sweat between the skin and the sunscreen, leading to an itchy and burning sensation. Further, the active chemical ingredients found in most sunscreens (avobenzone, oxybenzone, octyl methoxycinnamate and others) may cause further irritation of the capillaries and blood vessels, increasing the redness of the face.

Sunscreens that claim to be oil-free or greaseless, often still contain a lot of oils, silicones and thickeners. Sometimes, these sunscreens contain alcohol, which will dry out the skin.

Then, what is the best approach to protect our face from UV rays?

Since waterproof sunscreens and sunscreens containing alcohol are usually not a good option for rosacea skin, try to use a sunscreen that contains either titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are mineral sunscreens that reflect harmful UV rays. Try to find a balance between comfort and SPF level. A higher SPF means more protection, but also a thicker layer of the mineral sunscreens. If you use a moderate SPF (10-15) sunscreen, you are more likely to use additional sun protection methods, such as wearing a hat or walking on the shady side of the street.