Fran's Rosacea Story: Things That Aggravate Rosacea (Part 4)

Hi again! This is Fran Higgins, vice president of business and an educator at Source Vitál. I’m back to talk a bit more about rosacea. Make sure to check out my earlier posts on morning and evening skin care regimes to help relieve rosacea. Another way to prevent the redness and other symptoms associated with rosacea is to understand what triggers them. While many symptoms are common among sufferers, everyone is unique. Here is a list of things that I noticed aggravated my condition:

• Alcohol: This applies to drinking, of course, but it also applies to using products that contain alcohol. Check the ingredients before applying anything to your face to avoid alcohol-based products.
• Extreme temperatures: Extreme temperatures, either hot or cold, can cause rosacea symptoms to flare. Here in Houston, getting into a hot car in the middle of the summer is certainly an issue for me! Another thing to be mindful of is the temperature of water in your morning and evening routine and in your bath/shower. Extremely hot water will aggravate the condition. I know a hot shower feels really good, but it is not good for your skin. So, when washing your face, use cool water at a comfortable temperature.
• Sun/wind exposure: We all know the damaging aspects of being in the sun. With rosacea, the effects are magnified. Along with sun exposure, constantly blowing wind, which will chap and irritate the skin, should be avoided. Be sure to use sunscreen when outside and cover your face with a hat or scarf when winds pick up.
• Physical and mental stress: Of course, we can’t do away with all stress, although, wouldn’t that be nice? We can, however, learn to find ways to deal with and manage daily stress. Many people find yoga to be relaxing. You can also try our stress relief kit!
• Diet, digestion: Hot liquids and spicy foods make our internal system run hotter. Since rosacea is an inflammatory condition, the additional heat can make the symptoms feel stronger. Even eating foods too quickly can aggravate the condition. Chew slowly to both savor your food and help the digestion process.
• Smoking: As with sun exposure, the harmful effects of smoking are well-known, but here is one more reason to quit. When smoke exits the mouth and nose, it touches the skin in this area and aggravates your condition.
• Use of retinoids: Retinoids are often used for acne and anti-aging treatment. While effective for both, they do have a tendency to make the skin thinner. With rosacea, this is problematic because it makes all the symptoms more exaggerated.
• Harsh soaps: If you want good skin, soap is not going to accomplish that especially with Rosacea.  The ingredients in most bar soaps are not beneficial for this condition and should be avoided, instead try something gentler like our Lavender Cleanser!

Be sure to pay special attention when your symptoms appear to determine what might have triggered. Keeping a notebook to track your symptoms and flares could help you determine the triggers in your life.