Skin Care for Rosacea
Rosacea seems like a mysterious condition, especially if you have it. The very treatments that a person would normally use for breakouts or acne won't work for rosacea. In fact, they can aggravate the condition and make it worse. Prior to home treatment, visit a dermatologist to confirm that you have rosacea. You could possibly have another skin condition that requires very different treatment.
Investigate new treatments for rosacea that include products formulated with the ingredients of sea buckthorn berry essential oil, sea whip, or tea tree oil. All of these ingredients are widely available and you don't need a prescription to use them. As with all products that touch your skin, start first with a patch test for three days before applying to your entire face.
The most important factor in your daily skin care routine is to be gentle with your skin. You still need to cleanse, tone, and moisturize twice a day, but use gentle lotion cleanser and avoid the stronger gel cleansers. Don't use salicylic acid cleaners. Use a gentle toner with humectants that don't contain alcohol. Use a gentle moisturizer with out fragrances that can irritate your skin.
For exfoliators, avoid chemical exfoliants that contain glycolic acid, though lactic acid is gentle enough for your skin. Avoid exfoliants that are too stimulating for your skin. Don't use scrubs or enzymes. Instead, exfoliate using a soothing oatmeal mask with anti-inflammatory ingredients like aloe, raspberry, or allantion.
If any of your skin
care products are irritating or cause inflammation,
stop using them and switch to a product that's gentler
for your skin. Here's a list of products and
ingredients that can make rosacea worse:
Ultraviolet light (always wear a
sunscreen)
Benzocaine
Benzoyl peroxide
Corticosteroids (such as cortisone
cream)
Hydrogen peroxide
Hydroquinone
Methosalicylate
Some chemical sunscreens (instead
use sun blocks such as zinc oxide and titanium
dioxide-mineral powder makeups and sun blocks are
cooling and work well for persons with rosacea)
Resourcinol
Retin A, Accutane, Renova,
Differin, and all retinoids
Salicylic acid
Antibacterial soaps
When trying out any new products for the condition of rosacea, be sure to go slow. Do a patch test for several days to make sure that your skin won't react negatively to the product.
Use a non-irritating foundation and
concealer. You may also want to use heavier cover up
concealer when you have a flare up. Here are some
ingredients in cosmetics that may trigger flare ups:
Alpha hydroxyl acids
Arachadonic acid
Ascorbic acid
DMAE
Some essential oils
Formaldehyde
Fruit enzymes
Niacin
Peanut and sesame oil
Propylene glycol
Sulfur
Sodium lauryl or sodium laureth
sulfate
Use the same strategy with cosmetics that you do with skin care products. When trying out any new products for the condition of rosacea, be sure to go slow. Do a patch test for several days to make sure that your skin won't react negatively to the product.
If you have pimples and bumps associated with rosacea, never disturb them. Picking can make your skin condition worse and could be so irritating that you provoke your condition to progress to the next stage of severity. Instead, continue with your regular skin care routine.
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