Rosacea is a skin condition easily recognized by redness, bumps, and pimples appearing on the nose, cheeks, forehead, and chin. It can spread to the ears, back, and chest.
Many people who develop rosacea tend to have family members who have it, which makes sense given recent research on genetic causes.
The specific cause of rosacea is still unknown, but many factors can trigger it, and there is a connection with both liver and gut health (see below).
Four types of rosacea
1. Facial redness
This type of rosacea appears as constant redness and flushing on the cheeks and nose with blood vessels often visible.
Dry, itchy skin and roughness can also occur. It is officially called Erythematotelangiectatic rosacea and is the most common subtype.
2. Acne rosacea
Outbreaks, like acne, with bumps or actual pimples occur with this type of rosacea.
Some people also develop raised skin patches called plaques. This type is called papulopustular rosacea.
3. Swollen nose
In some cases, the skin on the nose thickens and becomes red, bumpy, irregular, and swollen, but it can also occur on the ears, chin, and forehead.
This condition is also known as Phymatous rosacea. This subtype is more common in men than in women.
4. Ocular rosacea
As the name suggests, this condition affects the eyes.
They can appear red and irritated, bloodshot, or watery. Eyelids may swell.
What can trigger rosacea symptoms?
Certain foods and alcohol
Common foods that cause problems include:
- Dairy products such as sour cream and cheese
- Chocolate
- Vinegar
- Certain vegetables like eggplant and tomatoes
- Citrus fruits
- Spicy foods
- Alcohol
- Coffee
- Fried foods, trans fats, and refined vegetable oils
Be aware of what usually causes flare-ups for you and avoid those triggers.
Stress, anxiety and anger
Stress and anxiety can trigger symptoms or worsen existing ones. Anger also has a negative effect.
Heat, sun, wind, and humidity
Extreme weather conditions and strong sunlight negatively affect most people with rosacea.
What can you do?
You can make lifestyle changes if you haven't already. Think of rosacea as a "whole-body issue" and not just a skin problem!
There are many holistic measures you can take to prevent rosacea from causing painful or troublesome redness and irritation.
Your skin ultimately reflects your overall health, how well you digest nutrients, whether you have any sensitivities or hidden allergies, how balanced your hormone levels are, if you get enough sleep, and more.
Remember that rosacea has nothing to do with poor hygiene but is caused by internal factors.
Stomach and liver health
There is often a link between skin diseases – including rosacea, acne, dermatitis, and psoriasis – and inflammatory diseases in the gastrointestinal tract, such as leaky gut syndrome, ulcerative colitis, SIBO symptoms, Crohn's disease, and celiac disease.
The specific cause of rosacea is still unknown, but there is often a connection with the stomach and/or liver.
Some believe that skin problems come from the liver and digestive tract, such as eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, vitiligo, and age spots.
Healthy liver function ensures good metabolism of hormones and chemicals; they need to be eliminated from the body.
If this does not work, it can contribute to, for example, estrogen dominance or chemical overload that can trigger rosacea. Many with rosacea have an overloaded liver.
Bacteria
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a type of bacteria that can live in the digestive tract. Many people with rosacea have an H. pylori infection or often SIBO (bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine, where bacteria normally reside in the large intestine).
No person is exactly the same, and not everyone with rosacea has elevated H. pylori. Therefore, it is important to find out. You can get tested by a doctor for both H. pylori and SIBO.
Remember: What works for one person may not work for another.
That is why treating rosacea is a process. If you are currently taking medication or using prescription cream, you can still support your body naturally; do what is best for you.
Diet – What can I eat?
Diet plays a large, important role in your health. By choosing the "right" foods, you can give your liver and intestines a break.
- Organic vegetables, organic fruit, and berries. Reduce your exposure to toxins and chemicals that can trigger skin reactions by buying organic. Chemical toxins often trigger rosacea.
- Healthy fats like coconut oil, olive oil, avocado, nuts, and seeds (such as flaxseeds and chia seeds).
- High-quality "clean proteins."
- Anti-inflammatory foods and herbs such as turmeric, ginger, garlic, onion, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, kale, etc.), carrots, and green tea.
- Drink purified water with lime or lemon.
- If possible, we recommend drinking a glass of freshly pressed celery juice every morning.
Manage stress
Just as important as diet is taking care of any stress with various methods.
Reduce tasks, do relaxation exercises, allow time for recovery, spend time in nature, practice yoga, get a massage, listen to calming music.
Do things you enjoy that bring you peace. If you experience a lot of anger, that also needs to be addressed.
Anger triggers rosacea and is, according to Chinese medicine, linked to an overloaded liver.
Supplements for support
Here are tips on supplements that can support rosacea. But remember that supplements are a complement to a healthy diet.
- Good gut bacteria / probiotics. Good strains are: Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus longum, and Lactobacillus plantarum. Note that several probiotic strains can increase histamine production, which may trigger rosacea. However, some strains like L. plantarum and L. longum can help break down histamines. In case of SIBO and during antibiotic treatment, Saccharomyces boulardii or Spore Biotic is recommended until it is gone.
- Evening primrose oil (GLA)
- B-complex or just B3
- Zinc
- Vitamin C
- Selenium (especially important if you have amalgam fillings)
- Astaxanthin
- MSM
- Vitamin D
Liver support
- Glutathione
- Dandelion
- Schisandra
- Turmeric
- Calcium D-Glucarate (for hormonal imbalance)
- Herbs that counteract heavy metals
- More herbs
It is important to take care of your liver to maintain good health.
What skincare can you use?
When it comes to skincare products, avoid makeup and creams with synthetic fragrances or perfume, menthol, peppermint, eucalyptus, and witch hazel.
Avoid exfoliation, clay masks, heavy makeup on the face, drying face masks, or products containing acid, as well as excessive sun or heat.
Treat the skin with mild products intended for sensitive skin and/or rosacea. The fewer but more natural products, the better.
Natural DIY skincare that works
Oats
With its anti-inflammatory properties, oats moisturize and deliver nutrients that help calm redness and itching from rosacea.
Mix gluten-free oats with half as much water and spread over the face and irritated skin. Let it work for 15-20 minutes and then rinse with cold water. Gently pat the skin dry.
Green tea
Soak a face towel in green tea and place it on the face for 20-30 minutes. The nutrients cleanse and soothe your skin.
Raw honey
Raw honey is an excellent skin treatment. It protects against bacteria, acne, and dryness.
Rub one or two tablespoons of honey, preferably cold-extracted (raw), into the face for 10 minutes and then rinse with warm water. Do this a couple of times a week.
Turmeric
Mix turmeric powder or crushed fresh turmeric with regular organic yogurt.
Apply and let the mixture work for 15 minutes. Then rinse with warm water. Do this often to get the most out of turmeric's antioxidant and purifying effect.
Skincare suitable for rosacea
Here are some tips on mild products that work well if you suffer from rosacea. Remember to choose natural products with as few synthetic/chemical additives as possible.
Cleansing
These are mild, non-drying, and moisturizing organic cleansing creams for the face.
They cleanse deeply without disturbing the skin's natural protective mechanism, which is important.
- Odylique Creamy Coconut Cleanser
- Silk Touch Cleanser
Facial toner
Feel free to add moisture in the form of a gentle facial toner. Any toner that is astringent and not stimulating for rosacea is suitable.
Rose water, geranium water, lavender water work well.
- Rose water
- Lavender water
- Geranium water
- Akamuti Tea Tree water – for acne rosacea
Face cream
It is important to counteract dry skin with rosacea because dry skin becomes more easily irritated and can trigger rosacea.
Rose has especially soothing, balancing, and regenerating properties.
- Odylique Timeless Rose Moisturiser
- Evolve Pro+ Ectoin Soothing Cream
- Odylique Organic Ultra Rich Salve – great on exposed dry patches
Facial oil
Lock in moisture with an oil-based product. Blueberry oil is a nice choice for rosacea.
- Odylique Superfruit oil/serum – great as both serum, primer, on top of your face cream, or as a night oil.
- Apricot kernel oil
- Jojoba oil
- Carrot oil
Makeup
When you have rosacea, it can be difficult to find the right makeup.
Depending on your undertype, you might want something that can cover redness or blur texture, while being gentle enough not to make your sensitive skin more inflamed.
It is very important to use natural makeup that does not clog pores.
Corrective Primers & Concealers
To hide redness, you can use green. Why green?
Green is the opposite of red on the color spectrum. So when you apply green over red on lighter skin tones, it neutralizes the redness.
If you have olive-toned skin, it’s a bit trickier; you’ll need to experiment.
For darker skin tones, apricot and orange usually work best to neutralize purple and dark brown discolorations that darker-skinned people experience.
- Hiro Space Balms Concealers are organic and vegan-friendly. Apply the concealer to red areas that need to be evened out to your own skin tone.
Mineral powder
Mineral powder is often popular for rosacea because it is a pure product that doesn’t cause reactions and is great at reducing redness in the skin.
They provide natural sun protection and cause less irritation than other types of foundation. But if you have dry skin, you may need to mix the mineral powder with a cream or oil before applying.
- HIRO’s mineral powders offer great coverage and provide sun protection, which is important for rosacea. They contain 100% pure minerals and give flawless coverage that lasts all day. They do not clog pores.
- 100% Pures Fruit Pigmented foundation powders are more like a mix between pressed powder and a lighter foundation. They provide medium coverage, a matte finish, and are completely natural. They do not clog pores.
Lipstick
Many with rosacea find bold lipstick colors energizing, rather than just trying to hide the areas that feel less pleasant.
For example, a warm pink, an orange-red, or a dramatic plum shade – anything that brightens up! All the lipsticks we offer are natural and free from harmful additives.
What simple tips do you have for someone with rosacea? Share in a comment or ask a question and we will answer!
