How Can I Handle Skin Redness & Rosacea?
We've discussed rosacea before. We've identified its common triggers and ingredients to avoid. We've even discussed a variety of options when it comes to reducing the inflammation that comes along with it. But have you ever considered trying a more natural route to treat rosacea symptoms? If not, you may want to, as there are a number of benefits not normally discussed or that people are aware of.
Most conventional rosacea treatments include the use of oral and topical antibiotics, and many of us resist using antibiotics, as we worry about the antibiotic killing the good bacteria along with the bad. But before you scour your kitchen for ingredients to make DIY treatments, there are a few things you should know. We break down everything we need to consider before reaching for a natural remedy for rosacea.
Everything You Need to Know About Rosacea
Fortunately, skin redness nowadays can almost always be cauterized or minimized with the help of careful skin care and in-office treatments like lasers. Unfortunately, the laser arena is vast and requires a deep dive investigation and reconnaissance work. Questions about brands, downtime, IPL vs. pulsed dye, and whether or not your face will look like it’s covered in Sriracha afterward are common concerns. So, let’s set the record straight about what makes our skin red and how to get rid of it!
The tricky thing is: we don't always know what causes rosacea but there are certainly contributing factors like genetic predisposition, hormones, skin mites, and diet. Plus, environmental factors can also contribute to flare-ups as well. That’s a lot of areas to cover to dissect which one is causing your skin redness.
What Is Rosacea?
Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that results in inflammation and redness of the skin. It can also cause skin pustules. Subtype three, which is accompanied by swelling and fluid retention (usually around the nose), and subtype four, which afflicts the eye area, tend to be more extreme and can be painful. These often need medical attention including oral antibiotics and/or light therapies.
That’s why it's so important to figure out the best option to treat your rosacea. First, know that there are four different subtypes. Depending on what you have, you may be able to get away with using natural remedies, but you might have to go to a doctor for effective treatment should it be too severe for at-home remedies. If people are experiencing prolonged or excessive amounts of redness, flushing, constantly feeling overheated, getting red swollen papules and pustules, or feeling bumpy weird textural issues it’s best to get a professional diagnosis.
For redness that may be related to the immune system or environmental factors (like eczema or psoriasis), the first line treatments are topical and oral medications, as well as trigger avoidance.
What Causes Rosacea?
This is a tricky question. Rosacea is a complex skin condition that—depending on the sub-type—includes varying levels of fluctuating redness and/or visible blood vessels. Optimal treatment for this redness includes careful sun protection and skin care. People may also have redness “triggers” that, once learned, can be avoided.
What Are the Best Rosacea Treatments?
For persistent redness, there are some medications that can help. The V-Beam laser (along with some other redness-targeting light therapies) is one of the most effective therapies to reduce persistent redness. But it will depend on how the rosacea presents itself and will typically be used only if conservative measures are not fully effective.
If you've decided you want to try a natural remedy after identifying which subtype of rosacea you have, below, we detail the natural remedies that might just help. Keep scrolling to read them all!
- Clean Up Your Diet
Introduce health-promoting foods, like good fats, high-fiber foods, veggies, turmeric, and ginger. The gut regulates inflammation in our bodies. Cleaning up the diet and gut with a pure diet high in fiber and low in sugar and hydrogenated oils reduces inflammation throughout the whole body.
- Drink Aloe Vera Water
Drinking aloe vera water is like drinking water with extra antioxidants and vitamins. It helps increase the water content in the intestines and helps to eliminate toxins in the body, thus helping inflammation in the body and lessening rosacea.
- Use Certain Oils
Most skin care is loaded with preservatives and irritants. Avoid gel cleansers, acidic exfoliating cleansers, and any products with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. Use mild cleansers like cleansing oils and products high in rose-hip seed oil, sea buckthorn oil, carrot seed oil, coconut oil, cehami flower extract, hemp seed oil, and evening primrose, as these ingredients are highly nutritious and anti-inflammatory.
Not only do oils help reduce inflammation, but they're great for hydration, too. They are gentler on sensitive skin, but be sure to spot-check any new product you use on a place like the inside of your wrist. It's always better to make sure you react well to a product before you put it on your face or a rosacea-affected area.
Particularly with carrot seed oil, it’s very anti-inflammatory and smells heavenly. Just remember less is more and no rubbing/massage on rosacea skin.
- Look for Certain Ingredients
Because the skin barrier is compromised when it comes to rosacea, it can be even easier to irritate. The best course of action is to strengthen and calm this skin barrier as much as possible, which should be the priority when it comes to rosacea.
This is why you tend to see certain ingredients in sensitive skin care products. These ingredients, like lavender, oatmeal, chamomile, and licorice are known to have calming properties and are also incredible anti-inflammatories.
Omega fatty acids are great at restoring the skin, and hyaluronic acid in combination with calming botanicals. You can take these things like supplements and find them in products which is a powerful way to get results with your skin.
- Make Your Own Natural Facial Remedies
Applying pure aloe vera gel, a green tea compress, or a colloidal oatmeal mask will temporarily relieve the skin, reducing redness and inflammation. Plus, there is a good chance you've got most of those ingredients in your house already. Just don't put lemon on your skin!
Aloe vera works wonders for redness—it contains skin-enhancing vitamins C and E and amino acids for a soothing effect. DIY face masks are easier to make than ever, and although aloe vera works perfectly well by itself, combining other calming products (like cucumbers) helps, too.
Rosacea Natural Skin Care to the Rescue
Overall, just be careful and do your research, as DIY natural remedies sound fun and easy, they can also be a slippery slope. People tend to have a false sense of security when it comes to using natural skin care but remember nature is volatile, often difficult to control and there are plenty of ingredients that can be disastrous for the skin especially with a highly reactive condition like rosacea.
In the end, having rosacea means that your skin is already extremely reactive, and it's important to exercise caution before trying anything that isn't formulated by a professional. That's not to say natural remedies are a bust, but it's best to be aware before diving in, so to speak. In that case, your best bet is to find a natural skin care brand that is known to achieve stellar results for rosacea and sensitive skin types!
Enter Wild Naturals.
Visit our online store for a full line of skin care products ideal for helping to soothe and reduce redness!
