How to Prevent Rosacea Flushing and Redness

Rosacea is a skin condition in which blood vessels in the face tend to widen and engorge with blood. It can turn your face as red as a candy apple. No one really knows what causes Rosacea, and it is a chronic condition that comes and goes. However, there are several things you can do to prevent flushing from occurring. I suffer from Rosacea and have found the following tips to be very helpful.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Soft Cloth
• Ice Water
• Tinted Talc-free Cosmetics
• Sun Screen

1. Soak a soft cloth in ice-cold water and apply it to the flushed areas of your face. The cold will constrict the blood vessels and reduce redness.

2. Use green-tinted liquid makeup. The green combines with the red in your face and neutralizes it. I also use a green-tinted moisturizer.

3. Use a gentle liquid facial cleanser that contains sodium lauryl sulfate. Never scrub your face. Wipe gently with a soft cloth and rinse with cool water.

4. Avoid abrasives such as facial scrubs, loofa sponges, harsh puffs or brushes. All abrasives will irrite your skin and cause redness.

5. After cleansing, gently smooth on a moisturizer that containes cucumber extracts. Cucumber soothes the redness of Rosacea.

6. Select cosmetics developed for sensitive skin. Products containing talc will irritate sensitive skin and contribute to Rosacea flushing. Cosmetics that are talc-free are the best choice. These products are widely available at drug stores. Be sure to read the label.

7. Stay in the shade as much as possible. The sun can quickly set off a flare-up. Always use sunscreen and wear a sun hat or visor. Choose a sunscreen that lists titanium dioxide as one of it's main ingredients. Make sure the sunscreen you choose is rated SPF 15 or higher.

8. Spicy food is know to trigger flushing. Avoid spicy foods made with hot chili peppers, tabasco sauce, and horseradish as much as possible.

Tips & Warnings

• The five big triggers of Rosacea flushing are spicy foods, stress, alcohol, heat, humidity.
• If you have Rosacea, or the symptoms of Rosacea, seek help from a Dermatologist. There are many medications available that can help control symptoms.

[seedoftruth]

on 5/3/2009 Avoid sodium lauryl and laureth sulfate in facial cleansers and other body care products, as these are chemicals that irritate the skin and cause acne. A natural soap without sodium chloride (salt) may be a good alternative for you. Here's a list of ingredients with ratings for how likely they are to cause acne or irritation (including redness)--you can take this list with you when you buy skin products:http://www.zerozits.com/Articles/acne_detective/article6.htmA sunscreen with zinc oxide is a better choice than titanium dioxide, because zinc oxide is safer for the body, has a broader range of protection from UVA/UVB rays, and it soothes redness, so is a common treatment for rosacea. Both titanium oxide and zinc oxide are better choices than chemical sunscreens, however.

[galpal]

on 4/18/2008 Very helpful! Thank you so much!