Rosacea Triggers & Skincare

Every case of rosacea is unique. You will have your own combination of flare factors. Conversely you will have a combination of treatments that can reduce outbreaks.  

The more meticulous you are in identifying & avoiding flare factors the less frustrating rosacea gets. Dermatologists are here to educate you & treat your rosacea with medically prescribed measures, should your rosacea fail to respond to simple measures

Avoidance of flare factors: including dietary, UV, temperature fluctuations

Lifestyle changes: In particular, stress management.

Skincare: Simple cleansers & topical anti-inflammatory ingredients.

Remember, flare factors are unique to your rosacea blueprint. A good way to identify your own flare factor is to keep a daily diary & pay attention to when your rosacea flares up. 

• Use Tepid water, not hot. Heat can irritate your skin.
• Keep your showers between 2-4 minutes, especially in winter. 
• Wash with your fingers and hands, not a brush.
• To dry, blot don’t rub.  
• Wait till your skin dries before applying any topicals. 
• Re-apply moisturizer if you are using actives (wait 30 minutes)

La Roche Posay, Avene, Cerave, & Cetaphil make special ranges for rosacea skin. The Toleriane, Rosaliac & Cicaplast range from LRP are cost effective options.

UV is the most common flare factor for rosacea patients. 

Physical sunscreens are best as they have a very low irritant potential. They include zinc and titanium oxides. A good one is Invisible Zinc.

Good formulations of chemical sunscreens can be tolerated by most. La Roche Posay, Unsun, Cancer Council.

Rosacea patients have sensitive skin. Consider –

• Niacinamide reduces inflammation & improves skin’s barrier function. Look for formulations around 10%.

• Azelaic acid can reduce inflammation. It is gentle on the skin. 

• Tocopherol or vitamin E is an antioxidant that does not irritate skin. 

You may be better off under the guidance of a skincare professional or a dermatologist if you have rosacea. True skin allergies are rare but can be investigated with patch testing. 

Most, but not all rosacea sufferers will have dietary triggers including chilli, hot spicy foods, hot beverages & alcohol. Rarer triggers include acidic foods, pro-inflammatory food groups & very rarely gluten. 

Identifying your trigger foods can dramatically reduce potential flare up.  

If you want to go natural, try these out prior to seeing a dermatologist. Most of the listed ingredients can be sourced topically, some are in capsule form. 

• Camomile can be used as a drink or as cool compresses. Low chance of allergic contact dermatitis.

• Green tea is a potent antioxidant with scientific data. Best consumed & not applied topically. 

• Niacinamide – nicotinamide or vitamin B3 is probably the best vitamin for rosacea patients. Look for creams in the 5-10% range.

•  Other botanical extracts include ginger, rosemary & thyme. You can buy capsules from most health food shops. 

Dietary restrictions include pro-inflammatory food groups including tomatoes, alcohol, gluten & acidic fruits. The highest evidence of dietary changes includes avoidance of hot spicy foods including chilli, curry, alcohol & hot beverages. 

Keeping a food diary can help you in finding dietary flares pertaining to your rosacea pattern. 

It can be. In Brisbane we see two peaks, one in November & the other in July / August. 

• November peak; due to increasing UV index & hot weather.
• July/August/Ekka week: due to cold, especially westerly winds.

It’s impossible to change the climate, especially temperature changes. You can however minimise UV indices with hats, sunglasses & sunscreens. 

This flare factor is the most challenging to address. Exercise generates heat, heat can flare up rosacea. Some tips-

• Ice packs between sets. It looks weird, it can help.
• Swim indoors preferably. Tepid pool water can help, flipside- chlorine can be irritating.
• Train indoors in AC. 
• UV protection with thick UV block outs & hats, especially if you run outside. 

It plays a huge role in every skin condition, including rosacea. Speak to your doctor or a psychologist methods to reduce stress. It can make a huge difference in your skin’s health. 

Dermatologists will prescribe medications to help control rosacea recalcitrant to OTC skin care & lifestyle modification. These include-

• Topicals including metronidazole & azelaic acid. Other creams include ivermectin topically. Other topicals include brimonidine & sulphur creams. 

• Anti-inflammatory tablets including antibiotics & oral vitamin A.

Lasers including pulse dye, KTP, long pulse Nd Yag & BBL