How to Get Rid of Rosacea

Although there is no cure for rosacea, there are multiple ways you can help control and minimise the condition. Rosacea is a very complex skin condition so treatments vary widely and what may suit one person may not suit another, so a degree of trial and error to find what works best for you is usually necessary.

Many people with rosacea will either initially or eventually opt to move away from treating their skin with antibiotics or medicated treatments due to the chronic and permanent nature of the condition. Most people decide they can’t use medications forever and so alternative or more managerial solutions that at the very least help cut down on their reliance on medications. Switching to a more natural and less harsh way of treating the skin for rosacea can be a better long term solution.

What you chose to use to manage your rosacea is a very personal choice, depending on the severity of symptoms, how much it affects your life, what your lifestyle habits are and what your feelings are towards use of medicated or non-medicated treatments.

Here are some guidelines as to what is available and what may help to treat rosacea:

Oral medications on prescription for rosacea

Tetracycline antibiotics are sometimes prescribed to reduce inflammation and redness of rosacea.

Medicated topical treatments on prescription for rosacea.

Cream and lotions are often used to calm the skin and treat bumps and pustules. However be cautious when trying these products as those with an alcohol base can cause irritation, and a cream base can cause clogging.

For inflammatory papules, topical treatments such as metronidazole (brand names Metrogel or Rozex) or azelaic acid (Finacea) can help. It's thought they have an antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory or antioxidant effect.

Brimonidine, (brand name Mirvaso) can be used to treat rosacea as it acts on receptors in blood vessels in the skin, restricting their dilation. It is generally advised to be used only for flare ups, though care must be taken in patients with heart disease and other vascular problems as trace amounts of the drug will be absorbed into the system, which could cause a catastrophic drop in blood pressure in some.

Laser and intense pulsed light treatments for rosacea

These can be used to remove visible veins and reduce facial redness. They shrink dilated blood vessels but are not a cure and can cause abnormal pigmentation, blistering and even scarring.

Non-prescription rosacea skincare

Most people find that aside from any medicated treatments, careful and regular skincare is the most effective way to minimise the symptoms of rosacea.

Moisturising for rosacea

Rosacea is typically a dry skin condition and so regular moisturising is essential. The surface of rosacea prone skin is often more fragile and open to the elements than normal skin due to the broken blood vessels and inflammation.

This is why rosacea is often accompanied by small pussy spots as bacteria gets easily into the open inflamed pores and causes localised infections.

Good skin care is essential for all types of rosacea. Moisturisers with as few chemicals and preservatives in as possible can help repair the skin's normal barrier function and can reduce dryness and discomfort. Ideally the moisturisers should also contain a strong antioxidant to help bring down inflammation.

Night skin care for rosacea

At night, try and use only lightweight face serums that have anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties as it’s essential for rosacea prone skin to breath overnight.

It is recommended to stay away from heavy moisturisers for dry skin as they can make rosacea symptoms worse. You can apply more moisturising creams around the eye areas if required for anti-ageing benefits but leave the cheeks, nose and chin with only light reparative skin care products on during the night.

SPF’s for rosacea

People with rosacea should wear a daily mineral based SPF. Direct sunlight is the most common trigger for rosacea flare ups, it is recommended to wear at least factor 30 on your face, everyday.

Smart antibacterial treatments

New smart antibacterial agents help build good skin bacteria while killing off bad skin bacteria that leads to acne. There is mounting evidence to suggest that products that promote the growth of good skin flora help strengthen the skin barrier and stop bad bacteria getting into open pores.

It’s not well known that skin, like the gut, contains both good and bad skin bacteria. The skin needs good bacteria to stay healthy, strong and balanced and to keep the skin barrier intact. Many cleansing products contain harsh detergents and anti-bacterial agents that, while effectively killing bad skin bacteria can lead to spots and inflammation, they also strip the skin of all good skin bacteria.

Regularly reducing or removing good skin bacteria from the surface of your skin via a daily cleansing and / or exfoliating routine leaves skin drier and weaker. Lack of good skin bacteria allows bad skin bacteria to take hold and multiply on the skin’s surface which leads to spots as the bad bacteria easily gets into weakened areas of skin from blocked pores, causing pus and inflammation.

So the key to helping manage your rosacea is to redress the balance of skin bacteria by preserving and nourishing good skin bacteria while reducing bad skin bacteria as part of your daily skincare routine.

Skincare products are now being developed which do this for you. These smart antibacterial products help multiply good skin flora to make skin more resilient at fighting off bad skin bacteria.

Cleansing for rosacea

Avoid all chemical anti-bacterial cleansing washes and wipes aimed at acne prone skin. Strictly avoid products containing antibacterial chemicals such as salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide or azelaic acid, as well as products that contain alcohol.

It may sound strange, but if you have rosacea, cleaning your skin with water may make the condition worse. Many people with rosacea often admit to washing their faces several times a day in order to try and help their skin.

However, washing your face twice daily with water can actually make your skin worse rather than better. Water evaporates on the skin, making it dry out quickly, meaning that skin prone to dryness will suffer.

>Water is a caustic substance, making it fairly abrasive to sensitive skin. If you have very sensitive, dry and rosacea prone skin, you should practice water-free cleansing to help protect and preserve your skin as much as possible.

Cleansing without water and with moisturising agents is the key to keeping skin clean but balanced. Water-free cleansing products that contain moisturising ingredients will help sensitive skin stay hydrated and avoid skin flare ups. Choose a chemical-free water-free cream cleanser for very sensitive skin and cleanse with a natural cotton cleansing pad.

In addition, any sudden temperature changes can cause skin to flare or react. Warming the face will also increase circulation to the surface of the skin, which for a condition such as rosacea, will make the skin redder and more inflamed.

Exfoliating for rosacea

Scrubs and abrasive exfoliating products typically used for acne should be avoided as they are too harsh for rosacea prone skin.

Foundations / Concealers for rosacea

If cosmetics are to be used, which often they are in order to disguise redness and blotches, choose products with minimal chemicals and preservatives and preferably ingredients that treat and calm rosacea at the same time as covering it up.

Using ‘normal’ everyday cosmetics will often make rosacea worse, so specialised foundations and concealers are a must for skin prone to rosacea. Opt for lighter tinted moisturisers and concealers that don’t clog the open and vulnerable skin pores of rosacea prone skin and avoid heavy foundations and powders.

Opt for treatment-based spot concealers to cover and treat ‘patches’ and spots to disguise problem areas and then use a lighted tinted moisturiser for the rest of the face that is less affected to minimise the risk of clogging.

Perfumes/scents for rosacea

Most people with rosacea are sensitive to scents and perfumes both in skincare products and fragrances. Avoid all perfumed skincare products and only use perfumes on clothes, never directly onto skin on the face, neck or behind the ear area.

Lifestyle management of rosacea

Alleviating the facial flushing involves reducing the triggers caused when blood vessels expand excessively in response to factors such as extremes of temperature changes (so saunas, central heating, air conditioning), sun exposure, strenuous exercise and changes of stress levels. Being sensible when out in the sun, light to moderate daily exercise and trying out relaxation methods like meditation and yoga can all help to lower the frequency of rosacea flare ups.