Redness and spots are often cited as the main syptoms of rosacea, but for many, extreme dryness and skin tightness is also another common factor of rosacea and can be very umcomfortable.
The dryness caused by rosacea often gets particularly bad after the active rosacea is in remission when its healing. The extreme dryness that often accompanies active rosacea can also get worse during winter time, when air humidity is lower and central heating is on indoors.
IT Test Manager Claire, 43, from Hampshire has suffered from rosacea for the last four years, but even after she found an effective treatment for the redness and spots she then experienced extreme dryness of her skin.
Nothing would ease the dryness of Claire's skin unitl she discovered an unlilkey solution in a skin serum made from blue agave, which is the plant used uniquely to make tequila.
Claire says;
‘I was first diagnosed with rosacea when I was 39 after I’d just started working in London. I would commute in and out each day by train and underground which was stressful and and it was during that time my skin started to play up.
I’m not sure if it was anything to do with working long days and the stress that comes with lots of travel, or I would have just got developed rosacea anyway. However, I don’t know anyone else in my family that has or does suffer from rosacea.
I’ve always had slightly red cheeks, so when my cheeks got redder and I got what I now know are rosacea kinked pustules, I just thought I maybe it was because I was tired. I thought they were just spots caused by a new cosmetic or something. I went to Boots for a skin consolation and started a new cleanser/toner/moisturiser routine, but this actually made my worse.
Initially, I just thought it was some kind of skin reaction and would get better by itself. I would just layer on more foundation on to try and cover it up. I did start feeling a bit paranoid at home without makeup on around my partner, as I knew at times the pustules would ooze and I didn’t notice until I looked in the mirror, so it was a bit gross and embarrassing.
When it didn’t clear I eventually went to see my doctor about my skin and was diagnosed with rosacea and given a mild course of anti-biotics initially for three months, which didn’t work at all. I kept taking photos so I could track the change, but my skin just seemed the same to me.
Initially my rosacea was just on my cheeks, then it spread to my chin and nose and the pustules seemed to get worse.
I kept trying to stay positive about the worsening state of my skin, but it was hard when it was so visible. The time when it affected me the most was on a holiday Lanzarote with my husband. I was using some cream that a friend had recommended to me and my skin seemed to be getting more and more angry.
During the day I would go snorkelling, so had no make-up on and felt a bit paranoid about my skin as it looked to un-sightly I am honestly not a vain person but I kept worrying that a pustule would pop and I wouldn’t notice and it would not be nice for people to see that.
After the antibiotics didn’t work and my doctor seemed to run out of options of what else to give me I took on the challenge to try and sort out my skin myself. I tested various anti redness treatments and creams for rosacea, none of which had any notably positive effects and some made it worse.
Obviously as time went on and my skin continued to deteriorate it did start to get to me. Luckily I have a very sweet husband, who never made a big deal about it, so it has never affected our relationship.
However of course it did affect my confidence in certain situations. I remember a friend’s birthday and my skin was looking particularly bad. It was a hot day and I literally put two full layers of foundation, so my skin looked caked and dry. I knew it looked awful and I asked my husband how bad it looked but he just told me I looked fine.
My biggest fear was the rosacea spreading more so I decided instead of just grabbing stuff off the shelves from Boots in panic I’d do some proper research into rosacea and look on blogs and articles about what other people recommended. It was during one of these extensive searches that I eventually came across Kalme products for rosacea.
Once I begin looking into it, I found loads of review and people’s stories about using them which were clearly genuine. One lady’s story in particular really rang home to me as it felt that she was describing me when she was describing herself and how she had coped with her rosacea. I was wary of any products made in far fling places of which there are loads on the internet but this treatment was made in the UK, literally down the road from me so I ordered some.
I began with the day and night cream and started to see real improvements in my skin after about two weeks. I stopped getting any new pustules, that was the first amazing sign. I remember thinking, I can cope with the redness, but if the pustules stop coming, that would be great.
During the period I was using the Kalme products they launched a new product called Kalme TeQ Serum, which was an overnight serum made from blue agave which they use to make tequila.
Within days of using the new tequila serum, the skin on my eyelids which had become very dry and red, started feeling much softer and the dryness all but disappeared. In the mornings I had developed creased red bags under my eyes, but they became much smoother and less prominent after using the tequila serum.
However, the more impressive results after less than a week using the new tequila serum was that it succeeded not only in relieving the dryness iy has also reduced the bumpiness in my skin, which is a classic symptom of rosacea and aside from the redness, is one of the worst things about the condition. The skin all over my face felt much smoother and the brail-like bumpiness was virtually gone.
I know everyone’s skin is different and rosacea is a particularly complex skin condition and there is nothing that is a rosacea cure for eberyone so I can only speak for myself. For me Kalme products eventually got rid of virtually all my rosacea symptoms from the pustules and redness to the bumpiness and dryness.
I can now go out in public without any make up on and not worry that everyone is starring at my skin. I still have slightly rosy cheeks, espcially in the cold weather, but I always have done. Other than that my skin feels back to normal. This is nothing short or a miracle for me.
I still don’t know if my skin would stay clear if I stopped using the Kalme products as since discovering them I have never dared stop using them and I don’t intend to.”
