Most women arrive at LJ Natural products because they have a skincare problem; they’ve had a reaction to something or suddenly their skin has changed. Most people (I hope) know that I have come to be a skin care guru because of my own battle with severe eczema. However over the past few months, I’ve come across more and more women in their 30’s/40’s and upwards with Rosacea. This is not the same as eczema at all, but some of the same rules can be applied. Read on to find out more.
SO WHAT IS IT ?
This just about sums it up: “redness on the cheeks, nose, chin or forehead that may come and go. Over time, the redness tends to become ruddier and more persistent, and visible blood vessels may appear. Left untreated, bumps and pimples often develop.” (www.rosacea.org)
Basically, what’s happening is that the blood vessels in your face enlarge, making your cheeks and nose look flushed and red. It might be hereditary, and people with fair skin are much more likely to have it.
Many women come to me and don’t even know they have it. It’s important to understand if you do have it, as there are lots of things you can do to avoid it getting worse, and to hopefully improve it.
WHAT TO DO:
You can improve your diet by introducing lots of anti-inflammatory foods, and you can do your own research on this, but a good place to start is an excellent quality Omega supplement. I use Eskimo. Reducing inflammation on the inside is ALWAYS the start of any good skincare regime. And drink plenty of water!
Keep your skincare routine extremely simple. If possible, cut down to just two face products per day; I would suggest a cleansing balm and either a face oil/serum/moisturiser.
Do not spend too long rubbing at the skin, as all contact with the skin upsets it. Get your routine done in under a minute, with minimal rubbing, the quicker the better!
Many, many of my customers have found my Superfruit Face Oil fantastic in treating rosacea. It contains:
The Very Sensitive Organic Moisturiser is also a fab, essential-oil-free formula for very delicate skin. I have extended my sensitive range to include OMG Sensitive, which I’m hoping will also go down well with my rosacea customers. Despite my absolute obsession with essential oils, I do not use any in my “Very Sensitive” range as I feel sometimes, it’s just better without.
WHAT TO AVOID:
Weather extremes of both heat and cold can cause rosacea to flare up. The worst case scenario is really cold weather outside, then going into hot centrally heated environments. Lots of people also find it’s bad when the weather is very hot. Therefore protect your face as much as possible in these situations, i.e. big floppy hats in hot weather and lovely soft scarves round your face in cold weather.
Boring but it’s also good to avoid caffeine, alcohol and spicy foods; all these things upset the temperature of your body. Sugary drinks and their diet versions are also an absolute no-no! They are full of rubbish and no good can ever come of drinking these!
Stress can make rosacea worse, but as stress makes nearly everything worse, it’s good to find a way of minimising this in your life as much as possible; learn to relax, take big deep breaths, go for a lovely walk or come to me for a massage!
If you go the GP with rosacea they may prescribe you with products that contain harsh chemicals and irritants (this is certainly my experience of GP prescribed Eczema creams) which, long-term, do not work, so if at all possible, avoid this route.
When choosing skincare products you should definitely avoid alcohol, perfumes (listed as parfum/fragrance in ingredients lists) and any harsh chemicals or preservatives (parabens, MI, phenoxyethanol, sulphates, petrochemicals – all tbe usual suspects). These do not benefit the skin in any way, they just mean skincare manufactures can have their product sitting on shop shelves for a long time without worrying about them going off. The basic rule for all skincare, but especially important if you think you might have rosacea, is: if it stings, stop using it!!
I also strongly suggest you do not use any gritty exfoliating products, which are too rough and basically irritate and damage.
This is a hard one, as I know the temptation to cover it all up is massive, but make-up should be avoided. The more product you put on it, the more cross your skin is going to be. If you really need to use foundation, choose a very natural one and put it on very lightly with a soft brush.
So that’s it in a nutshell – the long and short of it is to understand your skin and to keep things very simple. Good luck and give me a shout if you have any questions. And feel free to browse my sensitive skin range at lj-natural.com/shop
