Rosacea – Causes, Triggers, and the Best Skincare Routine
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Last updated on January 11th, 2025 at 03:28 pm
Dealing with rosacea is no easy task. While it’s not life-threatening, it’s a medical condition that requires careful management due to its impact on your skin’s appearance and comfort.
Rosacea can cause dry, highly sensitive skin, making it prone to irritation from everyday skincare products. It’s often misdiagnosed as acne due to its symptoms, which include flushing, redness, pimples, and inflammation. Other symptoms might include burning, stinging, thickened skin, uneven skin tone, and red or watery eyes.
These symptoms typically appear on the face—specifically the cheeks, nose, forehead, and chin—but can also affect areas prone to sun exposure, like the neck, ears, scalp, and upper back. Before going into details on the skincare routine that’s best suited for rosacea, let’s explore the causes and triggers of this condition. In this post, you will learn about rosacea causes, triggers and skincare routine
What Causes Rosacea?
The exact cause of rosacea remains unknown, but several factors are believed to contribute:
- Demodex Mites: An increased infestation of Demodex folliculorum mites, which live on the skin is responsible for dryness and inflammation in rosacea by provoking inflammatory or allergic reactions, leading to rosacea symptoms.
- Bacterial Infections: Helicobacter pylori bacteria, known for causing stomach ulcers, have been linked to rosacea. Treating these infections might reduce the severity of the condition.
- Fungal Infections: The presence of Malassezia furfur, a fungus commonly found on the skin, could also play a role in rosacea.
- Genetics and Immune System: Genetics, abnormal immune responses, and blood vessel irregularities are other potential contributors.
- Environmental Factors: UV exposure, stress, and diet can trigger or exacerbate rosacea symptoms.
Unlike acne, the presence of bacteria in the hair follicles does not seem to affect rosacea
Can Black People Get Rosacea?
Yes, Black people can get rosacea, though it’s often misdiagnosed as acne due to differences in skin presentation. On darker skin, rosacea typically appears as persistent redness and inflammation around the forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin, sometimes accompanied by pus-filled bumps. Visible blood vessels, known as telangiectasia, may also be present.
If you’ve been treating what you think is acne without success, it’s worth considering whether you might have rosacea, especially if you notice persistent redness and breakouts that don’t respond to typical acne treatments.
What Triggers Rosacea?
Identifying your personal rosacea triggers is crucial for managing symptoms. Common triggers include:
- Emotional Stress: Stress, anxiety, and depression can lead to flare-ups. Practices like yoga, meditation, and journaling can help manage stress levels. I use this app on my Ipad called Insight Timer to meditate and manage my stress level. It is a free app available on both Apple and Android devices.
- Dietary Factors: Certain foods and drinks—like yogurt, spicy foods, hot beverages, chocolate, and alcohol—can trigger rosacea.
- Temperature Extremes: Hot baths, saunas, heated environments, and sudden temperature changes can aggravate symptoms.
- Skincare Products: Harsh skincare ingredients can worsen rosacea. Avoid waterproof makeup, alcohol-based toners, and products containing glycolic acid, retinol, or sodium lauryl sulfate.
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The Best Skincare Routine for Rosacea
For those with rosacea, a simple, gentle skincare routine is key. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Azelaic acid is also an effective treatment for rosacea, read about how Azelaic acid work for rosacea
Cleanser
When choosing a cleanser, look for a cleanser that is close to the skin’s PH. The skin’s natural PH is between 4-6.5. Therefore, having a cleanser that tends towards neutral or slightly acidic is vital for rosacea. A good cleanser should remove any form of dirt, harmful bacteria, and environmental toxins without changing the skin’s natural moisturizing factor. For that reason, I recommend using Syndet bars to normal bar soaps. Syndet bars are formulated to be neutral and slightly acidic and they don’t dry out the skin.
Cleanser – make-up remover
Using cleansing creams or milk is gentler and mild for the Rosacea skin type. These types of cleansers leave a thin film of moisturizer on the skin that hydrates the skin well. Using one that is slightly acidic or neutral helps people with rosacea retain moisture and prevents water loss from the skin.
Moisturizer
After cleansing, the next step to take is to hydrate. This helps to restore the skin moisture content, softens the skin, and reduces water loss from the skin. You would want to select a moisturizer that does not contain any harsh ingredients mentioned earlier. Look for one that prevents evaporation of water, increases skin hydration, and soothes the skin.
Sunscreen
Considering that UV light triggers Rosacea, It is important to use a sunscreen with SPF of 50 and above to prevent damage to the dermal layer. You should also look for a broad-spectrum SPF that protects against both UVA and UVB light. Another criterion for picking a sunscreen is that it should be a physical sunscreen; meaning it should contain titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Although physical sunscreens leave a white cast, they are still more tolerated than chemical sunscreens.
Top 10 Skincare Tips For Rosacea
1. Use lukewarm water when washing your face; avoid drastic temperature changes.
2. Apply cleansers gently, using your fingers or cotton pads in circular motions.
3. Avoid applying undiluted essential oils directly to your skin.
4. Discontinue any oral medications that cause side effects like dizziness or headaches and consult your dermatologist.
5. Avoid skincare ingredients that irritate, such as alcohol, sulfates, and fragrance.
6. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water to prevent flare-ups.
7. Incorporate anti-inflammatory foods into your diet, like ginger, turmeric, omega-3-rich foods, and olive oil.
8. Apply sunscreen daily, and reapply every two hours when exposed to intense sunlight.
9. Layer your products correctly: cleanser, moisturizer, and then sunscreen.
10. Always remove makeup before bed to prevent irritation.
Conclusion
While rosacea cannot be cured, its symptoms can be effectively managed with the right skincare routine and lifestyle adjustments. Understanding your triggers and choosing products that soothe and protect your skin will help you feel more confident in your skin.
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Image by Sharon McCutcheon from Pixabay
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Thanks for this. I believe this is what my daughter has. I’m sending it to her.
Oh, thank you. I hope she finds it helpful. Thank you for reading
Thank you for sharing about rosacea – I’ve heard of it but hadn’t known much about it.
Thank you, glad you learnt something new 💜
Thank you for writing this! I have it just on my face. It’s crazy because I feel like I’ve had it for a while, what with if I was outside for too long my face would always flush and same if I got embarrased. But about a few years ago was when it got triggered bad. I haven’t been able to figure out how to calm it down some. It’s mostly red on my nose and right side of my face with the little bumps. I am going to try some of your tips though. I never even heard of the PROcure Rosacare Gel. So I am going to try that out soon. Thank you again so much!!
I’m so sorry you go through this, reading about it made me understand what people go through. It’s really not easy to treat but can be managed. Thank you for suggesting I write about this and I’m glad you found it helpful 💜
I don’t personally suffer from this but I know a few people who do and this is such a good post to make people aware of it. I’ve heard so many people say horrible things like ‘why doesn’t he just wash his face’ and it annoys me so much! Thank you for this post!
Saying “people don’t wash their faces” is so annoying. I wish people learn more. Thank you for reading ❤️
This is definitely not what afflicts my skin, but I loved reading about this and your tips on preventing flare-ups, as stress and gluten are big ones in causing break-outs on my skin. Not wearing make-up to bed is a handy tip; I like to sleep with fresh, clean skin, and I love a glass of golden milk before bed.
Oh wow, this sounds like enjoyment. Love the sound of golden milk.
Wow I wonder if this is what my husband has! Those triggers (especially hot water) are absolutely spot on. We already do fragrance free bit I will look into those other ingredients.
These are some really great product recommendations, I also use a lot of Cerave products! Love them 😊
🌿 Marissa Belle × marsybun.com 🌿
Love this in-depth guide! I haven’t got this condition but I know some people who suffer badly so I’ll direct them to this!
-Kyra xx
Thank you so much 💜
Another fab post, Rayo. And really informative for people with rosacea or who think they might have it!
Awww… thank you 🙏🏾
Thank you for putting this together! I’m sure that it’s frustrating to be fighting with something like this where we aren’t even sure what the causes are yet. However, there is some great information here to help manage the condition and reduce triggers. I’m sure this will be SO helpful for many people out there!
What an insightful/helpful post! I don’t personally suffer from this, but I do know a friend who has Rosacea. I remember it use to upset her at times but then she found a realy good skincare routine that helped, and that boosted her confidence. I’m not sure what she did, but I’m sure it involved similar things to what you suggested – thanks for sharing x
Really helpful post. I personally don’t go through it but known ppl who did. Thanks alot for providing information about it.
This is so informative and such a great post! So helpful!
Thank you ☺️
I haven’t really heard of rosacea before reading this post. You did a great job explaining it and sharing helpful resources for it. Thanks for sharing all this info!
I’m so happy to hear this, thank you 💕
These are such fab tips I love how much information you provide it is wonderful! I haven’t actually heard of rosacea before so this is really interesting to me.
Amber – https://theunpredictedpage.com
I’m so glad you know more about rosacea now. Thank you for reading 💜
My skin is so sensitive that I need to be careful. Diet is so important when it comes to contributing to the flare ups. Having the proper skincare routine is so important! You want to help your skin, not give it any more reasons to flare. Thanks for sharing all of these facts!
Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me
I have learnt so much about rosacea in this post, I didn’t really realise it was more than reddened skin. I will have to point my auntie in the direction of this post, as she suffers from this.
Thanks for sharing another great post!
Aimsy xoxo
Aimsy’s Antics
Awww, so glad to hear this… Thanks Aimsy. I hope your Auntie finds it helpful 💜
One of my relatives really struggles with her rosacea. You have a lot of great information here so I am going to share this with her.
Thank you so much, I hope she finds it helpful 💜
Great post! I wasn’t really aware of what is was so thank you for sharing this!
This is such an informative post about rosacea. I never knew it could be triggered by so many different things found in our skincare. Thanks for sharing.
Great informative post. Thanks for sharing.😊😊😊
Sometimes I get it when I’m pregnant but knock on wood, usually not otherwise. Thanks for the great tips!
I’ve not heard of rosacea before so I really enjoyed this post! All your tips are so helpful and informative x
Thank you for taking time out to read and comment
A very insighful post, Rayo! I don’t believe I suffer from rosacea, but it’s always nice to discover new things!