Although living with Rosacea can be uncomfortable and challenging, there are some simple precautions you can take to decrease the frequency and intensity of your flare ups. When you first receive a rosacea diagnosis, speaking with our medical team about products and environmental conditions to avoid is important. However, each person’s rosacea triggers are unique, so it’s crucial to pay close attention to the way your body responds to a variety of surroundings and conditions.
Use New Makeup and Skincare Products Cautiously
When you use a new skin product or brand of makeup, spot test them. A spot test involves putting the product on only a small area of skin, and then waiting 24 hours to see if it produces any adverse effects.
If the product does irritate your skin, it will do so in a small, contained area. If you find products that work well with your face and don’t cause rosacea breakouts, stick with them!
Skin products containing alcohol, fragrances, and acetone have been known to cause rosacea flare ups — take special precautions before using these.
Know Your Triggers
Heat - A factor as simple as the heat can cause your rosacea to become more of a problem. That can be related to both external and internal body temperature. On very warm days, you may notice that your rosacea is worse. However, flare ups can also occur when your body becomes too warm as a result of physical activity.
Food - Some foods are notoriously known to cause rosacea flare ups. The National Rosacea Society warns against eating the following foods:
- Yogurt
- Chocolate
- Vanilla
- Sour cream
- Eggplant
- Avocados
- Cheese
- Spinach
- Anything hot
Alcohol - Not only can food make your rosacea grow worse; alcohol can as well. You may find that only certain types of alcohol have an affect on your rosacea, while others don’t. The National Rosacea warns specifically against consuming the following types of alcohol:
- Red wine
- Beer
- Bourbon
- Gin
- Vodka
- Champagne
Emotional Struggles - Many of the stimulants that can cause your rosacea to flare up are tangible. However, emotional and mental factors can also affect your skin. For example, you may currently be under a great deal of stress at work or be experiencing anxiety over a personal relationship. It’s important to try to keep calm in the midsts of these struggles, and to practice stress reducing techniques to help overcome them. Personal struggles are difficult enough without rosacea flare ups — don’t let them add to your stress.
A number of outside factors can influence your rosacea. That doesn’t mean all of them listed here will — you may even find that these common triggers have no effect on your rosacea.
However, you may also find that things not listed can trigger your rosacea. It’s important to pay attention to your body and take note of any things that cause your skin to flare up in order to avoid them in the future.
For more information about rosacea or treatment options that can help control your condition, schedule a consultation with us at Doctor’s Approach Dermatology.
