April is Rosacea Awareness Month. Rosacea is an inflammatory skin condition affecting the face. If you have Rosacea, or know someone who does, you will know just how much the condition can impact on your life. It can be extremely frustrating for the 10% of the population it affects. It can also take some time for it to be diagnosed as other conditions like Lupus have to be ruled out first, so this is a really important first step.
But don’t despair - there is a lot that can be done to manage the condition and tackle the issues that are causing it in the first place. They can make a huge difference to your life if you are living with Rosacea so read on to find out more.
How do I know if I have Rosacea?
Rosacea makes the skin on the face (particularly the cheeks) red, with a flushed appearance and often the blood vessels under the skin are more visible. There may also be red bumps and acne and the skin on the nose can be thicker than the rest of the face.
You may experience frequent blushing and your skin might feel like it is stinging or burning. Your skin will be more sensitive, dry and irritated and your eyes may be dry and itchy.
On top of the feelings of frustration of living with a skin condition, these symptoms can cause anxiety, stress, and impact on the persons self-esteem and confidence because it is on a visible area of the body.
What has caused my Rosacea and what can make it worse?
Causes - genetics and gender.
Genetic factors can play a role in the development of Rosacea and it affects more women than men. In my experience of working with clients, I find that women have either had it for some time and appear to be managing it, then they reach the perimenopause stage or another difficult stage in life and it becomes worse, or they have never had it before but it is diagnosed in their 30’s or 40’s.
Causes- issues that develop over time
Sometimes it's to do with gut health, such as food not being digested properly, other times it's linked to the diet such as low levels of certain nutrients or when the types of fats being eaten are out of balance, then there are the hormonal imbalances, poor liver function, underlying stress and anxiety and underlying inflammation. It is different for each person but always involves at least one of these issues.
What can make it worse?
Various factors can make Rosacea flare-up and it helps to be aware of yours. They include:
Environmental Factors - sunlight, wind, cold, and humidity can aggravate rosacea symptoms.
Dietary Triggers - certain foods and drinks such as spicy foods, alcohol, and hot drinks may trigger flare-ups in some individuals.
Stress - emotional stress and anxiety can worsen rosacea symptoms. This is something I see a lot in my clinic.
Skincare Products - harsh skincare, body care and cosmetic products containing fragrances or alcohol can irritate the skin and rosacea. Sometimes the prescription creams and gels can also aggravate symptoms so talk to your GP if this happens.
Hormonal changes - as mentioned in the causes section, changes to levels of oestrogen and progesterone can be a trigger and is often linked to changes or imbalances of other hormones in the body too.
What can I do about it?
I would recommend keeping a record for at least a month of what symptoms you have and when, how bad your symptoms are- maybe on a scale of 1-5 and then looking at the information to see if there are any patterns or obvious reasons. This helps to get an idea of what the triggers might be for you.
Can lifestyle and dietary changes help with Rosacea?
So, you have been diagnosed and you are getting to know what makes your rosacea worse. This information helps you to manage the symptoms, so if, for example, spicy food can make it worse, you could either not eat spicy food at all or be selective about when you do eat it. By starting to manage how bad your symptoms are, you will feel like you have some control over the condition.
But what we want to aim for, long term, is to get the condition under control so that you can get on with your life and not feel like you can’t do or eat certain things because you are worried that it will make the rosacea worse.
As a Nutritional Therapist, I work with my clients to get to the bottom of what is driving or fuelling their rosacea. As mentioned, poor gut health, bacteria imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, poor liver function, hormone imbalances, stress and inflammation can all contribute to the condition.
The skin is our biggest organ and can be a really good indicator of what is going on inside the body. Its not always as simple as cutting out a certain food group because that is what someone else you know did and it worked for them. It is important to consider the whole picture and piece it together like the parts of a jigsaw puzzle. Once you start to put the pieces together and see what is going on internally, you then know what dietary and lifestyle changes are going to make a difference for you.
If you want to tackle these issues in an effective way, avoid going down a lot of rabbit holes and wasting time and money in the process, it is best to work with a therapist or practitioner who is trained and qualified to help.
Another benefit of getting help is that you have the support, motivation and coaching whilst you are getting to grips with what you need to do, because lets face it, life happens and this isn’t the only thing you have got to think about.
Here are three things you can do straight away:
Eat more leafy green vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and spinach. Aim for at least three portions a week. This type of vegetable helps the body to cope with stress and anxiety and it also supports the liver to do its detoxification job properly.
Eat more foods that are anti-inflammatory such as oily fish, avocado and flax seeds. Aim to have two portions of oily fish a week.
Create your toolkit of stress management techniques. This is not about being ‘stress free’ but making a conscious decision to do things in your life which help you to manage your stress and anxiety. You need to find what works for you and plan those things in to your week. My clients often find this difficult to do to begin with, but it has a really positive impact on their rosacea. Not sure where to start? How about 5 minutes of taking slow, deep breaths in and out and focusing on the rise and fall of your belly. Its free, requires no equipment and can be done anywhere.
How to choose the right skincare
Gentle Skincare - Everything about your skincare regime should be gentle. Choose fragrance-free, alcohol free, gentle skincare products designed for sensitive skin to minimise irritation. Also take a look at the list of ingredients- the longer the list, the more chance of skin irritants. When used in skincare, certain plants are really soothing, protective and nourishing. Look for products that contain chamomile, marshmallow, oats, seaweed and plantain. Please be aware that although calendula is often promoted as a great ingredient for the skin it can actually cause irritation and worsening of conditions in some people.
Sun Protection - Always protect your skin from the sun's harmful rays by wearing sunscreen. You may have to experiment with different brands to find one that suits your skin but always use ones that say they are designed for sensitive skin.
Use a lightweight moisturiser to give your skin much needed moisture and protection without it being heavy which can irritate it. If you know that you are going to be outside in windy and cold conditions, use a balm on top of your moisturiser that is designed for sensitive skin.
If you're ready to take control of your Rosacea and get the support that you need, go to www.naturallygrownhealth.co.uk/one-one to find out more about my 12 week, personalised diet, lifestyle and skincare programmes. We get to the bottom of what is going on and put a plan in place to tackle it, with support, motivation and health coaching from me so that you get the results you want.
Hi, I’m Amy Woodcock. I am a nutritional therapist and health coach specialising in the skin and a natural skincare creator. My company Naturally Grown Health helps Women to transform their skin, look and feel fantastic and get their confidence back, all in a natural way through my skin clinic and my handmade plant based skincare and body care range. www.naturallygrownhealth.co.uk
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